Resist the Crunch of Sodium-Laden Chips and Crackers You may love their lip-smackin' saltiness, but potato chips, tortilla chips, or corn chips (including those in restaurant nachos), crackers, and pretzels are not the best food choices for people living with diabetes.
Contrary to common belief, you can enjoy chips as a snack, even if you have diabetes. While you'll still need to keep an eye on sodium and be carb-conscious, you don't have to ban the foods you love from your diet.
French fries, potato chips, and doughnuts are particularly bad choices for diabetics because they're made with carb-heavy, starchy ingredients, which can cause blood glucose levels to shoot up.
You'll want to stay away from foods that are highly processed or have lots of added salt or sugar. That includes junk foods like potato chips, cheese puffs, candy, and cookies. You don't have to banish these foods from your diet. But when you do eat them, keep the portions very small.
High in fiber and protein, beans are digested slowly in your body, making them great for managing blood glucose levels in a type 2 diabetes diet.
Using sweet potatoes or the crunchy vegetable called jicama (pronounced hik'-a-ma), you can enjoy crisp, salty fries now and then without the worry. And since white potatoes can raise blood sugar more rapidly than even table sugar, you're wise to move them onto your “don't go there” list.
Corn flakes have a high Glycemic Index (GI). They are not a suitable food option for diabetic patients.
McDonalds
There's actually quite a few choices that a person with diabetes can enjoy at McDonald's… My recommendations are: Hamburger or cheeseburger with small or medium french fries with water. Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich with snack size Fruit & Walnut Salad.
Yes, they contain carbohydrate, but with portion control, they can fit into a diabetes eating plan. They have practically no fat (and no saturated fat), and they have a decent amount of fiber, and protein, too. Plus, they're super low in sodium.
It states the chips are about equal when it comes to fat, calories and carbohydrates. The major difference between the two is how they are made. Kettle-cooked chips are made in batches, while regular chips are made in a continuous process. Bottom line is they are both still fried in oil.
Resist the Crunch of Sodium-Laden Chips and Crackers
These snacks not only lead to higher LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol and add empty calories to your diet, but they also make your diabetes harder to control.
Hard Bite Kettle Cooked Potato Chips (20 chis) contains 23g total carbs, 22g net carbs, 11g fat, 2g protein, and 200 calories.
But there is one food that stands alone as the best snack for lower blood sugar: nuts. Nuts are delicious, nutritious and incredibly versatile as far as snack foods go. Plus, they can be stored at room temperature (or in the freezer for longer periods of time) and are great for grab-and-go snacks.
Can people with diabetes eat mayonnaise? Yes, a person with diabetes can eat mayonnaise. Mayonnaise has less than a single gram of carbohydrates per tablespoon. But with 10 grams of total fat (1.6 grams of that coming from saturated fat) it can be considered high fat.
The American Diabetes Association recommends choosing whole grain bread or 100 percent whole wheat bread instead of white bread. White bread is made from highly processed white flour and added sugar. Here are some delicious and healthy breads to try: Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran and Wheat Pita Bread.
Chinese: Steamed Chicken and Broccoli
“When ordering Chinese, focus on dishes packed full of lean proteins and vegetables with limited rice and noodles,” advises Palinski-Wade, who suggests ordering steamed chicken and broccoli with the sauce on the side.
Potatoes are a versatile and delicious vegetable that can be enjoyed by everyone, including people with diabetes. However, because of their high carb content, you should limit portion sizes, always eat the skin, and choose low GI varieties, such as Carisma and Nicola.
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), starchy vegetables such as potatoes can be included in the diet of a person with diabetes.
Despite your cravings, try to avoid French fries entirely. A medium-size fries has 89 g carbs and 860 calories. A large order has 112 g carbs and a whopping 1,030 calories. Bottom line: Yes, you can eat at McDonald's, but be aware of serving sizes and limits based on your overall daily nutritional needs.