| afternoon | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| meal | morning: Avocado Toast with Eggs ——– lunch: Slow Cooker Turkey Chili ——– dinner: Maple Mustard Salmon Bowl |
morning: Strawberry & PB Overnight Oats ——– lunch: Slow Cooker Turkey Chili ——– dinner: Avocado & Chickpea Salad |
morning: Strawberry & PB Overnight Oats ——– lunch: Slow Cooker Turkey Chili ——– dinner: Quick Chicken Fajitas |
morning: Strawberry & PB Overnight Oats ——– lunch: Slow Cooker Turkey Chili ——– dinner: White Bean Salad with Feta Cheese and Lemon |
morning: Avocado Toast with Eggs ——– lunch: Slow Cooker Turkey Chili ——– dinner: Maple Roast Chicken & Vegetables |
| daily total | calorie: 1,809 province: 77g protein: 130g carbohydrate: 156g fiber: 37g sodium: 2,081mg |
calorie: 1,792 province: 75g protein: 102g carbohydrate: 196g fiber: 47g sodium: 1,126mg |
calorie: 1,820 province: 68g protein: 132g carbohydrate: 175g fiber: 32g sodium: 1,708mg |
calorie: 1,803 province: 74g protein: 120g carbohydrate: 168g fiber: 41g sodium: 1,436mg |
calorie: 1,805 province: 73g protein: 131g carbohydrate: 158g fiber: 41g sodium: 2,077mg |
Day 1
Daily Total: 1,809 calories, 77g fat, 14g saturated fat, 130g protein, 156g carbohydrates, 37g fiber, 2,081mg sodium
Breakfast (407 calories, 29 g carbohydrates)
Avocado Toast with Jammy Eggs
AM Snack (170 calories, 14g carbohydrates)
Cottage Cheese-Berry Bowl
Lunch (408 calories, 42g carbohydrates)
PM Snack (168 calories, 15g carbohydrates)
Sugar-free chia seed jam
- Served with 1 cup fat-free plain (Greek) yogurt and ¼ cup blueberries
Dinner (503 calories, 37g carbohydrates)
Maple Mustard Salmon with Vegetables
Evening snack (150 calories, 18 g carbohydrates)
Make it 1,500 calories: Skip AM and PM snacks.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add one medium orange to breakfast and one Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado Salad with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette to dinner.
Day 2
Daily Total: 1,792 calories, 75g fat, 13g saturated fat, 102g protein, 196g carbohydrate, 47g fiber, 1,126mg sodium.
Breakfast (331 calories, 37g carbohydrates)
High Protein Strawberry & Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
AM Snack (301 calories, 35g carbohydrates)
Banana-Peanut Butter Yogurt Parfait
Lunch (408 calories, 42g carbohydrates)
PM Snack (170 calories, 14g carbohydrates)
Dinner (430 calories, 48g carbohydrates)
5-Ingredient Avocado & Chickpea Salad
Evening snack (150 calories, 18 g carbohydrates)
Make it 1,500 calories: Skip the AM snack.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup of dry-roasted, unsalted almonds to your lunch.
Day 3
Daily Total: 1,820 calories, 68g fat, 10g saturated fat, 132g protein, 175g carbohydrates, 32g fiber, 1,708mg sodium
Breakfast (331 calories, 37g carbohydrates)
AM Snack (195 calories, 14 g carbohydrates)
Bagel Cottage Cheese Snack Container with Bell Peppers and Chickpeas
Lunch (408 calories, 42g carbohydrates)
PM Snack (321 calories, 20g carbohydrates)
- 1 cup fat-free plain (Greek-style) yogurt
- ½ cup blackberries
- 3 tablespoons chopped nuts, such as walnuts
- 1 serving of sugar-free chia seed jam
Dinner (413 calories, 43g carbohydrates)
Evening snack (150 calories, 18 g carbohydrates)
Make it 1,500 calories: Skip the afternoon snack.
Make it 2,000 calories: Reduce to 2 tablespoons. Add chopped walnuts to your afternoon snack and a serving of guacamole chopped salad to dinner.
