A portion is the amount of food you choose to eat at one time, while a serving is a specific amount of food, such as one slice of bread or 8 ounces 1 cup of milk. These days, portions at restaurants are quite a bit larger than they were several years ago. One entrée can equal 3 or 4 servings!

At dinnertime, reduce the temptation to go back for seconds by keeping the serving bowls out of reach. Planning meals that fit your health needs, tastes, budget, and schedule can be complicated.

You can also visit the Find a Diabetes Education Program in Your Area locator for DSMES services near you. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search.

Español Other Languages. Diabetes Meal Planning. Español Spanish. Minus Related Pages. A good meal plan will also: Include more nonstarchy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, and green beans. Include fewer added sugars and refined grains, such as white bread, rice, and pasta with less than 2 grams of fiber per serving.

Focus on whole foods instead of highly processed foods as much as possible. Portion Distortion Quiz. Get Help Planning meals that fit your health needs, tastes, budget, and schedule can be complicated.

Video: Healthy Eating More About Meal Planning Weekly Meal Planner [PDF — 30 KB] Diabetes Food Hub — Recipes for Healthy Living ADA Tasty Recipes for People with Diabetes and Their Families [PDF — 9 MB] Rethink Your Drink Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle.

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What's this. Finding an eating plan that fits your cultural identity, helps you maintain the pleasure of eating, keeps you full and satisfied, and is nutritionally balanced to meet your nutrient needs and blood sugar goals is important for sustainability. The best type of meal plan is one that's easy to follow consistently and includes foods you enjoy.

In this article, learn more about meal planning for diabetes and see sample meals for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner.

According to the American Diabetes Association Standards for Diabetes Care, the goals of MNT are multifaceted and should support the individual. MNT should intend to:. While there are no forbidden foods on a diabetes eating plan, certain foods add more benefits than others, and some foods should be eaten less often.

Certain foods can increase blood sugar more quickly and can contribute to weight gain when eaten in excess. These foods include things like refined ultra-processed snack foods such as chips and desserts, white bread, white pasta, bagels, soda, and juice.

This does not mean you can never eat these foods, but they should be eaten infrequently. Extra planning will be important to keep blood sugars in a good range. Fruits, vegetables, seeds, and legumes such as peas, beans, and lentils provide vitamins, minerals, filling fiber, and antioxidants.

Foods that contain carbohydrates, such as fruits, starchy vegetables, grains, legumes, and dairy products like milk, will need to be portion controlled because these foods contain carbohydrates. Carbohydrates impact blood sugar the most.

They do not need to be avoided, but rather monitored. Lean protein, like white meat chicken, turkey, fish, tofu, and lean beef, is filling and supports immunity, wound healing, and muscle production. Heart-healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds increase feelings of satiety fullness , assist in reducing inflammation, and support healthy cholesterol levels.

These whole foods should be incorporated into a balanced eating plan that supports diabetes management and overall health. Keep in mind that your portions should be individualized based on your blood sugar targets and control, activity level, and macronutrient and micronutrient needs. Eating a high-fiber, higher-protein breakfast is a great way to give your body sustainable energy and help to prevent large blood sugar spikes.

Here are some good choices:. If you are carbohydrate counting or following a consistent carbohydrate diet, your healthcare provider may have prescribed a certain amount of carbohydrates to eat in the morning.

Many people with type 2 diabetes have insulin resistance , which is when your body doesn't respond to insulin as it should, cannot take up sugar glucose into the bloodstream, and requires more insulin to be produced. One of the ways to prevent insulin resistance is weight loss.

If you think you need to lose weight, skipping lunch is not the answer, especially if you take medicine to manage your diabetes. Instead, a lunch choice that contains fiber, protein, and heart-healthy fat is a great way to assist in reaching weight loss goals while combating insulin resistance.

Ideas include:. Dinner is a time when you might worry about overeating. However, eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the day and having a plan can help prevent that.

When planning your dinners, aim to consume fiber-filled carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, beans, whole grains, lean protein plant-based or animal-based , and healthy fat. Snacks in small portions can provide your body with energy in the hours between meals.

They can help to keep blood sugar in a healthy range, prevent it from dropping, and reduce the chance of eating past feelings of fullness at your next meal. When balanced, snacks boost overall nutrition by providing vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and other important nutrients.

Include some fiber and protein in your snacks to keep your blood sugar in a good range. Both delay how quickly food leaves the stomach, which can prevent large blood sugar spikes. Depending on your blood sugar and activity levesl, you may choose either a low-carbohydrate snack or a snack that contains more carbohydrates.

Consistency of timing and the amount of carbohydrates you eat at snack time will help manage your blood sugar. There is no set macronutrient prescription for all people with diabetes. To be effective, dietary patterns must be individualized and sustainable.

One strategy for meal planning is the plate method. This type of eating style ensures that you are eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods, while also balancing your blood sugar by consuming fiber, fat, and protein at each meal.

