This healthy diabetic meal plan is a real-life example of what my daily diet typically looks like.
Have you ever searched for “healthy diabetic meal plan” in Google or on some of the large diabetes website? I have, and I quickly became frustrated by articles that were too general to be useful and meal plans with boring food (or a ton of carbs).
That’s why I wanted to share EXACTLY what my meal plan is like, how to cook the meals I eat, and how you can adjust my meal plan to your personal calorie needs.
I want this to be a meal plan you can start following yourself tomorrow if you like!
There is a link at the end of this post where you can download the diabetic meal plan as a PDF. The download also contains a table where you can see how much to make of each recipe based on your daily calorie need. Plus, it includes metric measurements for our international readers.
How the plan works
I prefer to eat six smaller meals throughout the day rather than the classic three big meals of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eating smaller meals allows me to spread out my carbs between the meals, making blood sugar control easier. I also rarely feel hungry between meals because I eat every 3-4 hours.
Each meal has less than 30 grams of carbs, a good amount of protein, and some healthy fat. Because the meals are very similar in size and macronutrients, you can really eat them in the order you like. If you prefer chicken for breakfast and pancakes for dinner, I won’t hold you back (but I may give you a strange look…)
If eating six daily meals doesn’t work for you because of your schedule (work, family, etc.), please don’t stress about it. You can just combine some of the meals and have four meals instead. It’s better to have a routine that works than trying to force yourself to eat six daily meals.
A note about veggies: The recipes below includes everything I eat except the leafy and fibrous veggies (salad, broccoli, etc.). I don’t count those in my daily calories and you can eat as many as you like. Filling up on salad (without a high-calorie dressing) is a great way to add more “food volume” and make sure you don’t feel hungry between meals.
How to adjust my healthy diabetic meal plan to your calorie needs
We all have different calorie needs. Your daily calorie need depends on your size, fitness level, daily activity, gender, etc. When you are creating a healthy diabetic meal plan, your first step should therefore always be to calculate your “calorie equilibrium”, or how many calories you need each day to maintain your current weight.
You can learn exactly how to find you calorie equilibrium with 5 easy steps in this post: “How to Find Your Daily Calorie Need“.
Once you know your calorie equilibrium, you can adjust your daily calories up or down to meet your goals. If your goal is to lose weight, I recommend that you eat 300- 500 calories less than your equilibrium each day (but no less than 1,200 per day). This should lead to a steady and healthy weight loss.
If you want to gain muscle, start out by adding in 300-500 calories more than your equilibrium each day and see what happens. If you find that you are also putting on a little too much fat, decrease your calories slightly.
Disclaimer: I know that healthy nutrition (and especially how many carbs to eat) is a topic that causes a great deal of discussion in the diabetes community. I make no claim that my approach is the best or only way to do it, but it’s what works for me and the clients I work with. If you are doing something different that works for you, then definitely keep doing it!
I am not a medical professional! Please discuss any diet changes with your medical team.
My Healthy Diabetic Meal Plan
Let’s look at my actual meal plan!
This is a 1,600-calorie meal plan with 170 grams of protein, 110 grams of carbs, and 50 grams of healthy fats. As I said above, this doesn’t include leafy and fibrous veggies.
I consider this a “medium-carb” plan. I rarely eat fewer carbs than this unless I am dieting for a photo shoot, but feel free to remove some carbs if you prefer a very low-carb plan.
Meal 1 – Protein pancakes with nut butter
I love seeing people’s faces when I say that my healthy diabetic meal plan includes pancakes for breakfast. But if you have the right recipe, pancakes can be a great high-protein start to the day.
- 0.7 oz. (20 g) oats
- ½ oz. (15 g) vanilla protein powder (I use Met-Rx Vanilla)
- 2.4 oz. (65 g) liquid egg whites
- ½ oz. (15 g) blueberries
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tbsp. Stevia in the raw
- ⅛ cup water
- Cooking spray
- Sugar-free syrup (optional)
- ½ oz. (15 g) nut butter
Instructions: See how to make the pancakes here: Protein Pancakes
Eat the pancakes with nut butter on top
Nutrients: 271 calories, 26 g protein, 19 g carbs, 9 g fat
Meal 2 – Smoked salmon and cream cheese wrap
This is a great meal to bring to work or school. You can make the entire wrap at home or just bring the ingredients and assemble it at work.
