A healthy meal is the key to a healthy life. It doesn’t matter whether we have diabetes or not, we all have to try to live a healthy life. If we learn how to choose the proper food, then our bodies will have more energy.
But, it is important to pick the right food based on our gender, activity, age, and the goals we are trying to achieve. Moreover, it is important to regulate our diet as the years go by, not for a short period.
Besides, if we want to get the most important nutrients out of our meal, we should know which meal to pick and how to serve it in a suitable portion. Here are some guides best suited for those with the condition.
Fish Eggs, Beans, Nuts, Meat and Pulses
If we want a meal with a lot of proteins and ideal for strengthening our muscles, we should choose these foods. They are very important for creating red blood cells because of the iron they contain.
Also, with the omega-3 oily fish contain, they can protect the heart.
How Much?
We can eat this kind of food every day. They are a great source of nutrients for the body. We can:
- Mix pulses and beans in a casserole as a substitute for meat;
- Prepare poultry and meat by grilling it, roasting, or stir-frying it;
- Eat poached, scrambled, fried, or boiled eggs;
- Grill fish with masala, make our own or fish cakes fish pie;
- Choose nuts and seeds as a snack or use them in a green salad.
Dairy Foods
Every dairy food contains calcium which is crucial for the bones and teeth. They contain protein as well. But, some of these foods have a lot of saturated fats, so we have to be careful about which one we pick.
Try to purchase products that don’t have added sugars or are low in fat. In addition, children need to drink whole milk, not semi-skimmed milk because it contains important vitamins for them.
They shouldn’t drink semi-skimmed milk until they are older than five years.
How Much?
We can have dairy products every day, but be careful not to consume too much. We can consume:
- Cottage cheese served on carrot sticks;
- A cheese sandwich with salad for lunch;
- Yogurt with fruit (try to purchase one with no sugars and add our fruits);
- A refreshing plain yogurt or lassi during the evening;
- A glass of milk, or even add a little cinnamon for flavor (if we want, we can add milk to our porridge);
- Cereal in the morning, with semi-skimmed or skimmed milk.
Fruit and Veggies
Add fruits and veggies every day to the diet or even use them as a snack. They are perfect for the body because they are low in calories and fat and are full of minerals, fibers, and vitamins.
It’s said that they may even protect the body from heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
How Much?
We need at least five portions per day. Pick either fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits and veggies to get the various numbers of vitamins and minerals they contain. Try to:
- Mix green beans, peas, or carrots with pasta and bake them;
- Use a lot of vegetables when we cook – add spinach to lamb, peas to rice, or onions to chicken;
- Consume grapefruit or melon with fresh dates, low-fat yogurt, apricots, prunes, or a handful of berries for breakfast;
- Add banana, orange, pear, and an apple to the lunchbox.
Starchy foods
Pasta, potatoes, naan, bread, and rice all are rich in carbohydrates. Therefore, they are important for transforming glucose into fuel and helping the cells function. Whole grains and whole wheat contain a lot of fibers.
As a result, these kinds of food can help with the digestive system and make us feel full after eating them.
How Much?
We can eat them every day, so try:
- Eat potatoes with their skin to consume more fiber, but don’t fry them;
- Use low-fat toppings like beans or cottage cheese;
- Boil cassava, and add some lemon and chili;
- Eat pasta, noodles, rice with salad or stir-fries or in risottos;
- Chapatti with a whole meal or brown atta;
- Two slices of multigrain toast with some peanut butter or Marmite;
- Baking sweet potatoes with their skin.
Salt
Try to avoid consuming too much salt because it may increase blood pressure and even cause a stroke. As a result, we should stay away from processed foods that contain a lot of salt.
Instead, cook your meals at home and try not to use too much salt. Besides, we can replace this ingredient with various tasty spices that can give even more flavor to our meal.
How Much?
Don’t eat more than one tsp a day, especially if an adult. Children can take even less. Try:
- Using chili powder, lemon juice, and pepper as a flavor for salads;
- Making our chutney with some fresh mint, coriander leaves, lime juice, and chopped green chilies;
- To avoid salt and replace it with black pepper;
- Use some ground jeera, ground coriander seeds, and some finely chopped coriander leaves to lassi;
- To control how much salt we use measure it with a tsp. After some time our family won’t notice;
- Make a tandoori marinade at home in seconds with ground garam masala, tomato purée, ginger, red chili powder, low-fat plain yogurt, paprika powder, and garlic;
- To use herbs and spices as a substitute for salt, like lime, ginger, and coriander with stir-fries, or with a spicy harissa paste in soups, couscous, and pasta dishes.
Foods High in Fat and Sugar
We can sometimes treat ourselves to some sugary foods to add some calories to our regular diet. After all, our body needs sugar. Moreover, sugary drinks will increase our blood glucose, so be careful.
Also, we should avoid butter or oil when we cook and replace them with olive oil, sunflower oil, or rapeseed oil. They are much better for the heart.
How Much?
Avoid eating too much.
Coeliac Disease and Type 1
This disease affects the autoimmune system. As a result, the body reacts to gluten and damages the guts. This makes it difficult for the body to absorb and process the food. If we have any symptoms of coeliac disease, we should get our blood tested.
If we do have it, doctors will check us with a gut biopsy.
So, we shouldn’t focus on a gluten-free diet until we are certain that we have coeliac disease. But, if we do have it, in that case, we need to avoid gluten and even permanently stop consuming it.
A specialist can help us, so don’t forget to consult with a doctor before we make any decisions.
Source: Diabetes UK | Mayo Clinic
