Type 2 Diabetes Diet Meal Ideas

Going on a type 2 diabetes diet plan can seem like it may be a challenge. However, if you do some research and prepare then you will be able to conquer the first few weeks which is the hardest of them all. Finding some recipes that you like will help you eat properly and still enjoy the luxury of a well cooked meal. In this article, you will find some tasty recipes to get you started on making your diet seem like it is not a diet.

 

While on a type 2 diabetes diet you will need to take in one thousand six hundred calories unless told other wise by your doctor. Also, you will need plenty of fluid. Staying hydrated is extremely important as the liquid cleans your body and your blood.

Breakfast Ideas…

These ideas are extremely easy, healthy and tasty for those who are on a type 2 diabetes diet. This will definitely help get you started in the morning.

Breakfast Shake - For an extremely quick meal, blend one cup of fat-free milk or you can use plain nonfat yogurt with 1 1/2 cup of fruit, such as; strawberries, kiwis, raspberries, bananas, or blueberries. Add 1 tsp of wheat germ, a teaspoon of nuts, and ice and blend for a delicious, healthy breakfast.


Breakfast Burrito - This filling and simple breakfast can be eaten on the go when wrapped up. Using a nonstick skillet and cooking spray, scramble an egg with onions and peppers or anything healthy that you would like to add. Place this in a warmed whole-wheat tortilla (you can warm it by using the microwave), dust with nonfat cheddar cheese, add some salsa if you like, and you have a healthy meal to keep you going for lunch.


Lunch Ideas…


A type 2 diabetes diet means to stick to your diet. These lunches will make is easier for you to do so.
Salads - Salad should be one of your lunch choices if you have diabetes. You can make a different salad every day of the week by changing your toppings. You can try grilled chicken, shrimp, or fish. Avoid heaping on a bunch of fattening ingredients, like bacon bits and heavy cheeses.


Tuna, Chicken, and Shrimp Salads - When you make these protein-based mixes, you can manage the mayonnaise and the health factor. Choose low-fat mayonnaise, and do not use much of it at all. Add fiber with chopped celery, diced bell pepper, and chopped onions. Eat on whole-grain bread or scoop onto lettuce.


Dinner Ideas…


These ideas will help you plan your type 2 diabetes diet to perfection. Remember this is just a start. You can continue your research and become healthy with ease.


Chicken, brown rice, and steamed broccoli - Grill boneless and skinless chicken breasts or cook a whole chicken (do not eat the skin). Marinate the chicken in Italian dressing prior to grilling or season it with your choice of herbs before roasting it in the oven.


Chili - When you prepare this yourself, chili becomes a healthy option. Take care of the choice of meat, use ground turkey or extra-lean ground beef, or go even go vegetarian with beans only. Use a lot of diced vegetables in the pot, like; garlic, onion, and red, green, and yellow bell peppers. Use canned tomatoes that have no salt and low sodium beef broth. Instead of serving the chili with traditional sour cream and cheese, use a low fat yogurt or even a fat free sour cream and some cilantro. This is great while being on a type 2 diabetes diet. 

Info to Help with Your Type 2 Diabetes Diet

Going on a type 2 diabetes diet plan can be hard if you are not prepared. Of course, if you were just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes then you had a chance to speak to your doctor of what is to be expected. But you will not feel as if you are properly prepared, this is understandable. You will need to do some reading. You can find more information on the internet or in special diabetes books that you are able to purchase and download. This article will enlighten you on this subject some. Make sure that you always share your findings with your doctor before practicing them.

Does a Regular Diet Differ?

If you are on a type 2 diabetes diet and you are wondering if your diet is any different from a diet made to promote health, then I will give you the answer. The answer is absolutely not. The recommendations from the ADA (American Diabetes Association) mirror the eating guidelines for the public. Everyone is supposed to be eating whole grains, vegetables, less saturated and trans fat, and even fruits. As long as you are eating monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, you are able to take in more a moderate amount of fats. This is important to follow if you eat fats due to the health of your heart.

