Diet in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Patients with type 2 diabetes produce their own insulin, but it is often untimely or insufficient, especially immediately after meals. The diet for type 2 diabetes should ensure the maintenance of a stable blood glucose level, as close to normal as possible.

This will serve as a guarantee of improvement of the patient’s condition and prevention of complications of the disease.

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What is the diet for type 2 diabetes?

For people with type 2 diabetes, a therapeutic diet table No. 9 is provided. The purpose of special nutrition is to restore the impaired carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. It is logical that first of all it will be necessary to give up carbohydrates, but this is not entirely true: an absolute refusal of carbohydrate products will not only not help, but will also worsen the patient's condition. For this reason, fast carbohydrates (sugar, confectionery) are replaced with fruits, cereals. The diet should be balanced and complete, varied and not boring.

• Of course, sugar, jams, cakes and pastries are removed from the menu. Sugar should be replaced with analogues: xylitol, aspartame, sorbitol.
• Meals become more frequent (6 times a day), and portions become smaller.
• Breaks between meals should not be more than 3 hours.
• The last meal is 2 hours before bedtime.
• Fruits, berry or vegetable mixes should be used as snacks.
• Don't skip breakfast: it starts your metabolism for the whole day, and with diabetes, this is very important. Breakfast should be light but filling.
• When making up a menu, choose low-fat, boiled or steamed products. Meat must be trimmed of fat before cooking, and the skin must be removed from chicken. All food products must be fresh.
• You will have to reduce the calorie content of your diet, especially if you are overweight.
• You should limit your salt intake and also refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol.
• The diet should contain a sufficient amount of fiber: it facilitates the absorption of carbohydrates, reduces the absorption of glucose in the gastrointestinal tract, stabilizes the level of glucose in the bloodstream, cleanses the intestines of toxic substances, and relieves swelling.
• When choosing bread, it is better to opt for dark varieties of baked goods, possibly with the addition of bran.
• Simple carbohydrates are replaced by complex ones, for example, cereals: oatmeal, buckwheat, corn, etc.

Try not to overeat and gain weight. It is recommended to drink about 1.5 liters of liquid per day.

For overweight patients, the doctor may prescribe therapeutic diet No. 8, which is used to treat obesity, or combine both diets, taking into account individual characteristics.

Remember: a patient with type 2 diabetes should not feel hungry. You should eat at the same time, but if you feel hungry between meals, be sure to eat a piece of fruit, chew on a carrot or drink some tea: satisfy your hunger pangs. Maintain a balance: overeating is no less dangerous for a patient with diabetes.

Diet menu for diabetes type 2

With type 2 diabetes, a person can lead a normal life, making some changes to their diet. We suggest you familiarize yourself with an approximate diet menu for type 2 diabetes.

Day I.

• Breakfast. A portion of oatmeal, a glass of carrot juice.
• Snack: Two baked apples.
• Lunch. A portion of pea soup, vinaigrette, a few pieces of dark bread, a cup of green tea.
• Afternoon snack. Carrot salad with prunes.
• Dinner. Buckwheat with mushrooms, cucumber, some bread, a glass of mineral water.
• Before bed – a cup of kefir.

Day II.

• Breakfast. A portion of cottage cheese with apples, a cup of green tea.
• Snack. Cranberry juice, crouton.
• Lunch. Bean soup, fish casserole, cabbage salad, bread, dried fruit compote.
• Afternoon snack. Sandwich with diet cheese, tea.
• Dinner. Vegetable stew, a piece of dark bread, a cup of green tea.
• Before bed – a cup of milk.

Day III.

• Breakfast. Steamed cheesecakes with raisins, tea with milk.
• Snack. A few apricots.
• Lunch. A portion of vegetarian borscht, baked fish fillet with herbs, some bread, a glass of rosehip infusion.
• Afternoon snack. A portion of fruit salad.
• Dinner. Stewed cabbage with mushrooms, bread, a cup of tea.
• Before bed – plain yogurt.

Day IV.

• Breakfast. Protein omelette, whole grain bread, coffee.
• Snack. A glass of apple juice, a cracker.
• Lunch. Tomato soup, chicken fillet with vegetables, bread, a cup of tea with lemon.
• Afternoon snack. A piece of bread with cottage cheese paste.
• Dinner. Carrot cutlets with Greek yogurt, bread, a cup of green tea.
• Before bed – a glass of milk.

Day V.

• Breakfast. Two soft-boiled eggs, tea with milk.
• Snack. A handful of berries.
• Lunch. Cabbage soup with fresh cabbage, potato cutlets, vegetable salad, bread, a glass of compote.
• Afternoon snack. Cottage cheese with cranberries.
• Dinner. Steamed fish cutlet, a portion of vegetable salad, some bread, tea.
• Before bed – a glass of yogurt.

Day VI.

• Breakfast. A portion of millet porridge with fruit, a cup of tea.
• Snack. Fruit salad.
• Lunch. Celery soup, barley porridge with onions and vegetables, some bread, tea.
• Afternoon snack. Cottage cheese pancake with lemon.
• Dinner. Potato cutlets, tomato salad, a piece of boiled fish, bread, a cup of compote.
• Before bed – a glass of kefir.

Day VII.

