Eating healthy with diabetes is easy and delicious with this 7-day diabetes diet plan, and works well as a type 2 diabetes meal plan. The simple meals and snacks that makes this plan so simple and realistic to follow feature the best foods for diabetes, like complex carbohydrates (think whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables), lean protein and healthy fats. The carbohydrates are balanced throughout each day with each meal containing 2-3 carb servings (30-45 grams of carbohydrates) and each snack containing around 1 carb serving (15 grams of carbohydrates). To help keep your blood sugar from spiking too high too quickly, we limited refined carbohydrates (like white bread, white pasta and white rice) and have also cut down on saturated fats and sodium, which can negatively impact your health if you eat too much.
Related: Healthy Diabetes Recipes
What we definitely didn't skimp on is flavor. The meals and snacks in this diet plan feature fresh ingredients and plenty of herbs and spices that add flavor without adding extra sodium. Eating with diabetes doesn't need to be difficult—choose a variety of nutritious foods, as we do in this diet meal plan, and add in daily exercise for a healthy and sustainable approach to managing diabetes
See all our our healthy meal plans for diabetes and don't miss our collection of delicious diabetes-friendly recipes.
See what a healthy diabetes meal plan looks like at 1,200 calories per day.
Related: The Best 30-Day Diabetes Diet Plan
If you'll be taking this sandwich to go, store in a reusable silicone bag (To buy: amazon.com, $12 for 1).
Make Ahead Tip: Save 2 cups each of the Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup and store in an airtight container (To buy: amazon.com, $7.19 for 1) for Day 6 and 7.
Daily Total: 1,195 calories, 54 g protein, 148 g carbohydrates, 37 g fiber, 49 g sugar, 49 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,924 mg sodium
Daily Total: 1,204 calories, 37 g protein, 176 g carbohydrates, 40 g fiber, 61 g sugar, 45 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 1,638 mg sodium
*When buying premade salad dressings, look for one made without added sugars. And, choose one made with olive oil or canola oil.
Make Ahead Tip: Cook an extra 1/2 cup of brown rice to have for dinner on Day 7. You can substitute brown rice for the farro in the dinner recipe for Day 4. If you choose to do so, cook an extra 2 cups of rice tonight to save yourself time tomorrow.
Daily Total: 1,195 calories, 45 g protein, 166 g carbohydrates, 35 g fiber, 54 g sugar, 44 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,678 mg sodium
*Don't have farro? You can substitute another whole grain you have on hand, like brown rice.
Daily Total: 1,209 calories, 58 g protein, 166 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 60 g sugar, 40 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 1,422 mg sodium
Daily Total: 1,211 calories, 54 g protein, 160 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 63 g sugar, 44 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,635 mg sodium
Daily Total: 1,206 calories, 59 g protein, 180 g carbohydrates, 33 g total fiber, 87 g sugar, 35 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 2,288 mg sodium
Make Ahead Tip: Tonight's dinner is a slow-cooker recipe. Make sure you start it early enough in the day that it will be ready in time for dinner.
Daily Total: 1,203 calories, 59 g protein, 183 g carbohydrates, 29 g fiber, 77 g sugar, 31 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 1,775 mg sodium
Congratulations on finishing this weekly meal plan for diabetes. Whether you made every single meal in this plan or simply used it as a guide for healthy eating, we hope you found it inspirational, exciting and informational. Don't miss our other healthy meal plans for diabetes and collection of delicious diabetes-friendly recipes.
