Better choice breakfast foods for people with diabetes
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Coming up with nutritious, tasty, and filling breakfast options may be hard if you have diabetes because many popular breakfast options contain a lot of carbs. With diabetes, you typically need to manage your blood sugar levels, which includes managing how many carbs you consume. When considering breakfast options, opt for ones that are rich in protein and fibre, contain healthy fats, and provide low to moderate amounts of carbs.
Here are a selection of appropriate breakfast ideas for people with diabetes.
Eggs
Eggs are delicious, versatile, and a great breakfast choice. They’re low in calories and contain a lot of protein, providing around 70 calories and 6 grams of protein per large egg. In addition, an egg contains less than 1 gram of carbs.
A 2018 review found that people with diabetes who maintain a healthy lifestyle may eat up to seven eggs per week. You can enjoy eggs in various ways, such as fried, poached, or scrambled. Alternatively, try making a healthy and delicious omelette with a variety of vegetables like spinach, mushroom, and bell peppers.
Greek yogurt with berries
Greek yogurt with berries is an easy, tasty, and nutritious breakfast option. According to some studies, eating dairy products may improve blood sugar control and lower blood sugar levels. It’s speculated that this may partly be due to yogurt’s probiotics, which help your body break down sugars. This dish is relatively low in calories. If desired, you can add a tablespoon of crushed or slivered nuts for a boost of calories and healthy fats without increasing the carb content by much.
Overnight chia seed pudding
Chia seeds are suitable for people with diabetes since they have a lot of fibre and healthy omega-3 fatty acids yet are low in digestible carbs. Digestible carbs are those that your body can use, and they raise blood sugar levels. Even though a 1-oz (28-g) serving contains 12 g of carbs, 9.8 g come from fibre and may not raise your blood sugar levels. In addition, the soluble fibre in chia seeds may help lower your blood sugar levels by slowing down the speed at which food moves through your gut and is absorbed into the bloodstream.
To make an overnight chia seed pudding, you’ll need a mason jar. To it, add 1 oz (28 g) of chia seeds, 1 cup (244 g) of unsweetened almond milk (or soy, or any milk of your choosing), and a dash of vanilla extract. Shake well to combine and refrigerate overnight. To enhance the flavour, add fun toppings such as unsweetened coconut shreds, chocolate chips with no added sugar, or cocoa nibs. For additional sweetness, you can add a little sugar-free sweetener like stevia.
Traditional porridge
Porridge is a nutritious breakfast dish made from steel-cut, rolled, or instant oats. Although oats have a relatively large amount of carbs, porridge may be a good option because it may help lower blood sugar levels due to its fibre content.
Oats contain a specific type of fibre called beta-glucan, which is responsible for most of its blood sugar–lowering effects. In addition, beta-glucan helps you stay fuller for longer by promoting the release of satiation hormones in the gut, which signals fullness. If you’d like to make your oatmeal tastier and more nutritious, try adding ingredients such as cinnamon, berries, nuts, seeds, or Greek yogurt.
Multigrain avocado toast
Multigrain avocado toast is a simple and popular dish that people with diabetes can enjoy. For starters, avocados are packed with fibre and monounsaturated fatty acids that may help prevent your blood sugar from rising too high after a meal. This benefit is also promoted by the fibre from multigrain bread. If you’d like, add a boiled or fried egg to increase the protein and fat content. Alternatively, add a pinch of salt and pepper or a drizzle of low carb chili sauce for extra flavour.
Low carb smoothies
Although smoothies are typically loaded with carbs and sugar, there are several ways to make a delicious, low carb smoothie. To enhance the sweetness, you can add a little natural sweetener like stevia. For a protein boost, add 1/2 or 1 scoop of pea protein powder, which should help curb your appetite.
Cottage cheese, fruit, and nut bowl
Cottage cheese is soft, creamy, and delicious. It’s also a suitable breakfast option for people with diabetes. Some research suggests that consuming dairy products may help reduce insulin resistance, which is a typical issue for people with diabetes. It has a mild flavour by itself. Some people like to whip it in a food processor or blender to make it creamier. You can also try making a sweet and savoury cottage cheese, fruit, and nut bowl.
Multigrain toast with nut butter
The classic nut butter and toast is a simple breakfast option. Research has shown that eating foods that contain a lot of healthy fats may slow down the release of sugar into the bloodstream and prevent blood sugar spikes. Although the above example uses peanut butter, other types like cashew or almond butter are also fine to use. Just make sure to choose natural versions without added sugar.
Tofu scramble with multigrain toast
Tofu is a versatile and great breakfast option because it’s low in carbs yet has a lot of protein and fat. It’s made from condensed soy milk pressed into firm blocks. Although tofu is typically viewed as a lunch or dinner protein, you can enjoy it for breakfast in many ways. For example, cook up a quick, delicious tofu scramble. Chop firm tofu into bite-size pieces, cook in a hot frying pan in a little olive oil, and season with spices like salt, pepper, and turmeric powder. You can also pair this dish with fried vegetables like spinach, onion, courgette, or mushrooms.
Sausage frittata
You can make a frittata using chicken, beef, or pork sausage. Recent research suggests that eating red meat does not affect type 2 diabetes risk factors such as insulin sensitivity and fasting glucose. However, there is a Public Health recommendation in limiting red meat consumption because it contains more sodium and saturated fat than other meats. Instead of using sausage, you could substitute fresh meat, such as chicken or beef, to lower the amount of sodium.
Crustless quiche
While quiche may be loaded with salt and fat and may contain meats, like ham or sausages, that have a lot of carbohydrates, you can make a homemade version that omits the crust, meats, and cheese that contains a lot of fat. You can boost the quiche’s fibre content by adding vegetables, such as in these recipes:
Crustless Asparagus & Pepper Mini Quiche
Crustless Asparagus and Tomato Quiche
Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
There are many nutritious, tasty, and filling breakfast options to explore if you have diabetes. These options may help you manage your blood sugar levels and keep you fuelled until lunchtime.
Keep in mind that although these breakfast ideas may help you keep your blood sugar in check after breakfast, you still need to follow an overall nutritious and balanced diet throughout the day to keep your overall blood sugar at a healthy level.
Extracts taken from Ryan Raman from https://www.healthline.com