Tips for a healthy Diabetic Diet

Quick Tips

General Tips: Do not take butter ( increases harmful Cholesterol), jams and fruit preserves with sugar ( high glycemic index- give immediate rise in blood glucose levels), glucose of corn syrups, use only preserves specially made for diabetics without using sugar as preservative.
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Use only low calory spreads made from vegetable oils instead of butter, Do not use Butter & Margarine. Avoid spreading butter or Desi Ghee( clarified butter) on Indian breads- Rotis and Naans	Use low calory bread spreads made from vegetable oils instead of butter, Do not use butter , margarine and clarified butter, jellys with sugar or corn syrup,

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General Tips: Avoid White breads & buns as they have high glycemic index , prefer brown bread or multiple or whole grain breads
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Roti small without applying butter is the most preferable- on average 2 small rotis/ chapattis are suited for one meal. Avoid Naan, ( If too eager take no more than ¼ of an average naan)  do not spread butter, paratha ( take not more than 1 small paratha), Roomali roti	Recommended- Brown bread, whole grains added bread. Avoid White bread ( High glycemic index gives high blood sugar peaks);Pizzas- thin crust- slice recommended- avoid heavy toppings and regular crusts Pitta bread-Small -4(28 gms) recommended Focaccios-1 serving 48 gms -3/4 th size (without cheese)

 

General Tips: Green leafy vegetables are highly recommended, legumes like beans are also recommended
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Avoid potatoes, practically all other vegetables can be had freely ( Zero Calory foods), Green salad with cucumber, tomato, can be had freely, Bitter gourd- Karel is very helpful in decreasing Blood glucose and Cholesterol. Legumes, French and broad beans	Recommended lots of green salads , lettuce, celery leaves, tomato, cucumber, radish. Legumes, French beans, kidney beans, broad beans are highly recommended

General Tips: Atleast five servings of fruits are recommended daily, Most of the fruits are good for diabetics and do not raise blood glucose levels significantly, fruits also provide fibre which delays absorption of other foods
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Watermelon, melon, lime, orange may be consumed in unlimited quantities (Zero calory fruits), take peeled Guava, papaya, mango, apple, Do not take more than 1 small banana in a day.	Kiwi, orange, lime, muskmelon, watermelon,  (But only 1 small banana)

General Tips: Fish is high in healthy fats and should be consumed atleast twice thrice a week, prefer chicken, avoid red meats
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Avoid mutton, prefer chicken and fish.	Take fish and chicken instead of red meats, ( tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines) 2-3 portions of fish recommended per week)

General Tips:Do not overcook, the lesser cooked the better for Diabetics, highly processed food preparations are quickly absorbed and give immediate peaks of blood glucose, deep frying s not recommended- stir fry if absolutely essential. Boiled and parboiled is also preferred. Roasting, grill and baking are also preferred method of preparation as they require less oil.Sprouted pulses are also recommended
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Dalia, Tandoori dishes { but do not marinate in cream ( malai)}, par boiled vegetables with cereals, All subzis prepared with healthy oil avoid potatoes in subzis. Sprouted daals moong, chana either raw or lightly fried . Do not use cream, Desi ghee even for tadka or .	Boiled unpeeled potatoes are most preferable- mashed potatoes have high glycemic index as they are quickly absorbed- fried potatoes may have lower glycemic index due to oil contained in them but as a result have higher calories. semolina pastas have high glycemic index. Pastas, noodles should be cooked al-dente to reduce glycemic index. Do not marinate in cream, yolk or unhealthy oils, even while using healthy oil limit their quantity

General Tips: Avoid salad dressings with plenty of oil like maionnaise, tartar
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Chutnneys are preferable mint ( pudina), Dhaniya, Tomato etc.s.	Prefer healthy oils like olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil for salads

General Tips: Fried snacks should be absolutely avoided, Biscuits, pastries with vegetable shortening, or hydrogenated vegetable oils should also be avoided. Prefer baked, roasted snacks without transfats or oils
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Bhune chane, murmure, My varieties of roasted cereals are now available. Avoid matthi, samose, pakori, French fries	Avoid heavy topping of sandwiches with mayonnaise and cheese ( high calories). Take roasted cereals, low fat pop corns. Avoid cookies,  and pastries

General Tips: Adding fenugreek seeds (soaked in water and then crushed) to virtually all the recipes helps lower blood glucose and cholesterol. Flaxseeds, are helpful in increasing HDL cholesterol.
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Methi ke beej (Fenugreek seeds), Kharbuj & Tarbuj ke beej can be consumed as snacks	Flax seeds consumed as snacks or in preparations help increase HDL Cholesterol

General Tips:Use only fat free, or low fat dairy products including, milk, Yogurts, Do not use / take cream, clarified butter
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Use only toned or double toned milk for consumption and in preparations. Prefer Tofu to cottage cheese ( paneer). Use Dahi made from toned milk only. Do not use cream desi ghee	Use only Low fat, yogurt, milk and its products. Do not use cream, clarified butter

General Tips:Use oils rich in Monounsaturated Fatty acids like olive oil. Do not use, butter, animal lard, desi ghee ( clarified butter)
Indian Diet	Western Diet
Soya oil, Mixture of Sunflower with mustard oil; Do not use Transfats at all ( Vanaspathi ghee)	Olive & canola oils- Avoid transfats- vegetable shortenings, hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Top of the Pyramid: is made up of fats , oils, sweets, and confectionary.This food group should form the smallest portion of diet. These supply us with concentrated forms of energy and are required in very small quantities. The foods mentioned in this group should be taken as sparingly as possible.

But Since most of these may have invisible fats as their costituents their quantity should be moderate Meat, Fish, Eggs are rich in protein, which is essential for growth and development of the  body. Low-fat milk and milk products ( like yoghurt) which are rich in calcium but low in saturated fat and cholesterol, also help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Middle of the Pyramid: Fruits and Vegetables make up the next layer of the pyramid- these are rich in Vitamins, minerals antioxidants and fibre. Atleast five servings of fruit and vegetables are recommended.
Base of the Pyramid: offers what should be the staple food in the diet of a diabetic: cereals, whole grains, bread, potato, pasta, corn maize and pulses- Maximum carbohydrate requirements should be met by this group. Foods from this group should be included in every meal.The food pyramid is very helpful in understanding and organizing the diet and food intake. It gives the necessary practical information about food, which is easy to understand and follow.