Contrary to common belief, you can enjoy chips as a snack, even if you have diabetes. While you'll still need to consider carbohydrate, sodium and saturated fat content, you don't have to ban the foods you love from your diet.
Yes, they contain carbohydrate, but with portion control, they can fit into a diabetes eating plan.
Order an extra side of veggies and/or swap the chips for an extra veggie portion. Choose lean meats like fish and chicken, rather than pork, beef or lamb. Avoid ordering battered or deep-fried foods like onion rings or thin-cut chips. Go for meals that are grilled, baked or steamed, rather than deep-fried.
Overdoing it on greasy, fried foods can lead to weight gain and wreak havoc on your blood sugar. 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.
Low-fat types like cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, or mozzarella are high-protein choices that help keep your blood sugar in check. Enjoy a quarter-cup of cottage cheese with a half-cup of fruit, a piece of low-fat string cheese, or ricotta spread on whole-grain crackers.
We know air frying is better than traditional frying because it cuts down on fat and calories typically added when frying in oil. So, in that sense, air fried foods are the better choice when you have diabetes, especially if you're looking to lose or maintain weight.
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.
Fried Chicken Restaurants
In general, poultry is a smart choice while following a diabetes-friendly diet—except when it's breaded or dipped in flour and fried. This version adds not just carbs but saturated fat and calories as well to menu items at restaurants like KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Popeyes.
Veggie-based chips like kale chips can be a great alternative for when you're craving a “crunch” that is still blood sugar friendly! Kale is full of vitamins, minerals and beneficial compounds. Plus, it's low in carbs.
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.
While this way is healthier than deep-frying, the added oil and seasonings used in some varieties can still contribute to the calorie and fat content. Many store-bought oven chips are high in salt, too and may contain other additives and preservatives that can be harmful to health when consumed in large amounts.
If you have been diagnosed with any diabetes type, you can consider including millet cookies, multi-grain sugar-free cookies, sugar-free biscuits, oats and almond cookies, etc. Britannia nutrichoice is also a good biscuit choice for diabetics.
A. No, zero sugar soda uses artificial sweeteners, which increases people's weight. Increased weight, in turn, is linked to the worsening of diabetes. Hence, zero soda is not suitable for diabetes.
Do try to avoid menu items with crispy chicken or high-calorie burgers. The Quarter-Pounder with cheese and bacon is loaded with 44 g carbs and a whopping 610 calories. The Big Mac (an all-time favorite) has 46 g carbs and 540 calories. Despite your cravings, try to avoid French fries entirely.
Avoid Fried Foods Like French Fries and Chicken Nuggets
Fried foods are usually breaded, which can add up to lots of carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and calories, says Kimberlain. Too much fat in your diet can lead to weight gain, she adds, which can worsen type 2 diabetes.
Pizza may actually be a good choice for people with type 2 diabetes; just be sure to order the thin-crust type and top it with vegetables rather than high-fat meats and extra cheese. It's also a good idea to watch portion sizes.
Soups, vegetable sticks with dips, olives, undressed salads, chicken tikka, grilled shish and seekh kebabs are generally healthier choices than spring rolls, samosas and pakoras. Naans are often very large; they're made with low-fibre white flour and may be drenched in butter.
Baked sweet potato fries or chips can also be enjoyed by diabetics as sweet potato is considered to be a low glycemic index food and keeps the blood sugar level in control.
Avoid fried potatoes or French fries, as the added fat will counter the nutritional benefit of the potato itself. As well, forgo toppings such as bacon bits, sour cream or cheese on a baked potato as they will also offset the potato's nutritional benefit.
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. The total amount of carbohydrate consumed at any given meal or snack is what is most important.