- 1 8-inch low carb flour tortilla
- 2 oz. (55g) smoked salmon
- 2 tsp. low-fat cream cheese
- 1¼ oz. (35g) red onion
- Handful arugula
- ½ tsp. fresh or dried basil
- Pinch of pepper
Instructions: See how to make this recipe here: Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Wrap
Nutrients: 291 calories, 24 g protein, 18 g carbs, 15 g fat
Meal 3 – Chicken & egg salad sandwich
This is one of my absolute favorites. I often make a big bowl of chicken and egg salad to have in the fridge. Then I just need to toast a muffin when it’s time for lunch.
- ½ cooked chicken breast
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- ¼ tbsp. fat-free mayo
- ¼ tbsp. curry powder
- ½ Ezekiel muffin (or other high-protein bread)
- Basil or chives (optional)
- Dash salt
Instructions: See how to make this recipe here: Chicken & Egg Salad Sandwich
Nutrients: 269 calories, 32 g protein, 17 g carbs, 7 g fat
Meal 4 – Strawberry banana protein smoothie
This is my pre-workout shake. It has a lot of protein for muscle building and enough carbs to keep my blood sugar up during the workout.
- 4 oz. (110 g) strawberries
- 1 oz. (28 g) banana
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (1 oz. / 28 g)
- 1 tsp. flaxseed
- Water
Instructions: See how to make this recipe here: Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie
Nutrients: 195 calories, 25 g protein, 18 g carbs, 4 g fat
Meal 5 – Healthy stuffed chicken breast & sweet potato
It sounds complicated but it’s a super easy recipe. Your dinner can’t get much healthier (and tastier) than this!
- 1 chicken breast
- 1 oz. (28 g) low-fat mozzarella
- 1 artichoke heart (from a can)
- 1 tsp. sundried tomato, chopped
- 5 large basil leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ tsp. curry powder
- ¼ tsp. paprika
- Pinch of pepper
- Toothpicks
- 2 oz. (57 g) sweet potato
Instructions: See how to make the stuffed chicken recipe here: Healthy Stuffed Chicken Breast
Eat with boiled or roasted sweet potatoes
Nutrients: 310 calories, 47 g protein, 20 g carbs, 4 g fat
Meal 6 – Sugar-free cottage cheese parfait with berries and almonds
A great bedtime snack! If you don’t like cottage cheese, simply use Greek yogurt instead.
- 4 oz. (112 g) low fat cottage cheese (about 1/2 cup)
- ⅛ tsp. vanilla extract
- Dash of cinnamon
- 4 drops liquid stevia
- 2.6 oz. (75 g) blackberries
- 0.8 oz. (23 g) almonds
Instructions: See how to make the recipe here: Cottage Cheese Parfait
Serve with the almonds on top.
Nutrients: 261 calories, 20 g protein, 18 g carbs, 13 g fat
Daily totals: 1,597 calories, 173 g protein, 110 g carbs, and 52 g fat
There you have it! This is a good example of what a healthy diabetic meal plan looks like for me. You can find a lot more plans like this one in my meal plan library or just go straight to my next meal plan example.
What makes this plan even better is, of course, to combine it with a good exercise routine. Exercise, and especially resistance training, is one of the most effective tools for good blood sugar and weight management.
Because I know that many people struggle with managing their blood sugar during exercise, I will end this post with a few links to some of my favorite resources on exercise and diabetes:
How to Prevent Low Blood Sugar during Cardio Workouts
How Resistance Training Affects Your Blood Sugar
How to Find Your Formula for Insulin and Food Around Workouts
If you have any questions about my Healthy Diabetic Meal Plan, please leave a comment below. I always answer questions and would love to hear from you!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MEAL PLAN AS A PDF DOCUMENT
Isabel says
March 14, 2019 at 9:26 amHi
If you eat 6 meals a day do you then take insulin for every meal ..?
Christel Oerum says
March 14, 2019 at 9:50 pmPersonally, yes for the most part. It will, however, depend on the situation, my IOB and what I’m eating.
Sarah says
January 8, 2019 at 11:40 amI ama diabetic type 1 and use an insulin pump. I still have a lot of issues controlling my blood sugar with exercise since sometimes it gets either too high or too low after workouts. I’m starting to dislike the fact of actually having to workout at all. I don’t know how you exactly do it, if you give me some tips, i would highly appreciate it.
