Dr. Prabhat AryaMBBS, MD (Internal Medicine) · DMC Reg. No. DMC-83759drprabhatarya.com
Reviewed by Dr. Prabhat Arya, MD (Internal Medicine)
Diet chart for diabetes
Food is half of sugar control. You do not need special food: ordinary Indian home food, in the right amounts and the right order, works.
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- Fill half the plate with vegetables and salad, a quarter with dal, paneer, egg or chicken, and only a quarter with roti or rice.
- Eat at fixed times. Do not skip meals, especially if you take insulin or tablets such as glimepiride or gliclazide.
- Start the meal with salad and sabzi, keep roti or rice for last. It softens the sugar rise after food.
Eat more
- Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Salad before meals: cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot, radish
- Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Whole fruit, one at a time, twice a day: guava, apple, orange, pear, papaya, jamun
- A small handful of nuts: almonds, walnuts, peanuts
- Water, chaas, lemon water without sugar, tea or coffee without sugar
Eat less, and measure
- Roti: two small ones per meal. Mix besan, bajra, jowar or ragi into the atta
- Rice: one small katori, not a heaped plate; eat it with dal and sabzi, never on its own
- Potato, arbi, shakarkandi, corn: count them as roti or rice, not as sabzi
- Mango, banana, chikoo, grapes, litchi: a small portion, not with a meal
- Cooking oil and ghee together: 4 to 5 teaspoons per person for the whole day
- Salt: less than one teaspoon a day in all, counting pickle and papad
Avoid
- Sugar, gur, honey, shakkar: all of them raise sugar the same way
- Sweets and mithai, including "sugar-free" mithai
- Cold drinks, packaged juice, fresh fruit juice, sweet lassi
- Maida: white bread, biscuits, rusk, naan, bhature, noodles
- Fried snacks: samosa, pakora, namkeen, chips
- Alcohol: it can drop the sugar dangerously low hours later
A sample day
Vegetarian first; the swap is for those who eat eggs, fish or chicken.
- On waking
- Water. Tea or coffee without sugar. 4 or 5 soaked almonds or 2 walnut halves
- Breakfast
- Two besan or moong chilla with vegetables and a katori of curd, or one bowl of vegetable poha or upma with peanutsSwap: Two-egg omelette with vegetables and one multigrain roti
- Mid-morning
- One fruit: guava, apple or orange
- Lunch
- Salad first. A big katori of sabzi, a katori of dal or rajma, two small rotis or one roti with a small katori of rice, raitaSwap: Chicken or fish curry in place of dal
- Evening
- Tea without sugar with roasted chana, makhana or a bowl of sprouts chaat, or one fruitSwap: A boiled egg
- Dinner, by 8 pm
- Sabzi, paneer or dal, one or two rotis (bajra or jowar is good). Lighter than lunchSwap: Grilled fish or chicken with sabzi
- Bedtime
- Only if your doctor has told you: a small glass of milk without sugar
Common myths
- Gur, honey and brown sugar are safe.
- They raise sugar just like white sugar.
- Fruit is banned.
- Whole fruit in small portions is good. Juice is the problem.
- Rice must be stopped completely.
- A small katori with dal and sabzi is fine for most people.
- Karela or methi water can replace tablets.
- They cannot. Never stop a medicine without asking your doctor.
Food by food: Diet chart for diabetes
Every food and drink named in the three lists above, A to Z, with the line it comes from.
- Alcohol
- ✕ Avoid Alcohol: it can drop the sugar dangerously low hours later
- Almonds
- ✓ Eat more A small handful of nuts: almonds, walnuts, peanuts
- Apple
- ✓ Eat more Whole fruit, one at a time, twice a day: guava, apple, orange, pear, papaya, jamun
- Arbi
- – Eat less, and measure Potato, arbi, shakarkandi, corn: count them as roti or rice, not as sabzi
- Banana
- – Eat less, and measure Mango, banana, chikoo, grapes, litchi: a small portion, not with a meal
- Beans
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Bhature
- ✕ Avoid Maida: white bread, biscuits, rusk, naan, bhature, noodles
- Bhindi
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Biscuits
- ✕ Avoid Maida: white bread, biscuits, rusk, naan, bhature, noodles
- Cabbage
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Carrot
- ✓ Eat more Salad before meals: cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot, radish
- Cauliflower
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Chaas (buttermilk)
- ✓ Eat more Water, chaas, lemon water without sugar, tea or coffee without sugar
- Chana
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Chicken
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Chikoo
- – Eat less, and measure Mango, banana, chikoo, grapes, litchi: a small portion, not with a meal
- Chips
- ✕ Avoid Fried snacks: samosa, pakora, namkeen, chips
- Coffee
- ✓ Eat more Water, chaas, lemon water without sugar, tea or coffee without sugar
- Cold drinks
- ✕ Avoid Cold drinks, packaged juice, fresh fruit juice, sweet lassi
- Cooking oil
- – Eat less, and measure Cooking oil and ghee together: 4 to 5 teaspoons per person for the whole day
- Corn
- – Eat less, and measure Potato, arbi, shakarkandi, corn: count them as roti or rice, not as sabzi
- Cucumber
- ✓ Eat more Salad before meals: cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot, radish
