What we eat impacts blood sugar more than any other factor, so maintaining a healthy diet is critical if you’re living with diabetes. Eating a healthy diet for diabetes can keep glucose in range, reduce the risk of complications, and help you stay on track toward reaching health goals.
But what is a healthy diet for diabetes? The answer isn’t so simple.
Healthy eating for diabetes isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are many dietary approaches to managing diabetes. What works for one person may not work for another.
To help you eat healthy and find the right approach for you, we’ve compiled dozens of resources on nutrition for diabetes. The following links will arm you with the knowledge you need to make informed decisions about what you eat.
Remember that whichever eating plan you choose, its success should be measured by how well it supports you in reaching your health goals, how easy it is to maintain, and how much it helps you enjoy eating.
After all, food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. You deserve to look forward to eating and feel good about the choices you make. We hope that these resources on nutrition for diabetes help you rediscover the joy of food in a way that works for you.
Consider bookmarking this page now and coming back when you have specific questions about nutrition for diabetes. We continually update this page with new resources.
Healthy Eating Tips for Diabetes
Ready to take a deep dive into all the nitty gritty aspects of nutrition for diabetes? Check out the resources below. From how much water to drink for healthy blood sugar to the order you should eat your food to tips on avoiding unnecessary snacking, we’ve covered all the bases (and then some) around healthy eating for diabetes.
Why and How to Drink More Water for Diabetes
Choose Your Own Adventure: How to Make Meal Planning for Diabetes Work for You
When in Doubt, Test it Out: How to Do Paired Testing for Blood Sugar
One Drop Guide to Eating Healthy on the Cheap
Tips to Avoid Unnecessary Snacking
Life Without Limits Podcast: Making Healthy Food Choices as a Family
Personalizing Your Plate for National Nutrition Month
Does Food Sequencing Lower Your Blood Sugar?
Healthy Ways to Manage Sugar Cravings
The Science Behind Your Nighttime Food Cravings
Men Talk Disordered Eating and Living with Diabetes
Study: Your Memory is Better at Locating Brownies Than Apples
All About Carbohydrates, Sugar, and Sweeteners
Of the three macronutrients we need in a healthy diet (carbohydrates, fat, protein), carbs have the biggest impact on our blood sugar. Many people living with diabetes (including One Drop founder and CEO, Jeff Dachis) choose to follow a low-carb or keto diet and find that this way of eating helps them keep their blood sugar in range. But we recognize that that’s not a realistic approach for everyone. Here, we’ve put together resources that will help you understand what carbohydrates are, how to identify the various names for sugar, and tips for limiting carbs in your diet if you decide to go that route.
One Drop Guide to Carbohydrates
How to Drink Your Carbs Mindfully
40+ Mouth-Watering, Finger-Licking, Low-Carb Foods
3 Signs a Strict, Low Carb Diet Isn't Right for You
What is Sugar and Why Is It Important?
Allulose: Why You Need to Know About This Low-Carb Sweetener
90+ Diabetes-Friendly Low-Carb Recipes
Healthy Cooking Tips
Let’s get cooking! Preparing your own food can be a fun and creative way to take control of your health and make positive food choices. Whether you're newly diagnosed with diabetes or a seasoned pro, finding inspiration and enjoyment in the kitchen is crucial for maintaining a healthy diet. Check out our resources to help you make cooking fun and exciting, while still keeping your diabetes management in mind.
The Art of Improv in the Kitchen
How to Stock a Lower-Carb Kitchen
Cooking Tips and Kitchen Hacks That Every Beginner Cook Needs
How to Cook From Home: Roasting Vegetables
Plant-Based Eating Tips
When it comes to eating healthy for diabetes, the more plants you eat, the better, particularly for type 2 diabetes. A meta-analysis published in Advances in Nutrition demonstrated that vegetarian diets were associated with a greater reduction in A1C when compared with other eating patterns. But if giving up meat altogether feels too extreme, start by gradually adding more vegetables to your diet and starting to see meat as a side dish rather than the main event.
A Health Coach Shares 5 Tips for Making Plant-Based Nutrition More Approachable
Life Without Limits Podcast: Busting Myths Around Plant-Based Eating
Life Without Limits Podcast: Leveling Up Your Vegetable Skills
Life Without Limits Podcast: What to Know About Vegetables and Cravings
All About Processed Foods
Processed foods have been making headlines for the last few years and with good reason—more than 60% of calories in the American diet come from ultra-processed foods. But what exactly are the implications for our health? We dig into the difference between processed and ultra-processed foods and show you what to look out for when choosing what to eat in the resources below.
What Exactly Is a Processed Food?
Are Ultra-Processed Foods Bad? Yes. Here's What To Do About It
Subway Bread Isn’t Legally Bread, Irish Supreme Court Finds
Staying Healthy while Eating Out
There is real joy to be found in cooking nutritious food, but sometimes, you need to treat yourself to takeout or a meal at your favorite restaurant. Find out how to stay on track and keep nutrition for diabetes in mind when you decide to step out of the kitchen.
Low-Carb Indian Foods: Dining Out Tips and Healthy Recipes
Blood Sugar-Friendly Tips for Ordering Takeout
Low-Carb Asian Food: My Top Tips for Dining Out
Diets and Eating Patterns
If you remember one thing about eating healthy for diabetes, let it be this: the American Diabetes Association recommends a balanced diet that includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats while limiting processed and high-sugar foods and beverages. But within those guidelines, there are so many variations. We take a deep dive into popular diets and eating patterns to help you make informed decisions for a healthy life.
Circadian Fasting: What Is It and Should You Do It?
Low Carb: What Is It and How Can It Help Me?
How to Eat (For the Rest of Your Life)
3 Ways Intuitive Eating Can Take the Stress Out of Diabetes Management
Low-Carb Product Reviews
Let’s face it—carbs can be delicious. From pasta to rice to cookies, some of the staple comfort foods from around the world are packed with carbs. This means that following a low-carb diet could mean limiting or eliminating some of our most beloved comfort foods. Thankfully, more and more low-carb alternatives are popping up every day, giving us the chance to indulge while keeping our health goals in mind. Here are a few of our favorites.
Indulging Mindfully: ChipMonk's New Line of Low Carb Sweets
Celebrate National Ice Cream Day the Low-Carb Way!
Review: Low-Carb Magic Spoon Cereal
On National Pie Day, Meet A Low-Carb Bakery Owner
Products We Love: ChipMonk Cookies
Products We Love: Raw Amour, the Chocolate Truffle for People With Diabetes
This article has been clinically reviewed by Hanna Rifkin, RD, CDCES, clinical health coach at One Drop.
