Summary. If you have diabetes, eating a balanced breakfast that's low in carbohydrates can help you manage your blood sugar levels. Your meal should include lean protein, healthy fats, fiber, and non-starchy vegetables. These can help to give your body energy while balancing out your blood sugar to begin your day.
Protein takes longer to digest, which may help keep blood sugar levels steady. For an on-the-go meal, make a sandwich with a scrambled egg, low-fat cheese, and tomato slice on a whole-wheat English muffin. You can add a slice of lean meat, such as low-sodium ham or turkey, for extra protein.
Insulin sensitivity is often higher in the morning than in the evening, so an eating schedule that includes breakfast and minimizes late-night eating is preferable. Many conventional breakfast foods are high in sugar, fat, and salt, but many tasty and varied alternatives provide healthful fiber and other nutrients.
From the research there is on the subject, yogurt can be a good candidate for a healthy breakfast and may help regulate blood sugar levels. So, it's good to have a cup of low-carbohydrate, high-protein fermented food for breakfast, especially if you're looking to control your blood glucose.
The dawn phenomenon
In the early hours of the morning, hormones, including cortisol and growth hormone, signal the liver to boost the production of glucose, which provides energy that helps you wake up. This triggers beta cells in the pancreas to release insulin in order to keep blood glucose levels in check.
A good rule of thumb, Moyer says, is to eat within one hour of waking up. It is optimal for people with diabetes to eat carbohydrates that contains fiber. Carbohydrates that contain fiber are digested and absorbed slower than those without.
Try to eat more of the following: oats, pasta, rice (particularly basmati or brown varieties), wholemeal, granary and rye breads, wholegrain cereals (e.g. Shredded Wheat, Weetabix, Porridge, Branflakes), wholegrain crackers, fruit, vegetables and salad, beans and pulses e.g. lentils, butter beans, kidney beans.
Bananas are a delicious, nutritious and affordable food for everyone, including those with diabetes. Eating this healthy fruit can help stabilize blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity and improve heart health.
Tips for healthy breakfasts for diabetes:
Switch from white toast to wholegrain versions like seeded batch bread, multi-seed, granary, soya and linseed. These are better for your diabetes and digestive health. They're more filling, too. If you're making rotis and chapattis, use wholewheat flour.
Try to go 10–12 hours each night without eating, Sheth said. For instance, if you eat breakfast at 8:30 a.m. every morning, that means capping your nighttime meals and snacks between 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. each night.
High in fiber and protein, beans are digested slowly in your body, making them great for managing blood glucose levels in a type 2 diabetes diet. Just ¼ cup of any type of beans will provide as much protein as 1 ounce (oz) of a meat protein equivalent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Potatoes and diabetes. Share on Pinterest In moderation, a person with diabetes may eat potatoes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommend eating starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, as part of a healthful diet. Starch is a complex carbohydrate that takes the body longer to break down than simple sugars.
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.
In general: Less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L ) is normal. 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L ) is diagnosed as prediabetes. 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L ) or higher on two separate tests is diagnosed as diabetes.
Answer From M. Regina Castro, M.D. If you have diabetes, late-night snacks aren't necessarily off-limits — but it's important to make healthy choices. Late-night snacks add extra calories, which can lead to weight gain.
Cheese can be included as part of a healthy, balanced diet if you have diabetes. However, people with diabetes should opt for cheeses that are low in saturated fat and sodium while high in protein. If you have diabetes, combine higher-GI foods with cheese to help regulate blood sugar and prevent spiking.
Avoid nuts that are coated in salt — Dobbins notes that sodium is bad for your blood pressure — and sugar. More bad news if you love the sweet-and-savory combo: Chocolate-covered peanuts and honey-roasted cashews are high in carbs and not the best choice when you have diabetes, Dobbins says.