The best foods for diabetes are most often whole foods that are not processed, like fruits, legumes and vegetables.
This list of superfoods will help you meet your nutritional needs as well as lower your risk of diabetes complications such as heart disease. Incorporating even a few of these foods will ensure that your diet improves as well as your overall health.
1. Oats
You may not think of oatmeal as a superfood, but it can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Oatmeal contains high amounts of magnesium, which helps the body use glucose and secrete insulin properly.
2. Fish
Fish is rich in protein, and will keep you fuller for longer; furthermore, fish contains a special type of fat that helps treat inflammation. A fish-rich diet can also reduce your risk of developing health problems, especially stroke, as a result of your diabetes.
3. Spinach
Spinach is one of many leafy greens that have been shown to drop the risk of developing diabetes. It’s high in fibre, lutein, folate, iron and calcium content, which makes it great for all ages. Spinach is exceptionally good for diabetics even if you eat it in relatively large quantities.
This water-soluble veggie has a negligible effect on blood sugar, making it a good food to choose if you are following a diabetic diet that’s rich in fibre and protein. That makes it a great vegetable for managing blood sugar levels and control diabetes .
4. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamins C and A, plus they are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Increased intake of lycopene is also associated with a significantly decreased risk for heart disease. It is easier for your body to absorb lycopene from cooked and processed tomatoes, such as tomato juice, than from fresh tomatoes.
5. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potato contains anthocyanins, which are the natural pigments that give the sweet potato its deep orange color and the antioxidants believed to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antimicrobial qualities.
6. Walnuts
Nuts are a good source of nutrition, and they provide a range of health benefits. However, some nuts are better than others for people with diabetes. Walnuts contain the polyunsaturated fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid, which has been shown to lower inflammation.
They found that people who had eaten walnuts in the past 24 hours were half as likely to have diabetes, compared with people who had eaten no nuts in this period.
7. Grapes
Eating more whole fruits, particularly grapes, blueberries, and apples, was significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a Harvard study published in the British Medical Journal in 2013.
People who ate at least two servings each week of certain whole fruits reduced their risk for type 2 diabetes by as much as 23 percent when compared to those who ate less than one serving per month.
8. Beans
These little legumes pack a powerful punch for diabetics, with a winning combination of high-quality carbohydrates, lean protein, and soluble fiber that helps stabilize the body’s blood-sugar levels and keeps hunger in check.
Beans are a diabetes super food. The American Diabetes Association advises people with diabetes to add dried beans or no-sodium canned beans to several meals each week. They are low on the glycemic index and can help manage blood sugar levels better than many other starchy foods.
9. Eggs
Eggs provide a great dose of satiating protein, and are a healthy choice compared to many meats. For people with diabetes, nutrition experts do recommend limiting yolks to about three times a week, but you can have whites more often.
10. Carrots
Cooked or raw, carrots are a healthy addition to any meal plan. While cooked carrots have the rich texture of starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, they are classified as non- starchy veggies because they don’t contain a lot of carbohydrate.
Carrots are noted for their high vitamin A, made from the antioxidant beta-carotene in carrots. This vitamin is necessary for good vision and immune function, and it may help prevent the development of some cancers.
