Healthy Cooking Tips for People with Diabetes 

A healthy diet is not only critical to proper diabetes management, but will also help you stay at a desirable weight, control your blood pressure, and prevent heart disease and stroke.

Always talk with your healthcare provider, or registered dietitian to get advice on planning and preparing healthy meals.

Some healthy cooking tips to lower caloric intake, fats, and sugars include:

• Use nonstick cooking spray instead of oil, shortening, or butter.

• If you do use oil, use olive, corn, peanut, sunflower, safflower, vegetable, or flaxseed oil.

• Season foods, like meats and steamed vegetables with herbs and spices (like pepper, cinnamon, and oregano), vinegar, lemon juice, or salsa instead of salt, butter, or sugary sauces.

• Use low- or no-sugar jams instead of butter or margarine on breads.

• Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Try to get at least 2 servings a week of omega-3 rich foods, like salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, rainbow trout, and albacore tuna. Walnuts, flaxseed, and soy products are other omega-3 rich foods that can be added to a healthy diet. 

• Eat whole-grain, high-fiber cereals or oatmeal with skim or 1% milk.

• Use low-fat or fat-free dairy products like milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream in place of full-fat versions.

• Drink 100% fruit juice that has no added sugar and limit your serving size.

• Trim excess fat off meats and eat chicken or turkey without the skin.

• Always buy lean cuts of meat and choose a healthy cooking method, like broiling, roasting, stir-frying, or grilling.

• Buy whole-grain breads and cereals instead of ones made with processed, refined grains like white flour.

Healthcare providers and other healthcare professionals can direct you to helpful resources that further cover meal planning, offer healthy recipes and cooking tips, suggest exercise programs, give you tips to manage your weight, and more.