Best and Worst Foods for Diabetes

People with diabetes have to take seriously about their food. And it's not an easy thing to do. Choosing a right food is the one important way to control the diabetes. You can control the blood sugar level as normal as possible. According to the Diabetes Food Pyramid, here's a full list of the most basic categories needed by the body:

Bread, grains, and other starchy sources
Vegetables
Fruits
Meat,meat substitutes, and other protein sources
Dairy products
Fats, oils, and sweeteners

The largest group is on a bottom of the pyramid and you should consume bread, grains, and starchy products more than the fats, sweets on the top of the food pyramid.

The food in this first category consists mainly of complex carbohydrates and also vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The body will convert complex carbohydrates into sugar as an energy source.

Although carbohydrates make the glucose level rise, complex carbohydrates are absorbed more slowly than simple carbohydrates, and you need carbohydrates as energy sources. Use the following list to help you choose the best complex carbohydrate:

The best choices: whole-grain flour such as whole wheat flour, whole grains like brown rice, cereals that contain whole grains and a little extra sugar, whole grain bread, baked potatoes.

Worst choice: white flour, refined grains like white rice, cereal with a little content of whole grains and lots of sugar, white bread, fried potatoes.

Vegetables contain carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Vegetables generally contain less carbohydrate than fruit. Many types of vegetables that contain fiber and low in fat and sodium.

Starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn, are not included in this category. Both these foods included in the category of breads, cereals and other food sources of flour. Here's the list that you can use to make the best choice:

Best choice: fresh vegetables consumed raw or steamed, frozen vegetables (heated briefly), fresh cucumber, cabbage or grated fresh lettuce.

Worst choice: canned vegetables rich in sodium addition, vegetables cooked with lots of extra butter, cheese or sauce, pickles (only if you limit your sodium intake, if not it's okay to have it sometime).

Fruits contain carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Fruits are naturally low in fat (except avocado), and sodium. Fruit often contains more carbohydrates than vegetables. The following list can help you make the best choice.

The best option: frozen fruit, fresh fruit, sugar free jam, unsweetened applesauce, 100 percent fruit juice or low-carb juice.

Worst choice: canned fruits rich in sugar syrup, fruit chewy bread (chewy fruit rolls), regular hours or jelly, apple sauce which added sweeteners, fruit drinks, fruit juices, sweetened soda.

This food is rich in protein. The following list can be your guide.

The best choices: roast beef or stew meat, low fat meats such as sirloin, low-fat cheese, skinless chicken, grilled or steamed fish, tofu stir-fried, steamed, or mixed with soup, baked or boiled soybeans.

Worst choice: fried meat, high fat meats like ribs, regular cheese, poultry with skin, fried fish, fried tofu, soybean cooked with oil or fats.

The best option: skim milk, low-fat yogurt, low fat cheese, nonfat sour cream, low fat and low carbohydrate frozen yogurt.

The worst choices: whole milk, regular yogurt, regular cheese, regular sour cream, regular ice cream.

Beside fats, oils and sweeteners, you also need to consider third-rich snack choices of these components.

The best option: snacks such as baked potato chips, baked corn chips, vegetable oil, non hydrogenated butter, margarine, low fat mayonnaise, low-fat salad dressings.

Worst choice: snacks which are fried like potato chips and corn chips, hydrogenated margarine or vegetable oil, regular mayonnaise, regular salad dressings.