- Curd
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Dal
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Egg
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Fish
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Fried food
- ✕ Avoid Fried snacks: samosa, pakora, namkeen, chips
- Fruit
- ✓ Eat more Whole fruit, one at a time, twice a day: guava, apple, orange, pear, papaya, jamun
- Ghee
- – Eat less, and measure Cooking oil and ghee together: 4 to 5 teaspoons per person for the whole day
- Grapes
- – Eat less, and measure Mango, banana, chikoo, grapes, litchi: a small portion, not with a meal
- Green leafy vegetables
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Guava
- ✓ Eat more Whole fruit, one at a time, twice a day: guava, apple, orange, pear, papaya, jamun
- Gur (jaggery)
- ✕ Avoid Sugar, gur, honey, shakkar: all of them raise sugar the same way
- Honey
- ✕ Avoid Sugar, gur, honey, shakkar: all of them raise sugar the same way
- Jamun
- ✓ Eat more Whole fruit, one at a time, twice a day: guava, apple, orange, pear, papaya, jamun
- Juice
- ✕ Avoid Cold drinks, packaged juice, fresh fruit juice, sweet lassi
- Karela
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Lauki
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Litchi
- – Eat less, and measure Mango, banana, chikoo, grapes, litchi: a small portion, not with a meal
- Lobia
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Maida
- ✕ Avoid Maida: white bread, biscuits, rusk, naan, bhature, noodles
- Mango
- – Eat less, and measure Mango, banana, chikoo, grapes, litchi: a small portion, not with a meal
- Methi
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Naan
- ✕ Avoid Maida: white bread, biscuits, rusk, naan, bhature, noodles
- Namkeen
- ✕ Avoid Fried snacks: samosa, pakora, namkeen, chips
- Nimbu pani (lemon water)
- ✓ Eat more Water, chaas, lemon water without sugar, tea or coffee without sugar
- Noodles
- ✕ Avoid Maida: white bread, biscuits, rusk, naan, bhature, noodles
- Nuts
- ✓ Eat more A small handful of nuts: almonds, walnuts, peanuts
- Onion
- ✓ Eat more Salad before meals: cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot, radish
- Orange
- ✓ Eat more Whole fruit, one at a time, twice a day: guava, apple, orange, pear, papaya, jamun
- Packaged juice
- ✕ Avoid Cold drinks, packaged juice, fresh fruit juice, sweet lassi
- Pakora
- ✕ Avoid Fried snacks: samosa, pakora, namkeen, chips
- Palak
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Paneer
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Papaya
- ✓ Eat more Whole fruit, one at a time, twice a day: guava, apple, orange, pear, papaya, jamun
- Peanuts
- ✓ Eat more A small handful of nuts: almonds, walnuts, peanuts
- Pear
- ✓ Eat more Whole fruit, one at a time, twice a day: guava, apple, orange, pear, papaya, jamun
- Potato
- – Eat less, and measure Potato, arbi, shakarkandi, corn: count them as roti or rice, not as sabzi
- Radish
- ✓ Eat more Salad before meals: cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot, radish
- Rajma
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Rice
- – Eat less, and measure Rice: one small katori, not a heaped plate; eat it with dal and sabzi, never on its own
- Roti
- – Eat less, and measure Roti: two small ones per meal. Mix besan, bajra, jowar or ragi into the atta
- Rusk
- ✕ Avoid Maida: white bread, biscuits, rusk, naan, bhature, noodles
- Salad
- ✓ Eat more Salad before meals: cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot, radish
- Salt
- – Eat less, and measure Salt: less than one teaspoon a day in all, counting pickle and papad
- Samosa
- ✕ Avoid Fried snacks: samosa, pakora, namkeen, chips
- Shakarkandi
- – Eat less, and measure Potato, arbi, shakarkandi, corn: count them as roti or rice, not as sabzi
- Soya
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Sprouts
- ✓ Eat more Dal, chana, rajma, lobia, sprouts, soya, paneer, curd, eggs, fish, chicken
- Sugar
- ✕ Avoid Sugar, gur, honey, shakkar: all of them raise sugar the same way
- Sweet lassi
- ✕ Avoid Cold drinks, packaged juice, fresh fruit juice, sweet lassi
- Sweets and mithai
- ✕ Avoid Sweets and mithai, including "sugar-free" mithai
- Tea
- ✓ Eat more Water, chaas, lemon water without sugar, tea or coffee without sugar
- Tomato
- ✓ Eat more Salad before meals: cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot, radish
- Tori
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Vegetables
- ✓ Eat more Green and leafy vegetables: lauki, tori, bhindi, palak, methi, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, karela
- Walnuts
- ✓ Eat more A small handful of nuts: almonds, walnuts, peanuts
- Water
- ✓ Eat more Water, chaas, lemon water without sugar, tea or coffee without sugar
- White bread
- ✕ Avoid Maida: white bread, biscuits, rusk, naan, bhature, noodles
Dr. Arya’s note for you
If you feel shaky, sweaty or confused (low sugar): at once take 3 teaspoons of sugar in water or half a glass of juice, then eat a meal. Tell Dr. Arya. This is the one time sugar is the medicine.
This is general advice for adults. If you also have kidney disease, heart failure, are pregnant, or plan to keep a vrat or roza, your diet may need changing: ask Dr. Arya first.