If you have diabetes, your body cannot make or properly use insulin. This leads to high blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels. Healthy eating helps keep your blood sugar in your target range. It is a critical part of managing your diabetes, because controlling your blood sugar can prevent the complications of diabetes.

A registered dietitian can help make an eating plan just for you. It should take into account your weight, medicines, lifestyle, and other health problems you have.

Healthy diabetic eating includes

• Limiting foods that are high in sugar
• Eating smaller portions, spread out over the day
• Being careful about when and how many carbohydrates you eat
• Eating a variety of whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables every day
• Eating less fat
• Limiting your use of alcohol
• Using less salt

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases