Best and Worst Foods for Diabetes

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 snacks, such as 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, unflavored or flavored 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

·         Flavored coffees and chocolate drinks

·         Energy drinks

http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetic-food-list-best-worst-foods?page=2