Christel Oerum says
January 9, 2019 at 11:23 amHi Sarah,
I’d suggest you read these two articles. The more knowledge you gain of what’s going on when you exercies the easier it gets:
1. https://diabetesstrong.com/find-formula-insulin-food-around-workouts/
2. https://diabetesstrong.com/managing-blood-sugar-during-exercise-using-an-insulin-pump/
Lindsey says
January 6, 2019 at 8:39 pmHi Christel,
I’ve been a Type 1 diabetic for 24 years. I had our first baby girl in October. She is completely healthy but I had a rough labor and ended up getting a c section. I’m having trouble losing the weight. I also have hypothyroidism. I was never this heavy and I’m having a hard time finding the time to exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep with an infant. Do you have any meal plans that are quick and easy? Thank you!
Christel Oerum says
January 7, 2019 at 11:03 amHi Lindsey,
Congrats on becoming a mother!
You can find all of my meal plans here. I’d suggest you pick and choose the meals that work for you, but most are pretty quick and easy.
Sue H. says
December 3, 2018 at 6:11 pmHello there,
My daughter is 17 and was diagnosed with T1D 3 years ago. She is struggling losing weight. She put a lot on in the last year. I feel somewhat guilty because she tried low-carb and doing exercise. She did lose some weight and her a1c improved at first but then she put more weight and now very hard to lose. I did not realize low-carb diet would make her gain weight. All these low-carb programs don’t tell you that. I feel bad because she craves carbs and sometimes she ends up binging on it.
So we went to the nutritionist today. She said for my daughter to be on a 1,700 calorie (I thought this to be high) – 20% fat, 30% protein… then when I did the math, that would mean 215 carbs/day. It think that’s insane! So looking at your plan here, it does look more doable. My daughter’s BG will raise very high on a high-carb meal. So if we cut more carbs, do you recommend adding more protein or fat? She also works out from Monday-Friday (she does T25). She is 5’4″ and weighs 175 lb.
Thank you so much for your insight. She is excited about changing more of her diet and be able to lose the weight. Will have to watch the fat more and try to stick to the calories.
Christel Oerum says
December 4, 2018 at 2:40 pmWe’re often lead to believe that eating certain ways (like extremely low carb or no fat) will make us lose weight when in reality any diet will make us gain weight if we eat more calories than we use.
Just based on the note it doesn’t sound like a very low carb diet is the right choice for your daughter. I’m not personally a fan of super low carb diets either so I completely understand. I focus on low/medium glycemic carbs and include bread (!), rice, sweet potato, oats, etc. But I do try to stick with a maximum of 20-30 g of carbs per meal.
I’d suggest starting with the 1700 calories that the dietitian has determined. If she can stick with it for a month and nothing happens (preferably you’d measure body fat percentage over just weight) cut 100 calories and go another month. Given we are close to the holidays know that you can build treats into her plan. I don’t think I’d go below 100 g or complex carbs for her (that’s before veggies) but fill up on protein and fats. She probably won’t be able to eat the difference in protein, so find a level that works for her and add in fat for the rest
Pam says
December 2, 2018 at 5:51 pmI am 5’4 and lost 60 lbs through a weight trainer and a meal plan. I plateau’d and now I cannot seem to drop below 204. I have hypothyroidism and also just diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. All my weight is in my gut. Any suggestions? I want to drop to 170 lbs so i can have a tummy tuck.
Christel Oerum says
December 3, 2018 at 1:40 pmHypothyroidism definitely makes things harder. The first step is for your doctor to make sure that you’re medication correctly.
Generally when we plateau (meaning nothing has happened for 3-4 weeks) it means that our bodies have adapted to current activity/nutrition levels. So you’ll need to change something. I suggest having a look at your nutrition with your trainer and make sure that it’s in line with your training and your goals.
Bonnie Black says
October 8, 2018 at 7:47 amHi,
My husband has been diagnosed with pre-diabeties. I have been trying to find a website that would help me, help him to stay on track and stay in control of this disease. He is kind of stubborn and doesn’t want to keep up with carbs, foods or anything, so I am doing all that. He has never been sick with anything!! I find your site is very helpful. We both need to lose weight. Should be count carbs, calories or both. It is ALL very confusing. I need all the help I can get. Don’t understand about artifical sweeteners. His doctor did say follow a diabetic diet, but that’s all. Can you help?
Christel Oerum says
October 8, 2018 at 1:02 pmA diabetes diagnosis is a lot to take in! I do find that it gets easier with time and I would hope your husband gets more involved. Ultimately it’s his body and he needs to take responsibility.
When it comes to pre-diabetes, he can lower his risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% by dropping his body weight by 7% or adding 30-min exercise 5 times a week (per ADA).
