Sample Diabetic Eating Menu

QUESTION: Hi,

I am from Coimbatore. I am diabetic. My age 57. I am talking medicine glyconorm SR.only one tablet. I suffer also from rheumatoid arthritis pain since 2 months.

I can walk and go to my work.

Please can you suggest me a meal plan?

Thank you

Padmini



ANSWER: Hi Padmini,

It is crucial to take all kinds of foods although you are a diabetic. In other words, your body needs glucose, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals to work properly.

Therefore, you should supply it with all the foods it needs. However, you should keep an eye on the type of food, the portion and time of eating.

In addition, you did not mention the type of diet you are following (vegetarian, vegan or others?) to give you more precise idea on a typical diabetic meal plan.

However, I am trying to give you some practical ideas as following:

1 - The most important thing is to always have your breakfast regularly, do no skip it. Supplying your body with the needed nutrients will provide the right energy for dealing with the daily works.

Therefore, do not skip breakfast. To give you an idea on a typical breakfast meal, I could suggest:

Toasted Bread - 1 slice

Cottage Cheese - 1 small slice

Low-fat Milk or Yoghurt (covered with fruits like berries or plain) - 1 cup

Peanut Butter - 1 tablespoon


2 - As diabetics needs to have frequent meals but in small portions, around 10:00 a.m., you can something for snack.

My preferred options are fruits, such as apples, cherries, banana, mango, mangosteen, grapefruit, citrus fruits, or any other local fruit you might have.


3 - Lunch-time is very important too. Try to eat more at breakfast and lunch-time, and less during

dinner or bedtime.

Some lunch ideas could be as following:

Salad - There is our local mixed salad recipe prepared by using green salad with tomatoes, olives (non salty), spring onions, cucumber sparkled with vinegar and olive oil.

You can add peppers (chilly, cayenne, belly of all types or colors as you wish). Or you can prepare other type of salad such as one with white cabbage and carrot.

Main dish - If you have time to prepare your own dish, I could suggest a spinach rice recipe that is easy to prepare but needs its own time.

Other options could be soups prepared by boiling chicken breast with other vegetables, such as chilly, green leaves, spring onion, black pepper, potatoes, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil.

You can add cinnamon powder and enjoy it.

Roasted Bread or other types of Pita-s can serve as side dish.

Do not forget to drink plenty of water to clean and freshen your body.


4 - Before the dinner time, you could adjust eating a snack for example at 4:00 p.m. You can have fruits alone or fruity yogurt, nuts (peanuts, walnuts).


5 - For dinner, you can have any type of macaroni (elbow, spaghetti, etc.) prepared with your own sauce.

For example, you can fry or bake garlic, add tomato juice, bay leaves, Oregon, basil. Mix your sauce with the macaroni and enjoy it.

You can have coffee during the day with some biscuits; however, do not forget to have other teas such as green tea, cinnamon tea or other lowering-sugar tea options.

You can find mixed herbs for diabetes in drugstores and prepare your own tea too.

Depending on your doctor's suggestions, you can have snack at bedtime to ensure not having hypoglycemia. However, I repeat, this is on your doctor's request.

Hope it helped!

Dr.Alba