One of my patients, new to diabetes,
had done some research before coming in to see me. She told me she found a top
10 diabetes superfoods list, and had been enthusiastically eating these foods.
I am a skeptic at heart, but I do look
into that people tell me about. Sure enough, the American Diabetes Association
had a superfoods list on their site that bears repeating.
I am not a fan of the word
“superfood”, simply because nutrition is a young science; researchers are
learning new things about foods, seemingly everyday. People sometimes take that
as a negative, with comments such as “why are they changing their minds about
nutrition all the time?” I take it as a positive, that new things are being
learned regularly about the benefits of the foods we eat.
Here are the American Diabetes
Association’s Top 10 Superfoods for Diabetes:
DRIED BEANS (any color)
Dried, cooked beans are loaded with
fiber, protein, and some carbohydrate, and this combination of nutrients makes
beans very easy on blood sugar. If you use the canned beans, rinse them first
to reduce the sodium content.
DARK GREEN LEAFY
Any dark green leafy vegetable is a
powerhouse of nutrients. If you don’t care for kale or turnip greens, give baby
spinach a try. They can be eaten as desired.
CITRUS FRUIT
People with diabetes can be scared to
eat fruit because of the natural sugars. But fruit is a good carbohydrate, and
citrus has lots of soluble fiber and vitamin C. It’s the portion size of fruit
that matters.
SWEET POTATOES
These potatoes are full of vitamin A
(beta carotene) and fiber, and may have less of an effect on blood sugar than
white potatoes. But portion size matters here, too.
BERRIES
Berries of all types are packed with
antioxidants. No need to purchase exotic fruit for antioxidants; blueberries,
raspberries, strawberries and cranberries have plenty. Try fresh or frozen
berries with yogurt or in smoothies.
TOMATOES
Either raw or cooked in sauce,
tomatoes are full of vitamin C, iron and lycopene, with minimal effect on blood
sugar.
FISH
Fish is heart healthy, especially the
ones high in Omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, tuna and herring). Aim for at least 2-3 servings a week.
WHOLE GRAINS
This is another category of food that
people sometimes skip. Why? They are afraid their blood sugar will go too high.
But whole grains offer lots of benefits, such as fiber for intestinal health,
magnesium, chromium and folate.
NUTS
Nuts and seeds are good sources of
healthy fats, but if weight loss is one of your goals, you will need to
substitute the calories in nuts for the calories in another snack. Don’t just
load up on nuts, or you’ll wonder where that 10 pounds came from.
FAT-FREE MILK AND YOGURT
The benefits from milk and yogurt
start with calcium and vitamin D for healthy bones and teeth. Calcium also
helps muscle contractions (so you won’t get cramps). But portion size matters here, too, because
milk contains natural carbohydrate that could raise blood sugar if you have too
much.
Now that you know about the diabetes
Superfoods, you may be wondering how to put them all together. Here are a
couple of good diabetes cookbooks to check out.
By Patti Geil MS, RD, CDE and Tami Ross RD, CDE
Contains good
general information, plus diabetic diet meal plan ideas.
Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking, 2nd Edition,
by Lara Rondinelli, RD, CDE and Chef Jennifer Bucko
This cookbook a full year of menus and easy recipes, based
on the season.
