Diabetic Food List: Best and Worst Choices

Diabetes and Breads, Grains, and Other Starches

Your body needs carbs. But you want to choose wisely. Use this list as a guide.

• Best Choices

Whole-grain flours, such as whole wheat flour

Whole grains, such as brown rice

Cereals containing whole-grain ingredients and little added sugar

Whole-grain bread

Baked sweet or white potato or baked steak fries

Whole-grain flour or corn tortillas

Corn, popcorn or products made from corn

• Worst Choices

White flour

Processed grains, such as white rice

Cereals with little whole grain and lots of sugar

White bread

French fries

Fried white-flour tortillas

Vegetables and Diabetes

Most vegetables contain fiber and are naturally low in fat and sodium (unless they are canned or frozen in sauces). Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn, aren't included in this category. They are considered part of the breads, grains, and other starches group.

• Best Choices:

Fresh vegetables, eaten raw or lightly steamed, roasted, or grilled

Plain frozen vegetables, lightly steamed

Low sodium or unsalted canned vegetables

Lettuces, greens, kale, spinach, arugula

• Worst Choices:

Canned vegetables with lots of added sodium

Vegetables cooked with lots of added butter, cheese, or sauce

Pickles (if you need to limit sodium; otherwise, pickles are okay)

Sauerkraut, (same as pickles; limit only if you have high blood pressure)

Fruits and Diabetes

Fruits have carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are naturally low in fat (except for avocados) and sodium. Most fruits have more carbs than do vegetables.

• Best Choices:

Plain frozen fruit or fruit canned in fruit juice

Fresh fruit

Sugar-free or low-sugar jam or preserves

No-sugar-added applesauce

100% fruit juice

• Worst Choices:

Canned fruit with heavy sugar syrup

Chewy fruit rolls

Regular jam, jelly, and preserves (unless portion is kept small)

Sweetened applesauce

Fruit punch, fruit drinks, fruit juice drinks

Diabetes and Meat and Other Protein

This category includes beef, chicken, fish, pork, turkey, seafood, beans, cheese, eggs, nuts, and tofu.

• Best Choices:

Baked, broiled, grilled, or stewed meats

Lower-fat cuts of meat, such as top sirloin

Turkey bacon

Low-fat cheeses

Skinless breast of chicken or turkey

Baked, broiled, steamed, or grilled fish

Tofu lightly sautéed, steamed, or cooked in soup

Beans

Eggs

Nuts

• Worst Choices:

Fried meats

Higher-fat cuts of meat, such as ribs

Pork bacon

Regular cheeses

Poultry with skin

Fried fish

Fried tofu

Beans prepared with lard

Dairy and Diabetes

This group includes milk and foods made from milk, such as yogurt and sour cream. Milk has a lot of protein and minerals, including calcium.

• Best Choices:

1% or skim milk

Low-fat yogurt

Low-fat cottage cheese

Low-fat or nonfat sour cream

Frozen low-fat, low-carb yogurt

Nonfat half-and-half

• Worst Choices:

Whole milk

Regular yogurt

Regular cottage cheese

Regular sour cream

Regular ice cream

Regular half-and-half

Diabetes and Fats, Oils, and Sweets
Eating too much of these kinds of foods can lead to weight gain, making it harder to keep diabetes under control.

• Best Choices:

Baked potato chips, baked corn chips, puffed rice, or corn snacks, in small portions

Vegetable oils, non-hydrogenated butter spreads, margarine

Reduced-fat mayonnaise

Light salad dressings

Air-popped or calorie-controlled popcorn

• Worst Choices:

Snacks fried in fat, such as potato chips, corn chips, pork rinds

Lard, hydrogenated vegetable shortening, butter

Regular mayonnaise

Regular salad dressings

Butter-flavored stove-top popcorn

Beverages and Diabetes

Some drinks have lots of carbs but very little nutrition. Others may be a better choice most of the time.

• Best Choices:

Water, unflavoured or flavoured sparkling water

Light beer, small amounts of wine or non-fruity mixed drinks

Unsweetened tea (add a slice of lemon)

Coffee, black or with added low-fat milk and sugar substitute

Plain coffee and hot chocolate

Sport drinks, in limited quantities

• Worst Choices:

Regular sodas

Regular beer, fruity mixed drinks, dessert wines

Sweetened tea

Coffee with sugar and cream

Flavoured coffees and chocolate drinks

Energy drinks