Diabetic Diet

What is diabetes?
A condition where the blood sugar level is higher than normal.

Why is good blood sugar control important?

Poorly controlled blood sugar level may result in damage to the blood vessels in the heart, eyes,
kidneys, and nerves, which may lead to coronary heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and
numbness of limbs.

Hence, a proper diet is critical to disease management. Maintaining blood glucose and fat at a
healthy level will help a person with diabetes lead a normal life.

Recommendations for Diabetic Diet

 Eat an appropriate and consistent amount of carbohydrate or starchy food at each meal
o Although carbohydrates raise blood glucose level, it should not be avoided as it gives us
energy to carry out activities.
o For optimal diabetes control, one must recognise that quantity and quality of
carbohydrates are to be considered. Not all carbohydrates affect your blood glucose
levels the same way.
 Eat more fibre-rich food
o Fibre is known to slow carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption, leading to
better blood glucose control.
o Fibre fills you up- stay full longer and less likely to overeat.
o Common sources of fibre:
 Vegetables
 Fruit
 Wholegrain products (brown rice, whole-wheat noodles and pasta, oats)
 Beans, Legumes and Nuts
o Include two servings each of fruit and vegetables daily.
 1 serving of fruit= 1 small apple or 1 wedge papaya or 10 grapes (Small)
 1 serving of vegetable= 100g cooked vegetables or 150g raw vegetable
 Reduce fat intake in diet, particularly saturated fat such as butter, fried and fatty food
o Fat does not convert to glucose when digested but delays stomach-emptying and
slows the digestion of carbohydrate in a meal.
o Choose healthier fat sources such as polyunsaturated or monosaturated fat e.g.
sunflower oil, canola oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, olive oil.
 Reduce intake of salt
o Add less salt and sauces during cooking.
o Limit intake of processed food e.g. fishball, ham, hotdog, salted vegetables, pickles,
and canned food.
o Cut down on gravies added to rice or noodles.
o Spice up your meals with natural herbs and spices such as ginger, garlic, onion, chili,
pepper, lemon, vinegar.
 Healthier choice of snacks