A diabetes plate is broken into three sections: half of the plate is for non-starchy vegetables, one-fourth is lean protein, and the other one-fourth is a whole grain, a starchy vegetable, or another source of carbohydrates, such as a legume.

People with diabetes can also find success in following a Mediterranean style of eating, a vegetarian diet plan, or a lower-carbohydrate type of diet. If you choose to follow a more restrictive eating plan, it is recommended to work with a professional to ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs.

The glycemic index is a ranking system for carbohydrates. In simplest terms, it ranks a food low, medium, and high based on how it can impact blood sugar. Although it can be useful in meal planning, it is also complicated to interpret.

How a food is prepared, how much is eaten, whether it is refrigerated, and what it is eaten with are just some of the various things that can affect the glycemic index.

Dietary changes can assist in managing blood sugar, but whether they can reverse type 2 diabetes or put it in remission depends on a variety of other factors.

These include how long you have had diabetes, your diabetes control, and whether or not you lose weight if weight loss is indicated. The American Diabetes Association lists some superfoods for diabetes on its website.

These include beans, berries, dark leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, tomatoes, nuts, seeds, fish high in omega-3s, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains. Aim to get a wide variety of these foods in your eating plan.

An individualized approach to eating that considers a person's nutritional needs, food preferences, culture, and lifestyle is essential for people with diabetes.

While no specific macronutrient prescription or generalized diet will work for everyone, foods that contain carbohydrates impact blood sugar the most.

Therefore, following an eating plan that includes fiber-filled carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes in appropriate portions can help to optimize blood sugars, weight, and overall health. Consider which type of meal planning strategy will work for you.

It might be the plate method, a Mediterranean style of eating, or a plant-based eating plan. If you have questions or need support, contact your healthcare provider.

American Diabetes Association. Standards of care in diabetes— abridged for primary care providers.

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Medical Professionals. Clinical Trials. Mayo Clinic Alumni Association. Refer a Patient. Executive Health Program. International Business Collaborations. snack and add 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner. Daily Totals : 1, calories, 87 g protein, g carbohydrates, 33 g fiber, 83 g fat, 1, mg sodium.

To make it 1, calories: Reduce the walnuts to 1 Tbsp. at breakfast and omit the almonds at the P. snack, and add 1 serving Everything Bagel Avocado Toast to lunch.

Daily Totals: 1, calories, g protein, g carbohydrates, 44 g fiber, 73 g fat, 1, mg sodium. To make it 1, calories: Omit the walnuts at breakfast and change the A. To make it 2, calories: Add 1 medium apple to A. snack, add 1 serving Everything Bagel Avocado Toast to lunch, and add 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner.

Daily Totals: 1, calories, 81 g protein, g carbohydrates, 61 g fiber, 60 g fat, 1, mg sodium. To make it 1, calories: Omit the pear at breakfast and omit the avocado at dinner.

snack, and increase to 1 whole avocado at dinner. Daily Totals: 1, calories, 99 g protein, g carbohydrates, 44 g fiber, 72 g fat, 1, mg sodium. snack to 1 clementine. Use limited data to select advertising.

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Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. Meal Plans Meal Plans for Diabetes. By Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans.

Emily Lachtrupp, M. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines. Reviewed by Dietitian Victoria Seaver, M. Victoria Seaver is a registered dietitian and Associate Editorial Director for EatingWell. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics and food science and her masters degree and dietetic internship at the University of Vermont.

Victoria has been a part of the EatingWell. com team since In This Article View All. In This Article. Talk to a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian to get help designing a meal plan.

They can help tailor a meal plan that fits your tastes, budget, lifestyle, and goals. We recognize that meal plans may not be appropriate for all, especially those with disordered eating habits.

If you or a loved one are coping with an eating disorder, contact the National Eating Disorders Association NEDA Helpline for support at National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Diabetes diet, eating, and physical activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What is diabetes?

Reviewed July 7, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, American Diabetes Association. Get smart on carbs. Get to know carbs. Reynolds AN, Akerman AP, Mann J. Dietary fibre and whole grains in diabetes management: Systematic review and meta-analyses.

PLoS Med. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. How much water do I need. Diabetes meal planning. Kaiser Foundation. The plate method: Nutrition for weight control. By Jill Corleone, RD Jill is a registered dietitian who's been learning and writing about nutrition for more than 20 years.

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Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Why Nutrition is Important on a Diabetic Meal Plan. Meal Planning. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5.

Day 6. Day 7. How to Balance Blood Sugar on a Low-Carb Diet. Download the 7-Day Meal Plan for Diabetes Download the Meal Plan. How to Meal Plan for a Diabetic Diet Include a variety of nutrient-rich foods.

Any meal plan for diabetes should include a mix of nutrient-rich foods from all food groups, including fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, healthy proteins, and healthy fats. Know your carbs. Fruits, grains, starchy vegetables potatoes, peas , and dairy foods like milk and yogurt are the main sources of carbs in a balanced diet.

Highly-processed foods like packaged candy, cookies, and cakes also contain carbohydrates.