Small red potatoes with the skin are an excellent choice of potatoes for diabetics. The skin of small potatoes provides fibre, which slows digestion and absorption. And small, whole potatoes are also easier to portion control.
Sweet potatoes are one of the best types of potato for people with diabetes, as they are low-GI and contain more fiber than white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are also a good source of calcium and vitamin A. Carisma potatoes, a variety of white potato, are another lower-GI option.
They're also chock full of starch, which is a carbohydrate. But even though a potato is considered a complex “healthy” carb, your body digests these carbs faster than other kinds of complex carbs. These broken-down carbs flood your blood with sugar. This makes your blood sugar spike quickly.
When boiled, sweet potatoes are a low glycemic index (GI) food, meaning they won't spike your blood sugar as much as regular potatoes, according to research published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.
Recent studies have found that waxy potatoes, like fingerling and red potatoes, have a lower glycemic index than starchy potatoes, like Russet and Idaho potatoes.
Can people with diabetes eat potatoes? According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), starchy vegetables such as potatoes can be included in the diet of a person with diabetes.
According to the diabetes association, starchy vegetables, like potatoes, are perfectly okay to include in a healthy diabetes diet. Being a complex carbohydrate, starch generally takes longer to break down in the body than simple sugars like sucrose. Therefore, starchier potatoes are the best for type 2 diabetes.
Adults with type 2 diabetes who ate a mixed evening meal with skinless potatoes had a lower overnight blood glucose response compared to a meal with low-GI basmati rice. While the glycemic index can be a useful tool, it cannot be used as the be-all and end-all guide for those attempting to manage their diabetes.
People living with diabetes should look to avoid vegetables with a high GI rating, as the body absorbs blood sugar from those foods much quicker compared with low-GI foods. This includes artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, celery, cauliflower, eggplant/aubergine, green beans, lettuce, peppers, snow peas and spinach.”
Potatoes have a high glycemic index (GI) and glucose load (GL) (11,12). Some studies evidenced significant association of high GI diet and GL with an increased risk of T2D (13–15). Furthermore, when the potatoes are heated, the starch becomes more digestible, which can result in raised blood sugar levels (16).
Starchy foods such as potatoes and sweet potatoes can be part of a healthy meal plan for diabetics, only when the portion size is taken into consideration strictly. Not more than 1/4th of your plate should come from starchy foods, as anything more than that can wreak havoc on the blood sugar levels of diabetics.
Still, carrots are high in fiber, so that helps slow down how quickly they release the sugar. They also have a lower glycemic index than other root vegetables like potatoes.
Potatoes and diabetes
If your carb goal at a meal is 30 grams, for example, then you can eat 1 cup of mashed potato or 1 medium potato, if you choose.
“Carrots are considered a nonstarchy vegetable, along with options such as broccoli and lettuce,” Ficek says. “These foods are safe for people with diabetes to eat at each meal without worry that glucose levels will spike.”
With so few carbohydrates, a high fiber content, and healthful fat, people with diabetes can enjoy an avocado in moderation without the stress of raising their blood sugar levels. Pairing an avocado with other foods may help reduce blood sugar spikes too.
if you monitor yourself at home – a normal target is 4-7mmol/l before eating and under 8.5-9mmol/l two hours after a meal.
With a glycemic index between 50 and 58, basmati rice is a low to medium glycemic index food. If you have diabetes, small portions of basmati rice can be a part of your healthy diet.
While fasting blood glucose could still be in the normal range, it is taking increasing amounts of insulin to keep it there. As insulin resistance develops, and insulin becomes increasingly ineffective to bring blood sugars down, blood sugars will eventually rise too high.
avoid the obvious beans on toast or jacket with beans. Go for the no added sugar version which has sweeteners added rather than sugar. Start small (1-2 tbsp) and pair them like you would starchy carbs and see how you go. Some can successfully enjoy baked beans with lots of egg or cheese etc.
Tomatoes are not high in sugar, and neither are carrots. Tomatoes, similar to carrots, are considered a non-starchy vegetable in meal planning for diabetes. This means that the amount of naturally occurring sugar is minimal in a serving.
Broccoli, spinach, and cabbage are three diabetes-friendly veggies because they are low in starch. Filling up with vegetables is a great way to keep your blood sugar levels in check.