How to adjust your diet if you have type 2 diabetes

Around four million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes. This condition causes high sugar (glucose) levels in your blood. It is caused either by your body not making enough of the hormone insulin or your body no longer responding properly to the insulin produced. 

Persistently high blood sugar levels can damage many different tissues in your body, including your blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. This is why it’s important to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range. 

If you have type 2 diabetes, adjusting your diet can help you control your blood sugar levels. Here, we will look at which foods you should eat and which you should cut down on or avoid. 

Foods to avoid and alternatives to try

Refined carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet and are broken down into sugars, namely glucose. Having type 2 diabetes doesn’t mean you should stop eating carbohydrates altogether; however, you should eat them in moderation and avoid refined carbohydrates.

Refined carbohydrates are carbohydrates that have been heavily processed and, during this process, have lost most of the nutrients they contain, including vitamins, minerals and fibre. When eaten, they cause your blood sugar levels to rise very quickly. This can make it more difficult for your body to control your blood sugar levels, either with insulin made by your pancreas or provided via insulin injections.

Refined carbohydrates include white bread, pasta and rice. You can replace these with their wholegrain alternatives — wholegrain bread, pasta and rice are still broken down into sugars but these sugars are released more slowly into your bloodstream.

High-sugar foods and drinks

Chocolate, cakes, biscuits and sweetened fruit yoghurts all contain high levels of sugar that will cause your blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. Fruit juices and sweetened drinks, such as energy drinks, tea or coffee with sugar, cola and other fizzy drinks, have the same effect. 

Healthier alternatives that won’t cause your blood sugar levels to spike include plain (unsweetened) tea, herbal tea or coffee, water, kombucha and vegetable juice.

Saturated and trans fats

Type 2 diabetes significantly increases your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure (hypertension). Foods high in saturated and trans fats also increase your risk of heart disease, which is why it is important to avoid these foods if you have type 2 diabetes. 

This includes fried foods, such as fried chips, chicken and fish, and highly processed foods, such as ready-made meals, chicken nuggets and sausages. Foods high in trans fats in particular include commercially baked goods, such as biscuits, cakes, frozen pizza and pies.

Eating freshly made meals instead of ready-made meals can help reduce the amount of saturated and trans fats in your diet, especially if you cook your meals using unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, rapeseed oil or sunflower oil. 

High-salt foods

Foods high in salt increase your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, which people with type 2 diabetes are already at increased risk of developing. 

It is, therefore, important to avoid high-salt foods, such as ready meals, commercially baked cakes, biscuits, frozen pizza and pies, processed meats (eg bacon, ham and sausages), cheese, breakfast cereals, sauces (eg brown sauce, gravy, ketchup, mustard and soy sauce) and commercially made salad dressing. 

Freshly made meals allow you to control how much salt you add to your food. As salt is used to enhance flavour, when following a low-salt diet, alternative condiments can help improve the taste of your meals without adding more salt eg vinegar, olive oil, spices, herbs and salsa. 

Also, rather than choosing a processed snack, try fresh fruit or vegetables (eg carrot and celery sticks) instead. While fresh fruits can be sugary and should be eaten in moderation, they also contain fibre, which helps slow down the release of sugars into your bloodstream. 

Diabetes-friendly foods

In general, foods that are high in protein and/or fibre but low in salt, sugar, and saturated and trans fats, are healthy options if you have type 2 diabetes. 

Good sources of protein include heart-healthy fish (ie fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids), such as salmon, sardines and mackerel, as well as chicken, turkey, eggs and plant-based protein sources, such as lentils, chickpeas, tofu, black beans, pinto beans and kidney beans. 

Sources of unsaturated fats, as an alternative to saturated and trans fats, include avocados, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios.

Fibre, which helps slow down the release of sugars in your bloodstream, can be found in fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, beans (eg French beans, runner beans, etc) and peas. These are also good sources of complex carbohydrates, as opposed to refined carbohydrates that are more likely to cause a spike in your blood sugar levels. 

As with any healthy, balanced diet, whether or not you have type 2 diabetes, you should eat in moderation — there is no single food group or item that should be eaten in excess. With type 2 diabetes, it is also important to eat regular meals at roughly the same time every day and avoid skipping meals. This will help you control your blood sugar levels more easily. 

Lifestyle tips for type 2 diabetes

Changing your diet is just one way you can manage your type 2 diabetes and control your blood sugar levels. Exercise and weight loss are also very helpful and, in some cases, combined with a change in diet can help you overcome your diabetes (go into remission). 

Regular moderate to vigorous exercise for at least two and a half hours every week can help lower your blood sugar levels. This doesn’t mean you have to join a gym or play sports; strenuous housework, climbing stairs and brisk walking are all forms of exercise. 

If you’re overweight or obese, weight loss can also help lower your blood sugar levels. You should not go on an extreme diet as this can be unsafe. Instead, speak to your GP or a dietitian about how you can safely and gradually lose weight, while maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.