First I would ask your doctor what he means by a “diabetes diet”, I don’t believe such a diet exists. However, when it comes to weight loss the key focus should be on calories then secondly what the calories consist of (carbs, protein and fat). What you can do is limit the amount of high glycemic carbs, like white bread, cake, soda, candy etc. (more on carbs here) and keep the carb sizes (per meal) below 60 G.
One way to start is to create meals starting with veggies and protein, then add a small (fist size) amount of carbs and fat. Do that for a few weeks and see what happens. If you don’t see any results you might want to track what you’re eating for a while, there might be calorie bombs hiding here and there in your diet.
But most importantly, hang in there, and I hope your husband know how much you’re doing for him
Bonnie Black says
October 9, 2018 at 8:00 amThank you so much for responding!
Victoria says
September 25, 2018 at 10:25 amLuv reading your story it expires me but with my type 2 I seem to keep an yeast infection and I really don’t ear rite can you put me on point I guess I just don’t want to believe I’m a diabetic
Christel Oerum says
September 25, 2018 at 1:24 pmYeast infections are a common complication of elevated blood sugars. Getting your blood sugars down could potentially help with that, but I’d suggest you see a doctor, to confirm that nothing else is going on.
As for acceptance and dealing with diabetes; if you have been diagnosed and have elevated blood sugars then that’s your reality. I think of it like this, I love being alive, and when my body functions optimally (aka my blood sugars aren’t running consistently high) I feel better physically and my quality of life is higher
Mary says
September 3, 2018 at 3:34 pmMy doctor told me my A1C is 6-1, pre- diabetic
I am tall and slim . I don’t want type 2 diabetes.
Yet I would like to keep my weight and gain 10 pounds
I find with the low carb diets & protein their focus on losing weight
I do not need to Lose any weight. Are there low carb weight gain shakes.
Christel Oerum says
September 4, 2018 at 1:06 pmYou can gain weight on low carb diets. In regards to weight loss or gain, you need to focus more on your overall caloric intake. For muscle gain, make sure you’re in a small surplus and start lifting weights
Sue H. says
December 3, 2018 at 6:14 pmJust wondering about the amount of meals a day… so you eat 6 meals a day? If my daughter eats a snack at bedtime, her bg always goes high during the night… it’s a struggle.
Christel Oerum says
December 4, 2018 at 2:46 pmIt’s smaller meals so yes I do eat 6 a day. You can also see it as 3 main meals and 3 snacks. I find it harder to manage my blood sugars when I spread my meals out. My nighttime snack is usually not super carb heavy and if it is it’s very low on fat (so it won’t haunt me all night long). It doesn’t work for everyone but for those who are hungry at night, I always recommend eating a small meal/snack rather than ending up snacking on everything. If you decide that’s not the right solution for your daughter you can have that last meal as dessert or add it to another meal
Neeraj says
August 30, 2018 at 4:32 pmHi my sugar was 600 diagnosed around 2 year back. I have been struggling for 2 year with my diet. I was weighted 73 kg now I am only 63. I look so lean I want to put on weight again with controlling my sugar. What diet plan should I follow?
Christel Oerum says
September 2, 2018 at 5:50 pmHi Neeraj,
I’d recommend you determine your calorie need and make sure you eat enough (Read how to do that HERE). If you want to put on muscles you’ll also need to start resistance training.
Marisela says
August 18, 2018 at 7:16 pmI just recently (this week) was diagnosed with type 2. My A1C was
6.7.
I’ve been eating small amounts of chocolates sugar free pudding with Lactose milk, divided into 6 portions with whipped cream.
It curbs my cravings and I’m almost through the detox stage.
The pudding itself has no sugar and 8 carbs four 4 servings. The milk has 12 sugars and 24 carbs.
Is this ok to eat as a snack?
Thank you!
Christel Oerum says
August 20, 2018 at 2:52 pmIf those snacks help you, then yes. I can’t, however, tell you whether it’s too many sugar carbs for you, that will depend on the guidelines you have been given by your medical team. I like to keep my meals and snacks below 30 g or carbs and it sounds like you are way under that.
One way to test if this is right for you is to test your blood sugar ~2 hours after your snack and see where you’re at
Mehak says
March 6, 2018 at 4:29 amHow can i reduce my insulin
Christel Oerum says
March 6, 2018 at 10:28 amWhy do you need to would be my first question? Insulin is what keeps us alive regardless if you live with diabetes or not….
