A diabetic diet ideally includes foods which are most appropriate in terms of maintaining normal blood glucose levels. As we know, diabetes is characterized by the inability of the body to absorb glucose present in the blood, leading to high amounts of glucose retained in the blood stream. This is because, Insulin which absorbs the glucose from the blood is either not produced in enough quantities or fails to function ideally. Therefore, following an appropriate diabetic diet is a key criterion in managing diabetes.

A diabetic diet should mainly consist of foods which do not trigger a rise in the blood glucose levels and at the same time provide the complete and required nutrition to the body. To achieve this, a variety of plans have been designed to create a specific diet regime for any diabetic patient individually. It is also important for a healthy diabetic diet to comprise of foods which help keep the body weight under check and the blood pressure and cholesterol levels in control, as these things are also, in some or the other way, related to a good diabetic health. Diet plans which help create a diet regime for individual diabetic patients, according to their specific health condition might be designed Glycemic Index of foods. Glycemic index is a scale which indicates the effect of the food on a person’s blood glucose levels which depends on the carbohydrate count of a particular food. It is measured from 0 to 100, 100 being the highest. For a healthy diabetic diet, the least glycemic index foods are the best.

Healthy diabetic diet should also minimize the use of unwanted calories and carbohydrates and maximize the use of fiber rich foods. Some examples of such food items are:


 Low glycemic index foods

- Grains.


- Legumes.


- Vegetables.


- Low fat dairy products.


- Lean meat.


- Fish.