Making the right food choice can sometimes be difficult. If you are diabetic, making good food choices is important for a healthy lifestyle.
“Whether you need to lose weight or maintain your weight, a healthy meal plan can help,” said Janice Hermann, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service nutrition specialist. “A healthy diet is a way of eating that reduces risk for problems such as heart disease and stroke.”
Hermann said to eat lots of vegetables and fruits and try picking from a rainbow of colors to maximize variety. Deeply colored fruits and vegetables provide a wide array of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals your body needs to maintain good health and reduce the risk of disease.
“Variety is the best way to get the benefits each has to offer and color is an easy way to think about adding variety,” Hermann said.
She also suggests:
• Choosing whole-grain foods, such as brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.
• Include dried beans, kidney or pinto beans into meals.
• Eating fish two to three times a week.
• Choosing leaner meats that end in “loin,” such as pork loin and sirloin. Be sure to remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
• Eating non-fat dairy.
• Drinking water and calorie-free “diet” drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
• Watching portion sizes.
“Everyone with diabetes doesn’t have the same meal plan or same nutritional goals,” Hermann said. “It’s important for you to work with your health care team to identify a nutritional plan that suits your needs.”
Additional information about diabetes is available through Oklahoma Cooperative Extension offices. Information also can be found at the American Diabetes Association Web site at http://www.diabetes.org or by calling (800) DIABETES.
