What to eat with type 2 diabetes

An estimated 12.1 million adults in the UK currently live with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.¹ Without the right care, these conditions can lead to serious complications including strokes, heart attacks and heart failure. Thankfully, type 2 diabetes can be prevented, managed and even reversed with lifestyle and diet changes. Today, we’re sharing what you should be eating, including a few examples of tasty type 2 diabetes recipes, to help manage risk and symptoms.

What to eat with type 2 diabetes

Founder Dr Michael Mosley developed The Fast 800 Programme after he discovered the power of a Mediterranean diet. In 2012, he reversed his own type 2 diabetes by following the plan, having found that it has the potential to “reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 50%.”² The Fast 800 was independently validated by healthcare advisors who work in partnership with NHS organisations. You can learn more about their findings here.

Before we explore some specific type 2 diabetes recipes, there are a few basic recommendations of what you should be eating:

1. Limit sugary foods and refined carbohydrates: These kinds of foods can lead to blood glucose spikes, making type 2 diabetes harder to manage and increasing the risk of complications.³ Instead of white pasta, white bread or white rice, choose higher fibre alternatives for your type 2 diabetes recipes like quinoa or wholegrain pasta.
2. Choose lean protein: It’s important to choose protein sources that are low in sodium, saturated fats, cholesterol and trans fats as they can elevate your risk of stroke and heart disease.⁴ Opt for lean protein sources like chicken and oily fish in your meals.
3. Enjoy healthy fats: Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats associated with lowered risk of type 2 diabetes.⁵ Replacing saturated fats like butter and coconut oil with healthier fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds can reduce the health risks associated with type 2 diabetes.
4. Eat fibre-rich grains and vegetables: Fibre is an important component of any healthy type 2 diabetes recipes. Enjoying fibre-rich grains and vegetables can help improve glycemic control, blood lipids, body weight and inflammation.⁶ Aim to hit a fibre target of 30g per day to reap the full benefits it has to offer.
5. Select fruit carefully: Inflammation is a core contributor to type 2 diabetes, and eating anti-inflammatory fruits can help manage insulin resistance. Apples and blueberries are found to be associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.⁷ We recommend enjoying fruits like these that are low in sugar paired with nuts to help reduce blood sugar spikes.

Visit our Programme to get started with meal plans that focus on these key diet rules in delicious type 2 diabetes recipes, and find out how to manage your supermarket shop here to help you pick the right foods to support your health goals.

Type 2 diabetes recipes

To get you started, here are a few examples of our type 2 diabetes recipes that you, and your family, are sure to enjoy:

• Fasolia with Griddled Chicken
  345 calories: 47.3g protein, 12.1g fibre, 22.1g carbs, 3.7g fat.
  This recipe is a hearty type 2 diabetes recipe, packed full of the essential macronutrients needed to help reduce the risk and symptoms of the disease.
• Portobello Pizzas
  342 calories: 17.2g protein, 4.5g fibre, 5.5g carbs, 27.1g fat.
  This tasty type 2 diabetes recipe is sure to satisfy any cravings for the cheese-topped classic, as well as provide plenty of blood sugar-stabilising nutrients.
• Thai Baked Fish
  436 calories: 31.1g protein, 6.3g fibre, 11.6g carbs, 27.9g fat.
  This aromatic dish boasts all the flavours of a Thai curry, combating type 2 diabetes risks like heart disease with its rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Further changes to help combat type 2 diabetes

Exercise: Alongside enjoying type 2 diabetes recipes, frequent exercise can help regulate your blood sugars. One study found that simply walking has been shown to lower blood pressure, HbA1c levels and body mass index in those with type 2 diabetes.⁸ Swimming, resistance band exercises and Pilates have also been found to be particularly effective.^{9 10 11} Head to The Fast 800 Programme to find guided home workouts, including exercises like Pilates.

Meditation: Studies on type 2 diabetes and practising mindfulness show potential for improving glycemic control, as well as reducing depression, anxiety and stress in type 2 diabetics.¹² While more study is needed, mental health has been shown to have a major effect on metabolic activity.¹³ Our Programme contains a library of mindfulness and meditation resources if you want to find out how it may improve your glycemic control and metabolism.

Managing sleep: Good sleep is instrumental to metabolic regulation, glycemic control and general type 2 diabetes management. In fact, one study even suggests that getting enough sleep can actually help control and manage the disease.¹⁴

How to get started

Sign up to your 7-day free trial of The Fast 800 Programme to get started with a Mediterranean-style diet plan full of delicious type 2 diabetes recipes to help you manage the disease. Many of our members have even managed to reverse their type 2 diabetes by following the programme, like Jan, so why not see where it could take you?