Weight Loss While Diabetic…

If you are on a type 2 diabetes diet, then you will need to take care if you are expecting to loose weight. This is definitely something that you will need to talk to you medical care provider before you play around with your diet. It could cause many bad consequences if you do without advice from your doctor. Going for a low carbohydrate diet could cause a lot of health problems for you.

While you are on a type 2 diabetes diet plan you will need to make sure that you are thinking about the long term and not the short term, “I just need to loose 10 pounds.” Like previously said this can cause health complications and harm you. How great will you look with out those ten pounds but lying in a hospital bed? Exactly, so you need to make sure that you talk to your doctor before you make changes of your own. If you even take small steps towards a healthier eating habit you will obtain large rewards. For example, you will have lowered your blood glucose and have improved blood pressure and lipids.

If you are thinking that this sounds extremely hard, then I will give you a couple tips to make sure that you go into this with a better attitude. Your attitude will make a difference while on the type 2 diabetes diet. Keep in mind that the first few weeks will be hard, however, after three weeks, if an action is done every day this action turns into a habit and will be easier. You don’t think about chewing on your nails, it is not scheduled, it is a habit. Soon eating to keep healthy will be just as natural. 

Be Careful on a Type 2 Diabetes Diet

Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes means that you will have to plan a type 2 diabetes diet to stick to. You will need to discuss this with your doctor as they know what is best for you body. After all, it is their job. In the mean time, the doctor will give you a list of things that you can and can not eat, and some things to eat small amounts of. You will want to do research and this is not a bad thing. Just remember to take any findings to your doctor before you go using it. The information that you find may be wrong or altered.  It is important to keep your health in mind for you and your family.

In this article you will find foods that you are able to eat and foods that you will need to stay away from. It is important to pay attention to the details while being on a type 2 diabetes diet. If you are careless, your health will pay for it and so will your family.

Recommended Foods…

Some of the recommended foods are mentioned, just remember to talk to your doctor about these is you plan on using them with your type 2 diabetes diet.

-          Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains, Legumes, Beans, Peas, Lentils, and Low Fat Dairy Products. These are healthy carbohydrates and during digestion, sugars and starches break down into glucose.

-          With those same foods just listed, you will need those also due to the fact that they are high in fiber. Fiver can shrink the risk of heart disease and also will help control your blood sugar.

-          Eat fish that is healthy for your heart at least two times a week when you are on a type 2 diabetes diet. These fish are; cod, tuna, and halibut. Others that are promoted are; salmon, mackerel, and herring. They are high in omega 3 fatty acids which help with your heart.

-          Foods that contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats will help lower cholesterol levels. Eat these foods sparingly. These foods are: avocados, almonds, pecans, walnust, olives, and canola, olive, and peanut oils.

Avoid these foods…

You should really stay away from these foods when you are on a type 2 diabetes diet. They will not do you any good, they will harm you.

-          Anything with saturated fats. High fat products made of dairy and animal proteins are bad. These foods are; beef, hot dogs, sausage, and bacon. Your daily intake should be 7 percent.

-          Trans fats are not good either. These fats are found in processed snacks, most baked goods, shortening, and even in sticks of margarines. Get rid of these, period.

-          Cholesterol is a very bad thing but even more so if you are on a type 2 diabetes diet. These foods include: high fat animal proteins, egg yolks, shellfish, liver, and other organs that may be eaten. No more than two hundred milligrams a day.

Sodium needs to be watched at all times. You will need to aim for less than two thousand milligrams of sodium in a day. Look at all packages. This all will be easier if you keep a pocket notebook to count your daily meals.  Good luck. 

Type 2 Diabetes Diet - Some Foods to Eat and Stay Away From

Diets in general are very hard; going on a type 2 diabetes diet plan can be harder if you do not know what you need to do. The first step of course was to get the general idea from your doctor. Most of the time people are given a basic idea on how to get started on the new diet. Some get pamphlets and still have no clue on where to go next. It is a good idea to start researching.

After researching some ideas for your type 2 diabetes diet plan, then you will need to cross reference the information that you collected with your health care provider. This is to make sure that you do not do anything that will harm your body. It is crucial that you listen to your health care provider. After all, it is their business to keep you healthy.