That being said, improving your insulin sensitivity through exercise (resistance training is first priority here) and reducing your carbs will reduce the overall insulin need
Amanda says
November 5, 2017 at 10:13 amHi Christal,
I’m a type 1 nearly 16 years, got it while I was 12 weeks pregnant and 27 years olds, but unfortunately I was originally treated as a type 2 diabetic up until 2 years ago, till they finally did the proper tests and realised I’m a type 1, luckily they had me on insulin all along. So I’m only now learning about carb counting .My A1C is 8.2 and going up all the time, I literally have no energy or motivation to do anything but sleep, I feel like I’m going to hit a brick wall soon, any ideas of a good starting point? I’m nearly 43 and feel like I’ve literally wasted the last 16 years of my life to diabetes.
Love your articles, your amazing.
Christel Oerum says
November 5, 2017 at 11:03 amHi Amanda, it’s really uphill when they can’t even get the diagnosis right.
If all your other blood work is normal you might not be getting enough insulin (aka energy). I remember that feeling from before I got diagnosed. Key would be to work with your medical team (+ your friend Google) to get your basal rate and carb ratios right so that you’re not running high (and without enough gas in the tank). If it will be a while before you see your team I would start by figuring out your carb ratios, if you’re self-managed this is something you can start on your own, and if you’re not collecting enough data on how different foods impact your blood sugar will help your team help you.
You can do this! It will take a little time, and none of us gets it right every time, but as you learn you will start to feel more confident
MARIA ORTIZ says
October 26, 2017 at 4:39 pmHI MY NAME IS MARIA.MY A1C IS 11 I’M IN SO MUCH MEDS FOR IT.IT SEEMS THAT I’M DOING SOMETHING VERY WRONG.WHAT CAN I DO TO LOWER IT.PLEASE HELP ME.THANK YOU FOR YOU’RE LETTERS.
Christel Oerum says
October 27, 2017 at 1:13 pmHi Maria,
I can hear you’re struggling. I’d suggest you start with having an upfront conversation with your medical team on how you can get to a place where you’re happier and in a health situation you’re happy with. If you don’t feel ok or in control, push them to get the support you need.
We, of course, also have a responsibility for our own health and you’ll have to assess whether adding more activity to your day or maybe making changes to your diet can help you down the path you want to go.
Tammy says
June 2, 2017 at 10:29 amHi my name is Tammy im trying to keep my sugar down but it goes up to 300. Does coffee make your sugar go up
Christel Oerum says
June 2, 2017 at 9:13 pmHi Tammy,
Yes, coffee can make your BG rise. If you then combine it with Dawn phenomena your BGs can go climbing. Add milk or sweeteners and your BG might skyrocket.
The solution can be to take meds with your coffee, push it to later in the day (when you have fewer hormones to deal with), or cut it out.
Habib Alam says
April 29, 2017 at 8:52 amBeing Asian I prefer chapati/bread at lunch and dinner what you advise in the morning I take brawn bread slice with fried white egg tea butter sugar free jam 1 table spoon
Mariyam says
October 14, 2017 at 2:17 amUse whole wheat ata and eat a bowl of fresh salad .. the fibre will reduce the absoprption of carbs in roti so net glycaemic effect of roti is reduced .. try avoiding too much fat in ur curries too
maria vedoy says
January 22, 2016 at 3:03 pmneed to get a1c lower and I can seem to do it
I love foods, but foods that do not help
Christel Oerum says
January 23, 2016 at 7:46 pmMaria – you can do it!!!
The beauty of the recipes you’ll find on TheFitBlog is that they will satisfy your taste buds and not make your BG skyrocket. You can eat well and have great A1C.
Buck says
August 31, 2015 at 4:22 amThanks for sharing, Christel. You are inspiring me to get cracking on my workouts. It is very helpful to see what a very active T1 eats. Although everyone is different, having at least an idea how someone’s diet looks can be reassuring to someone getting started with serious exercise. A bonus is that the food sounds great!
Christel Oerum says
August 31, 2015 at 7:48 pmThanks Buck, I really appreciate the feedback.
You are so right we are all different, and my meal plan will also differ depending on what/how I exercise. But really glad you found it informative
JO SMITH says
August 21, 2018 at 11:28 pmI would like a meal plan for two weeks for a Type 1 Diabetic. I want to keep the calories at 1200 or less daily. Also, I would like a chart for low carb vegetables including protein (if any),total calories and fiber. Thank you, Jo ([email protected])
Christel Oerum says
August 22, 2018 at 3:47 pmIf you download the PDF of the meal plan you’ll see a 1200 calorie version of the plan including macros (protein, carbs and fats). We don’t have a vegetable list