Diet and diabetes

Reasons for diet

Weight control
Blood glucose control
Prevention and management of short-
term and long-term complications of
diabetes

Dietary
recommendations for
diabetes
Eat starchy foods regularly
Eat more fruit and vegetables
Reduce animal or saturated fat
Cut down on sugar
Reduce salt

Balancing food
choices

Eat starchy foods
regularly
Bread
Potatoes
Rice
Pasta
Cereals
Plantain
Chapatis

Eat more fruit and
vegetables
Fresh
Frozen
Tinned
Dried
Juice

Choose more high
fibre foods
To help maintain blood Helps to maintain a
glucose levels and healthy gut
cholesterol levels

Fruit Wholegrain cereals

Vegetables Wholemeal bread
Pulses Wholewheat pasta
Oats Brown rice

Reduce animal or
saturated fat intake
Use low fat milk
Use low fat spread
instead of butter
Use oil high in
unsaturated fat, eg
olive oil, rapeseed
oil

Use less fat in
cooking

Grill
Dry-roast
Microwave
Steam

Choose the right sort
of fat
SATURATED MONO- POLY-
UNSATURATED UNSATURATED
Full fat dairy
produce (eg Olive oil Sunflower oil
cheese, butter, full (products)
Rapeseed oil
cream milk)
Oily fish
Groundnut oil
Pies
Biscuits
Savoury snacks
Lard
Hard vegetable fat

Cut down on sugary
foods

Not a sugar free

diet
Cut out sweets
Cut out sugary
drinks

Choose low sugar
products
Use diet or low
calorie, sugar free
drinks

Intense sweeteners

Tablet
Liquid
Granulated

Avoid diabetic products

Cost
Laxative effects
Focus on sugar free
Still raise blood glucose levels
Still contain same calories

Reduce salt intake

Cut down on added

salt
Use alternative
seasonings
Look out for
reduced/low sodium
foods, eg bread
Avoid salt substitutes

Eat regular meals
based on carbohydrate:

Breakfast

Lunch or snack meal

Main meal

Weight management
and diabetes

Be more active

Slimming tips

Be realistic about your target weight

Aim to lose weight gradually
Eat regular meals
Make small changes you can stick to

Drink alcohol in
moderation

Thats
2 units a day for women
3 units a day for men

 How many units in your
drink?
units
1 pint premium strength lager or cider 3
1 pint average strength lager 2.8
1 pint average strength cider 2.6
1 pint bitter 2.3
1 pint stout 2.3
Medium glass (175mls)white or red wine 2.3
Large glass (250mls) white or red wine 3.3
Pub measure (25mls) spirit 1

For more information
on diabetes
0800 585 088

 Diabetes UK Careline
0845 120 2960
Monday to Friday
9am to 5pm
Recorded diabetes information
24hours/day
Website - www.diabetes.org.uk