• Breakfast. A portion of cottage cheese casserole with berries, a cup of coffee.
• Snack. Fruit juice, crouton.
• Lunch. Onion soup, steamed chicken cutlets, a portion of vegetable salad, some bread, a cup of dried fruit compote.
• Afternoon snack. Apple.
• Dinner. Dumplings with cabbage, a cup of tea.
• Before bed – yogurt.

Recipes for diabetes type 2

Vegetable appetizer

We will need: 6 medium tomatoes, two carrots, two onions, 4 bell peppers, 300-400 g white cabbage, a little vegetable oil, a bay leaf, salt and pepper.

Shred the cabbage, cut the pepper into strips, the tomatoes into cubes, and the onions into half rings. Simmer over low heat with the addition of vegetable oil and spices.

When serving, sprinkle with herbs. Can be used on its own or as a side dish for meat or fish.

Soup with tomatoes and bell peppers

You will need: one onion, one bell pepper, two potatoes, two tomatoes (fresh or canned), a tablespoon of tomato paste, 3 cloves of garlic, ½ teaspoon of cumin, salt, paprika, about 0.8 liters of water.

Dice the tomatoes, peppers and onions, simmer in a saucepan with tomato paste, paprika and a few spoons of water. Grind the cumin with a masher or in a coffee grinder. Dice the potatoes, add to the vegetables, salt and pour in hot water. Cook until the potatoes are done.

A few minutes before it is ready, add cumin and crushed garlic to the soup. Sprinkle with herbs.

Meatballs made from vegetables and minced meat

We will need: ½ kg of minced chicken, one egg, one small head of cabbage, two carrots, two onions, 3 cloves of garlic, a glass of kefir, a tablespoon of tomato paste, salt, pepper, vegetable oil.

Finely chop the cabbage, slice the onion, grate the carrots on a fine grater. Fry the onion, add the vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes, cool. Meanwhile, add the egg, spices and salt to the mince, mix.

Add the vegetables to the mince, mix again, form the meatballs and put them in the pan. Prepare the sauce: mix the kefir with crushed garlic and salt, pour over the meatballs. Sprinkle a little tomato paste or juice on top. Place the meatballs in the oven at 200°C for about 60 minutes.

Bon appetit.

Lentil soup

We will need: 200 g red lentils, 1 l water, a little olive oil, one onion, one carrot, 200 g mushrooms (champignons), salt, herbs.

Cut the onion, mushrooms, grate the carrots. Heat the frying pan, pour in some vegetable oil, fry the onion, mushrooms and carrots for 5 minutes. Add the lentils, pour in water and cook on low heat under the lid for about 15 minutes. A few minutes before readiness, add salt and spices. Grind in a blender, divide into portions. This soup is very tasty with rye croutons.

Cabbage pancakes

You will need: ½ kg of white cabbage, a little parsley, a tablespoon of kefir, a chicken egg, 50 g of hard diet cheese, salt, a tablespoon of bran, 2 tablespoons of flour, ½ teaspoon of soda or baking powder, pepper.

Finely chop the cabbage, dip it in boiling water for 2 minutes, let the water drain. Add chopped greens, grated cheese, kefir, egg, a spoonful of bran, flour and baking powder to the cabbage. Salt and pepper. Mix the mixture and place in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Line a baking tray with parchment and grease with vegetable oil. Using a spoon, place the mixture on the parchment in the form of pancakes, place in the oven for about half an hour at 180°C, until golden.

Serve with Greek yogurt or on its own.

The diet for type 2 diabetes can be revised by the doctor taking into account the degree of pathology, as well as the presence of additional diseases. In addition to the diet, it is necessary to follow all the doctor's instructions, avoid heavy physical exertion. Only with this approach to treatment is it possible to achieve a stable and effective improvement in the patient's condition.

What can you eat with type 2 diabetes?

• bakery products made from rye flour, from second-grade wheat flour, with bran;
• first courses mainly from vegetables, with a small amount of potatoes. Weak and low-fat fish and meat soup is allowed;
• lean meat, chicken, fish;
• low-fat dairy products, fresh kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese, diet cheese;
• cereals: buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, pearl barley;
• unsweetened varieties of fruits and berries;
• greens, vegetables: lettuce leaves, cabbage, cucumber, zucchini, tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, etc.
• seasonings, spices, including pepper;
• tea, coffee (do not abuse it), fruit and vegetable juice, compote.

What should you not eat if you have type 2 diabetes?

• Yeast dough, white flour products, pies, sweets and biscuits, muffins and sweet cookies;
• rich broth made from meat or fish products;
• lard, fatty meat, fatty fish;
• salted fish, roach, herring;
• high-fat cheeses, cream and sour cream, sweet curds and curd mass;
• dishes made from semolina and rice, pasta made from premium white flour;
• pickles and marinades;
• sugar, honey, candy, sweet soda, juices from packages;
• ice cream;
• sausage, frankfurters, wieners;
• mayonnaise and ketchup;
• margarine, shortening, spread, butter;
• food from fast food restaurants (French fries, hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, etc.);
• salted nuts and crackers;
• alcoholic and alcohol-containing drinks.

You should limit your consumption of nuts and seeds (due to their high fat content) and vegetable oils.