What if you found the best food for diabetic patients that can actually ensure your health? Well, this blog covers the best of the best to control your sugar and give you your health back. Starting from basics, you need to know how to make a wiser choice with diabetes friendly food shopping!
How to shop for diabetes friendly foods?
When shopping for foods for diabetes, all you gotta do is:
● Check labels:
Look for low added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats in the labels of any food you choose.
● Choose complex carbs:
Say bye bye to your typical refined food choices and rather go for complex carbs.
● Pick protein wisely:
You should meet your protein intake with lean meats, and plant protein instead of bad red meat and cuts.
● Healthy fats are okay:
Avocados, nuts, and olive oil can be used as the best food for diabetic patients but other bad fats are a no go!
Best foods for diabetic patients:
Here are some top diabetes friendly foods that you can find in your Indian kitchen as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – Guidelines for Management of Type 2
Diabetes 2018 :
| Foods for high sugar: | Glycemic index |
| Leafy greens like palak and kale | <15 |
| Bitter gourd (karela) | 15-20 |
| Legumes like lentils (dal), chickpeas (chana), and black beans (rajma) | 28-32 |
| Fatty fish | 0 |
| Almonds and chia seeds | 0-10 |
| Brown rice | 55 |
| Quinoa | 53 |
| Whole wheat roti | 62 |
| Turmeric | Negligible |
| Cinnamon | Negligible |
How to add them to your diabetes friendly diet?
- For your taste buds, go for Grilled chicken or fish tikka
- Have dal as Lentil soup in alternate days
- Roasted vegetables with spices can be a good meal choice too.
- Salads can have all your veggies, lean proteins and the best food for diabetes
- Brown rice or quinoa can be eaten as biryani or pulao with apt veggies or chicken.
Top 3 Best fruits for diabetes
Here are the top 3 fruits for people with diabetes, based on low glycemic index (GI):
1. Berries —
Your berry bowl can have:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
Why they work:
- Very low GI (around 25-40)
- packed with fiber + antioxidants
- Fiber slows sugar absorption so you avoid spikes.
Serving tip:
- 3/4 to 1 cup fresh berries.
- Great with Greek yogurt or as a snack.
2. Apples
Apple can be the best diabetes friendly fruit
Why they work:
- GI of ∼36 when eaten with skin.
- The skin has most of the fiber, to keep you full and steady down your blood sugar.
Serving tip:
- 1 small apple
- Pair with a tablespoon of peanut butter or almonds for protein + fat to slow digestion further.
3. Pears
Pears can prove out to be the best fruits for diabetic patients because:
Why they work:
- GI ∼38
- High water content
- Rich fiber content
Serving tip:
- 1 small-medium pear with skin.
- Choose firm ones and not the overripe ones, to keep sugar content lower.
Foods to avoid- worst foods for diabetes
Living with diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy food — it just means being smart about what spikes your blood sugar. Here are the foods that tend to cause the most trouble:
● Sugary drinks
Think soda, packaged fruit juices, sweetened iced tea, energy drinks, and even that extra-sweet lassi or milkshake. They’re basically liquid sugar with zero fiber- not the best food for diabetic patients. Your blood sugar shoots up fast because there’s nothing to slow it down.
● White/maida-based foods
White bread, naan, bhatura, white rice, regular pasta, biscuits, and bakery items are all your enemies. Maida is stripped of fiber, so it digests quickly and turns into glucose fast. The whiter and fluffier it is, the quicker the spike- confirmed by Delhi nutritionist Priyanka Jaiswal.
● Deep-fried snacks
Samosas, kachoris, pakoras, French fries, chips, and most namkeen. You’re getting a double hit: refined carbs from the outer coating + unhealthy fats from frying.
● Mithai and desserts
Gulab jamun, jalebi, rasgulla, ice cream, halwa — all high in both sugar and refined flour/fat. They cause rapid spikes and are calorie-dense, making weight management harder.
Tips to control blood sugar:
- If you’re unsure, ask “Does this have fiber, protein, or fat to slow it down?” If the answer is no, have a smaller portion or pair it with something like nuts, dal, or curd.
- Stick to ∼15g carbs per serving that is about 1 small whole fruit or 3/4 cup berries.
- Whole fruit > juice as the juices remove fiber and spike sugar fast.
Frequently asked questions:
A: Go for grilled over fried foods, add lots of veggies, skip sugary drinks, watch portions, pair carbs with protein and check menus ahead.
A: Yes, you may see remission in case of type 2 diabetes and you can consult your doctor.
