Here are some healthy breakfast ideas to choose from: Here are some healthy lunch ideas to choose from: Think about having a piece of fruit or a pot of natural unsweetened yogurt afterwards too. Still not sure which foods mean you’re making healthy choices? Knowing what to eat can be tough, sign up to our Learning Zone and discover the small changes you can make to your diet to help manage your diabetes. But going on a course can help you understand what diabetes is and how food affects your body. It keeps me accountable and focused.". And there’s strong evidence to suggest that losing extra weight can put your type 2 diabetes into remission. Here are some healthy dinner ideas to choose from: lasagne and salad roast chicken and vegetables, with or without potatoes beef stir-fry and vegetables, with or without brown rice chicken tortillas and salad salmon and vegetables, with or without noodles curry with chickpeas and brown rice These ideas may not look much different from what you eat already, and your favourite recipes and meals can usually be adapted to be healthier without you noticing too much difference. But if you find you’re having to snack a lot to prevent hypos, talk to your healthcare team so they can give you more advice. Ask your healthcare team about getting on a structured education course near you or find out more in our education information.

You’re likely to be faced with what seems like an endless list of new tasks. You can download My weight-loss planner (PDF, 534KB) to set goals and track your progress. No two people with diabetes are the same. © The British Diabetic Association operating as Diabetes UK, a charity registered in England and Wales (no. Read our 10 top tips for healthy eating when you have diabetes – it takes you through the foods that are healthier than others, including which carbohydrates are the better choice and how to be smart with snacks. Try and make changes to your food choices that are realistic and achievable so you’ll stick with them. There are millions of people with type 2 diabetes wondering what they can eat – you’re not alone in this. Here are some examples of goals – think about yours and write them down if that helps: You’re more likely to achieve your goals if you get some support – whether that’s from your healthcare team, your family and friends or other people with diabetes. a piece of salmon or tuna steak and salad. "I keep a daily diary and log my weight and activity. There is no such thing as a special diet exclusively for people with type 2 diabetes. If you usually do the cooking at home or someone cooks for you, it can help to read this information together and talk about small swaps and changes you can make in the kitchen.

Our helpline is free and our trained counsellors get hundreds of calls about food every week. We know this is more likely nearer to you being diagnosed, so find out everything you can about remission and speak to your healthcare team about it.

Other things to avoid are foods labelled ‘diabetic’ or ‘suitable for diabetics’, and eating too much red and processed meat or highly processed carbs like white bread. The sugar in whole fruit is different to the added sugar in things like chocolate, biscuits and cakes or other free sugar found in fruit juices and smoothies. Someone is diagnosed with diabetes every two minutes.

Here are some healthy dinner ideas to choose from: Get more dinner recipes – you can search by type of meal and ingredient. It’s a place to have a chat with someone else who has type 2 diabetes, ask questions about food, or just read other people’s posts to see what diets are working for them. Snacking in general can make it harder to manage a healthy weight though, which is really important for managing your diabetes. By putting a plan in place and noting down your progress, you'll be able to see the positive changes you're making. Advice for people with diabetes and their families. There are different ways to lose weight, like a low-carb diet, Mediterranean diet and very low-calorie diets. Edward Morrison, who lost over four stone – read his story. “When I decided to make changes to my lifestyle, diet came first. Diabetes won’t stop you from enjoying your food, but knowing some simple hacks and swaps will help you choose healthier options and make planning your meals a little easier.

Creating a solid grocery list as well as a pantry list focused on staple meals and any specialty items will make shopping much more manageable. You don’t need to eat snacks if you’re not taking any medication for your type 2 diabetes. You shouldn’t avoid them because they’re sugary. We haven't created low- or very low-calorie meal plans as these could be challenging using foods. We’ve got dedicated boards for people talking about food, recipes and weight loss. Because we know that making healthier food choices is important to manage your diabetes and to reduce your risk of diabetes complications, like heart problems and strokes, and other health conditions including certain types of cancers. Medical appointments, taking medication, stopping smoking, being more active and eating a healthy, balanced diet – it can all seem so daunting and overwhelming. I knew I had to do it.”. Our support forum has over 18,000 members. SC039136).