What’s Healthy Eating for a Diabetic?

"Being a type 2 diabetic, I have too many different ideas coming at me. Do you have any advice on what diet to follow?"   By Marci, Montana

Hi, Marci,

You are definitely not alone when it comes to this issue. Approximately 25.8 million Americans suffer from type 2 diabetes (almost a third do not even know that they have the disease), and 79 million more have pre-diabetes.

With all the often conflicting diet information out there, it's challenging to figure out what to eat. While there is no single diet that works well for everyone, including those with diabetes, there are several things that can help keep your blood sugar under control and could help shrink your waistline (excess belly fat is big risk factor for diabetes).

Your overall diet pattern (this is the term most experts agree upon rather than focusing on specific macronutrient percentages) should be high in fiber and contain plenty of (whole) fruits and vegetables, moderate amounts of healthy fat, lean and plant-based protein and whole grains.

Here are several more specific suggestions: