Diabetes: Foods You Can & Cannot Eat

Foods that diabetics can and cannot eat are based on a different food pyramid than most people use. A general food pyramid is based on calories and fat, while diabetics need to concentrate on carbohydrate and protein content of food as well as calories and fat. Diabetics need to eat a variety of foods every day to keep blood sugar levels stable while avoiding foods that can either raise or lower blood sugar too quickly.

Carbohydrates and Protein

Complex carbohydrates make up the base of the diabetic food pyramid. Foods that provide cells with energy such as oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain bread, beans, potatoes, lentils, peas and corn should make up six to 11 servings of a diabetic's daily diet. Be careful to avoid refined carbohydrates that are highly processed. Refined grains only use part of the grain. The bran and germ are removed during processing, which removes most of the nutrients. Whole grains include every part of the grain, leaving phytonutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants that are important in stabilizing blood sugar. Whole grains delay the amount of glucose absorbed after meals by slowing down the amount of time it takes for food to leave your stomach.

You need to figure out the glycemic index, measure portion sizes and count how many grams of carbohydrates are in food you eat to make sure you're eating food that will keep your blood sugar levels stable. The glycemic index ranks food on a scale according to its effect on blood sugar. Low index glycemic food will not raise your blood sugar levels as high as food that has a high number on the glycemic index. Ripeness, cooking methods, how the food is processed, and storage time all affect the GI of food.

Vegetables and Fruit

You should include two to three servings a day of protein such as poultry, fish, eggs, non-fat or low-fat dairy, beans, unrefined grains, soy foods and nuts. Our bodies don't store protein like they do fat, but amino acids from protein stay in our bodies for at least four hours and up to 48 hours. The National Academy of Sciences recommends diabetics get between 10% and 35% of their daily calories from protein, or between 46 and 60 grams of protein for the average adult. There are 20 grams of protein in three ounces of tuna and 26 grams of protein in three ounces of turkey breast, so it doesn't take very much to reach your daily protein goal.

Vegetables and Fruit

Vegetables and fruit contain fiber and minerals that are important for a diabetic's health. At least five servings of vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, carrots and green leafy vegetables should be eaten each day, and you should eat two to four servings of fruits lower on the glycemic index, including apples, berries, cherries, prunes, plums and grapefruit.

Food to Avoid

Unhealthy fats, sweets and highly processed food usually have a lot of calories and little nutrition. You should only eat these foods occasionally. Serving sizes for these foods are usually very small, so read your labels carefully and be sure you're not trading necessary nutrients to make room for sweets. And don't feel singled out--the foods you are told to avoid or eat in moderation are the same foods everyone should avoid or eat in moderation to remain healthy, including doughnuts, cake, cookies, ice cream, syrup, pie, candy, butter, mayonnaise, bacon and salad dressing. Alcohol should also be avoided. It can raise the fat in your blood and make your blood sugar levels drop too low.