Healthy eating tips
Here are tips from the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) for healthy eating and maintenance of blood-glucose levels.
• Enjoy three meals per day.
• Space meals and snacks no more than six hours apart. Try to balance each meal by choosing three of the four food groups.
• Limit sugars and sweets, including candies, sweet drinks and desserts.
• Avoid high-fat foods, such as chips, pastries and deep-fried items.
• Choose more high-fibre foods, including whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits.
• Select water to drink more often.
Choose the right carbohydrates
The Glycemic Index (GI) classifies carbohydrate-rich foods by the amount they raise blood-glucose. For people with diabetes, it is important to maintain stable blood glucose values at all times to avoid complications from the disease.
Consuming high-GI foods cause blood sugar to increase rapidly, while eating low-GI foods leads to better blood-glucose control. In addition to keeping blood-glucose stable, low GI foods may also help control cholesterol and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. The recipes on page 2 of this article - such as Canadian Living's Herbed Crab Dip - feature foods that have low or medium GI values. It’s important to remember that choosing lower GI foods is only one part of healthy eating.
Here are examples of typical carbohydrate-rich holiday foods and their GI values:
| High GI foods | Medium GI foods | Low GI foods |
| Dates | Cantaloupe | Orange |
| Watermelon | Raisins | Yogurt |
| White bread | Whole wheat bread | Pumpernickel bread |
| Waffles | Long-grain white rice | Brown rice |
| Parsnips | Corn | Beans/ peas |
| Red and white potatoes, peeled | New potatoes, unpeeled | Sweet potato |
| Graham crackers | Arrowroot cookies | Carrots |
| Saltine crackers | Ice cream | Dark chocolate |
| Dairy products with no added sugar | ||
| Meat and seafood cooked without sauces or breading |
Page 1 of 2 – See page 2 for diabetic-friendly recipes . . .