Some Safe Diet Foods…

Nonfat yogurt is great for anyone on a diet, but even better for those who are on a type 2 diabetes diet plan. The fat free yogurt naturally contains high quality protein and carbohydrates. It is a great food to slow or prevent unhealthy blood sugar highs. It is also is high in calcium which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Another good food for a type 2 diabetes diet plan is to eat unsalted almonds. They are healthy due to being a low carbohydrate food. They have magnesium and is believed to be instrumental in the carbohydrate metabolism. Harvard found that a high magnesium intake reduced the risk of being diagnosed with diabetes.

A great food to eat is broccoli. Broccoli helps balance blood sugar and is great for those who are on a type 2 diabetes diet plan. It is high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It is also low calories and is a great food for diabetics and those who want to eat healthier. Other no starch vegetables that do the same are; spinach, mushrooms, and peppers.

Some people do not like salmon, however, while on a diet of any kind but even better if you are on a type 2 diabetes diet plan. It is a great food to eat when you are not only watching your weight, but also the health of your heart. Wild salmon can be cooked in different ways and will help with your diet. You will find a recipe that suites your tastes buds and help you stick to your diet. Salmon and sardines are rich in omega 3. They also slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, this keeps blood sugar levels more balanced.

Foods that Raise Blood Sugar Quickly…

A food that is really healthy to eat but raise sugars quickly is certain types of nuts. Shockingly enough, you should be carefully while on any type 2 diabetes diet plans. Those nuts include; peanuts, pecans, and walnuts. If these are a part of your regular diet, then you will need to eat these in moderation and check you blood sugar number consistently. Another few foods to keep a look out for are; avocados, sweet potatoes, and garlic. Yes, garlic. 

Type 2 Diabetes Diet - Food Substitutions For Your Favorite Food

Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is hard, especially when you have to follow a type 2 diabetes diet. Diets can really be tough for a lot of people. However, you will be able to plan out recipes that differ just a little. In this article you will find out new food products that you can substitute in recipes to make it more diabetic friendly.

Food Substitutions for Type 2 Diabetes Diet…

While on a type 2 diabetes diet, it is important to keep your heart healthy. This means that you will need to start paying attention to the types of meats that you eat. You will need to start substituting dark meat for white meat. Another way to help with this can be as small as switching out the chicken with skin to skinless chicken breast. You can even substitute hamburger for ground up turkey, it is healthier and even friendlier to your wallet.

There is a strange substitute that is catching on with people on type 2 diabetes diets, it is cauliflower instead of potatoes. Instead of mashing up potatoes, mash up boiled cauliflower. Mashed cauliflower has the same consistency and even the same taste as mashed potatoes do. This will help with your over all health and is suggested to everyone, not just diabetics.

Another substitute that can be used for meat is tofu. Tofu is easy to cook with. Instead of using hamburger for spaghetti, you can mince tofu and put that in. The longer you have tofu sit in seasoning and other foods, the more it will taste like those. You will not be able to tell that the tofu is in there if you cut it into minced pieces. Being on a type 2 diabetes diet my warrant you to use tofu, but it is strongly suggested that everyone do this to become healthier.

Sweetener Substitutions for Type 2 Diabetes Diet…

When you are on a type 2 diabetes diet, then substituting certain things for sugar is definitely a smart way to go. Some people are confused on what they can use instead. One of the substitutions is maple syrup. It is easier purchase than a lot of the others, but it has a strong taste and should be used sparingly.

Honey is another great substitute for sugar when you are on a type 2 diabetes diet. Honey is healthy for you and will sweeten your coffee, teas, cakes, and so much more. If you get the natural honey from the store, it does cost a bit more, it is sweeter than typical honey.

One ingredient that you can use instead of sugar is widely known, it is apple sauce. A lot of bakers have used this for years. They use apple sauce in cakes, cookies, and more. Being on type 2 diabetes diet can be easier for you is you do some research.  Some people have even used jam or fruit juice to sweeten cakes.

Being on a type 2 diabetes diet can be a pain if you think about it, however, with the tips that were given in this article, you can have a better start. Make sure that you discuss your research with your doctor, and good luck on becoming a healthier you.