Day 4
Daily Total: 1,803 calories, 74g fat, 12g saturated fat, 120g protein, 168g carbohydrates, 41g fiber, 1,436mg sodium
Breakfast (331 calories, 37g carbohydrates)
AM Snack (195 calories, 14 g carbohydrates)
Lunch (408 calories, 42g carbohydrates)
PM Snack (321 calories, 20g carbohydrates)
- 1 cup fat-free plain (Greek-style) yogurt
- ½ cup blackberries
- 3 tablespoons chopped nuts, such as walnuts
- 1 serving of sugar-free chia seed jam
Dinner (416 calories, 45g carbohydrates)
High Protein White Bean Salad with Feta Cheese and Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
Evening snack (130 calories, 9 g carbohydrates)
Make it 1,500 calories: Skip the afternoon snack
Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup of dry-roasted, unsalted almonds to your lunch.
Day 5
Daily Total: 1,805 calories, 73g fat, 14g saturated fat, 131g protein, 158g carbohydrate, 41g fiber, 2,077mg sodium.
Breakfast (407 calories, 29 g carbohydrates)
AM Snack (195 calories, 14 g carbohydrates)
Lunch (408 calories, 42g carbohydrates)
PM Snack (226 calories, 28g carbohydrates)
- 1 cup fat-free plain (Greek-style) yogurt
- ½ cup blackberries
- 1 tablespoon chopped nuts, such as walnuts
- 1 serving of sugar-free chia seed jam
Dinner (436 calories, 45g carbohydrates)
Maple Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato Wedges and Brussels Sprouts
Evening snack (130 calories, 9 g carbohydrates)
Make it 1,500 calories: Skip morning and evening snacks.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add one medium orange to breakfast and one kale salad with balsamic and parmesan cheese to dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
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If there is a meal I don’t like, is it okay to mix it up?Yes, if there is a meal you don’t like, feel free to mix it up. All meals were chosen with healthy blood sugar in mind. That means it’s high in protein and fiber and has about 30 to 45 grams of carbohydrates per meal. You can repeat the meals in this plan or browse other diabetes-friendly recipes for additional inspiration.
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Can I eat the same breakfast every day?You can enjoy the same breakfast every day if you wish. Both breakfast options have fairly similar calories and carbohydrates, so a simple swap will work for most people.
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Why isn’t there a 1,200 calorie fix?We no longer offer modifications to 1,200 calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs and is not sustainable for long-term health and well-being.
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What is Fiber?Fiber is a type of indigestible carbohydrate found in plants such as legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. A diet rich in fiber may help maintain healthy blood sugar, improve heart health, promote digestion, and promote weight loss.
Health Benefits of a Diabetes-Friendly Plan
- balanced carbohydrates: To maintain stable blood sugar levels, we aimed to consume similar amounts of carbohydrates across daily meals, with each meal providing approximately 30 to 45 grams of carbohydrates. This helps improve blood sugar stability, especially if the carbohydrates come from fiber-rich sources. To further support healthy blood sugar levels, we chose a moderately low level of carbohydrates, with approximately 40% of calories coming from carbohydrates. If you have diabetes, you may think you need to drastically reduce carbohydrates, but this is often not necessary or sustainable. If you cut back on carbohydrates too much, you may miss out on the important health benefits of fiber. That said, individual carbohydrate recommendations vary, so it’s a good idea to check with a registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator to get personalized recommendations.
- high fiber: Provides at least 32 grams of fiber daily. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Fiber moves slowly through the digestive system, increasing blood sugar stability and reducing the risk of high blood sugar. Foods rich in fiber include legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. In addition to glycemic benefits, high fiber intake can support heart and digestive health.
- rich in protein: Provide at least 102 grams of protein daily from foods such as legumes, poultry, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, and fish. Eating a protein-rich diet can be an effective strategy for managing blood sugar. Studies have shown that it increases blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of hyperglycemia in people with type 2 diabetes.
- heart health: People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease, so we created a plan with heart health in mind. In addition to high fiber levels, which help reduce the risk of heart disease, it also limited saturated fat to 14 grams per day. Although there is debate about saturated fat and its role in heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to reduce risk.
How to Plan Your Meals
Registered dietitians carefully create EatingWell’s meal plans that are easy and delicious to eat. Each meal plan meets specific parameters based on your targeted health condition and/or lifestyle goals and is analyzed for accuracy using our nutritional database, ESHA Food Processor. Because nutritional requirements vary from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
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