Eat to Beat Diabetes: Meal Plans

Here are sample meal plans for the Eat to Beat Diabetes Diet, which can help you lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

BREAKFAST

Option 1
1 toasted whole-wheat English muffin topped with 1 ounce of Canadian bacon and 1 slice of low-fat cheese
1/2 grapefruit

Option 2
1/2 cup of high-bran cereal with 3/4 cup berries
1 cup of skim milk
1 hard-boiled egg

Option 3
2 slices of whole-wheat toast topped with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 cup of yogurt
1 fresh pear

LUNCH

Option 1
Open-face sandwich: 1 slice of whole-grain bread topped with 2 ounces of turkey breast, 1 ounce of low-fat Swiss cheese, spicy mustard and 1/2 cup of sliced cucumber and tomato
1 cup of baby spinach tossed with 1/2 cup of garbanzo beans and lower-fat salad dressing

Option 2
Seafood pasta salad: Mix 1/2 cup of whole-grain pasta with 2 ounces of seafood (use tuna canned in water, shrimp, scallops — your choice!), 1/2 cup of kidney beans, 1 cup of chopped vegetables (try to use at least three different colors: red peppers, white jicama and green broccoli; or orange carrots, white radishes and red tomatoes, etc.) and 1 cup of yogurt

Option 3
Chicken Caesar salad (3 ounces of skinless chicken breast with 2 cups of mixed salad greens, 1 ounce of shredded Parmesan cheese and fat-free Caesar salad dressing)
1 cup of croutons

DINNER

Option 1
Chicken stir-fry (include 3 ounces of skinless chicken breast, 1 cup of mixed oriental vegetables and 1/3 cup of brown rice with your favorite oriental seasonings)
Green tea

Option 2
Meat and vegetable kabobs (use 3 ounces of various meats/fish, including skinless chicken, shrimp, scallops or lean sirloin, with 1/2 cup of chunks of celery, mushrooms, onions, cherry tomatoes or summer squash)
1/2 cup of coleslaw made with lower-fat dressing
1/2 cup of black bean salad (drain and rinse canned black beans under running water to remove some of the sodium, then combine with lower-fat Italian dressing and diced onions, green or red peppers and celery)

Option 3
3 ounces of grilled skinless chicken breast (marinate in your favorite herbs or a lower-fat salad dressing)
1/2 cup of green beans (add fresh or dried dill, cider vinegar and black pepper instead of salt)
1/2 cup of baby carrots
1/2 cup of baked potato topped with 1 tablespoon of fat-free sour cream

The above meal plan provides approximately 1,300 calories a day — 45 percent of calories from carbohydrate, 31 percent from protein and 23 percent from fat.

If you like to use an exchange-type method, each breakfast contains two servings of starch, one serving of protein, one serving of fruit and one milk serving; lunch contains one starch serving, three protein servings, two vegetable servings and one milk serving; dinner contains one serving of starch, three servings of protein and two vegetable servings; snacks include one serving each of milk, protein and fruit. Use one fat serving per day, choosing healthier fats such as olive or canola oil, nuts and seeds, or avocado.

SNACKS

Healthy snacks boost your nutrient intake and keep your energy levels high. Choose one milk, protein and fruit serving per day from our list below. If you find snacking just doesn't work for you, add these foods to your meals:

Milk snacks
1 cup of skim milk
1 cup of soy milk
1 cup of yogurt

Protein snacks
1 hard-boiled egg
1/4 cup of low-fat cottage cheese
1 reduced-fat string cheese
1/4 cup of nuts

Fruit snacks
1 medium-size piece of fresh fruit
1/2 cup of canned or cut-up fruit
1/4 cup of dried fruit

Combination snacks
1/4 cup of low-fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup of pineapple (protein and fruit)
1 cup of yogurt with 1/2 cup of chopped pear (milk and fruit)
1 sliced apple with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (fruit and protein)
1/2 cup of soy nuts with 1/4 cup of dried cherries (protein and fruit)

More: Learn about the do's and don'ts of the Eat to Beat Diabetes Diet.