If you spend your days juggling meetings, taking care of your family, and tackling tasks that focus on everything but self-care, chances are your midday meal has become an afterthought. But if you manage Type 2 diabetes, making a healthy breakfast one of your priorities can have a significant effect on your weight and blood sugar levels. Preparing your meal at home is the easiest way to make sure this happens. Additionally, eating out for many meals is associated with negative health effects, including metabolic syndrome, higher body fat, higher blood pressure, higher total cholesterol, and other conditions. also unfavorable in certain populations. according to a study published in 2022.
Luckily, it only takes a little know-how – and these simple recipe ideas – to create quick and healthy diabetes-friendly lunches.
To start, consider building your lunch around a source of lean proteinlike without skin chickentuna, shrimp, beans or Tofuas the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) suggests. In general, “protein does not raise blood sugar as quickly or as strongly as foods high in sugar or options from the grain group,” says Julie Stefanski, RDN, CDCES, national spokesperson for the Baltimore-based Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. With this lean protein source in place, Stefanski recommends adding at least 1 to 1½ cups of your favorite beverage. non-starchy vegetable. THE American Diabetes Association (ADA) lists green cabbage, broccolicauliflower, zucchini and green beans among the many diabetes-friendly non-starch vegetarian options.
As for carbohydratesaim for 30 to 45 grams (g) if you’re a woman and 45 to 60 g if you’re a man, suggests Amy Kimberlain, RDN, CDCESbased in Miami and also a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Choose your carbs wisely. “They are not all created equal,” says Kimberlain. For example, although brown ricewhich is a whole grain, and white rice, which is refined, contain similar amounts of carbohydrates per serving — 50 grams And 44g per cup cooked, respectively, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – they affect blood sugar levels very differently. “The main difference is the fiber content,” says Kimberlain. Brown rice contains 3.1 g of fiber per cooked cup, while white rice offers only 0.6 g. A higher fiber count means your body will take longer to digest brown rice than white rice, which will help keep your blood sugar stable and your belly fuller, potentially promoting weight loss, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Additionally, whole grains like brown rice offer more protein, vitamins and minerals than refined grains like white rice, notes Kimberlain. Opt for whole grain carbs over refined carbs whenever possible.
RELATED: 8 Healthy Carbs for People With Type 2 Diabetes
Finally, stick to about 1 tablespoon (tbsp), or about an inch’s worth, of fatwhich to ADA notes include olive oil, hazelnut butterand canola oil, suggests Carrie Swift, RDN, CDCES, certified specialist in diabetes care and education at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, Washington.
Of course, these are just the building blocks of a healthy, diabetes-friendly lunch. To inspire you, here are 12 simple lunch ideas for your diabetic dietas well as the estimated number of calories and carbohydrates:
