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What’s the most common thing that’s associated with living with diabetes? Probably giving up your favourite food.

Skip the rice, have an extra chappati.

Bina cheeni ki chai (Unsweetened tea)

No meetha, only namkeen

You must have heard all this (and more) at some point or the other.

But here’s the good news – diabetes does NOT mean you have to give up your favourite food. Shocked to hear this? Don’t be! The key is moderation and balancing your meals. Don’t have too much or too little of anything and balance your meals.

Here are some tips that will help you make your home-cooked meals more diabetes-friendly.

If all this is talk about what to eat, what not to eat, how much to eat, how often to eat is confusing you – fret not! Here’s a general diet plan that will help people with diabetes enjoy what the eat while keeping their blood sugar levels in check.

A quick word of caution: This diet plan is a generalised one. You can use it as a reference but do talk to your doctor or dietician about your specific needs since they know your medical history the best.

With that being said, let’s get started – here’s what an ideal diet for a person with diabetes should look like:

Early morning: Rise and shine! Start your day with a glass of lukewarm water to flush out the toxins and a tsp. of methi seed powder. Read how methi seed powder helps manage your blood sugar levels.

Breakfast: In an ideal situation, you would have time to sit and sip a hot cup of chai or coffee and have a hearty breakfast before rushing off on your busy day. But for most of us – that’s rarely possible. But don’t let a busy schedule keep you from skipping breakfast. Breakfast is a MUST and here are some options you can try out:

  • A cup of Tea/ Coffee/ Buttermilk/ Curd
  • A bowl of oats porridge and a cucumber
  • OR A bowl of muesli with milk and a cucumber or tomato
  • OR Wheat flakes with milk and 1 cucumber or tomato
  • OR Vegetable-moong chilla made with at least 2-3 veggies
  • OR A bowl of vegetable daliya upma
  • OR 2 chapatis with 1 bowl of sabzi (any green leafy vegetable such as spinach, raddish, methi  etc.) and a cup of curd
  • OR 2 slices of whole wheat bread + egg white omelette with lots of veggies

Mid – Morning: A common mistake most people with diabetes make is keeping a long gap between meals. Don’t do that, try these instead:

  • A cup of  green tea with a handful of roasted channa
  • OR one whole fruit (apple/ pear/ orange/ 2-3 moon slices of papaya/ guava)

Lunch: Eat good, feel good! Make sure you have a wholesome meal. These are some of the things you can try having for lunch:

  • 1 bowl of salad + 2 chapatis with 1 big bowl of sabzi + 1 bowl of dal/ sprouts/ curd/ buttermilk/ 2-3 pieces of chicken/ fish
  • OR 1 big bowl of vegetable daliya khichdi with curd
  • OR 1 bowl of salad /  2 cucumbers/ 2 tomatoes + half a bowl of brown rice plus 1 big bowl of  sabzi + 1 bowl of dal/ sprouts / curd/ buttermilk/ 2-3 pieces of chicken/ fish

Evening snack: Make sure you always snack at around 4-5 PM – it’s VERY IMPORTANT! You can always satiate your hunger with:

  • 1 whole fruit (apple/ pear/ orange/ 2-3 moon slides of papaya/ guava)
  • OR 1 fist chana (boiled or roasted)
  • OR sukha bhel (cucumber, tomato, green peas, onion, coriander)
  • OR khakra  
  • OR buttermilk (without salt or sugar)
  • OR sandwich (avoid butter, cheese and mayonnaise)

Dinner: Eat less? No! Eat Right! You can try having these for your dinner. Make sure to add any vegetable of your choice in the salad but avoid eating roots and tubers.

  • 1 bowl of salad/ 2 cucumbers/ 2 tomatoes + 2 chapatis with 1 big bowl sabzi + 1 bowl of  dal/ sprouts/ curd/ buttermilk/ 2-3 pieces of chicken/ fish
  • OR 1 big bowl of vegetable daliya khichdi with curd
  • OR 1 bowl of salad/ 2 cucumbers / 2 tomatoes + 1 multigrain chapati or rotla + 1 bowl of dal/sprouts /curd /buttermilk /2-3 pieces of chicken/ fish

Bedtime: Go Nuts! You can have 2 walnuts OR 4 almonds with a glass of lukewarm water before going to bed. Here’s why nuts are so healthy for you!

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for patient awareness only. This has been written by qualified experts and scientifically validated by them. Wellthy or it’s partners/subsidiaries shall not be responsible for the content provided by these experts. This article is not a replacement for a doctor’s advice. Please always check with your doctor before trying anything suggested on this article/website.

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