Diabetes Recipes: Low-Fat, Plant-Based, Whole-Food Nutrition (2024)

Apple Butternut Squash Salad with Maple and Garlic Dressing

With butternut squash and baby kale, this dressing is the perfect way to dress up any meal. This salad offers a tantalizing combination of flavors and textures, with each ingredient

Using peanut butter powder gives you all the flavor of peanut butter but without the fat. Adding greens boosts the protein in this drink. Bursting with the natural sweetness of

Potato Dill Salad

Making this simple and filling potato salad is an easy way to use up any leftover baked potatoes—it’s a different take on potato salad with various vegetables. This delightful salad

Stuffed Delicata Squash

Delicata squash, with its long and narrow shape and a hole in the center, is perfect to fill with ingredients. Its skin is edible and adds a deliciously earthy flavor

Spicy Tomato Soup with Sweet Potato Toast

This spicy soup will keep you warm during the winter months. Combine the soup with sweet potato toast. This dynamic duo of flavors and textures promises to tantalize your palate

Sweet Potato Dip and Veggies

This dip can be used as an appetizer, meal or snack. Great for when you have company over. Using a wide variety of vegetables for dipping will fill you and

Roasted Root Vegetables Plus

This easy-to-roast recipe combines a variety of vegetables with a mustard honey sauce. This hearty and wholesome dish brings together an array of seasonal vegetables, perfectly roasted to caramelized perfection.

Pumpkin Spinach Smoothie

This creamy smoothie is like a taste of autumn but is available any time of the year! This vibrant smoothie combines pumpkin puree's earthy richness with spinach's vibrant green goodness,

Brussel Sprout Soup

Dijon mustard spices up with green soup. Vitamin A, C and K are abundant in the delicious soup.​ Introducing a hearty and nutritious dish perfect for refueling after an intense

Grapefruit Orange Spinach with Cream Salad

This vitamin-packed citrus fruit salad is a sweet and crunchy meal for any time of the day. Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with vibrant flavors and a touch

Wild Rice Quinoa Salad

This easy-to-make salad is put together in minutes for a quick lunch or dinner. This vibrant and nutritious dish features a harmonious ingredients blend that promises flavor and health benefits.

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Oats

Start this simple and nutritious breakfast once you get up and while it is cooking you can prepare yourself for the day. Adding fresh apples will give you a nice

Carrot and Black Bean Soup

This fiber-rich soup is creamy with chunks of carrots and beans. Very satisfying! This comforting and nutritious soup is the perfect way to harness the earthy sweetness of carrots and

Cabbage Pasta Curry

With the lovely flavor of curry and a crunchy texture of the cabbage this meal will be a hit with the whole family. Prepare your taste buds for a culinary

Lima Bean Pea Corn Soup

This easy-to-make colorful soup will warm you up and satisfy your taste buds. This hearty soup is a celebration of vibrant vegetables, bursting with freshness and nourishment. From the creamy

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Quinoa is not just to use in a salad. Get your greens, grains and fruit all in one easy to make meal. This breakfast bowl is not only packed with

Smoky Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

Rain or shine…this flavorful chowder is a great comfort food that you can enjoy anytime. So easy to make. This hearty and wholesome chowder is a symphony of flavors, combining

Pumpkin Cocoa Smoothie

This flavorful smoothie will awaken your taste buds. Our Pumpkin Spice Green Smoothie is a unique fusion of flavors and nutrients that combines the creaminess of pumpkin puree, the sweetness

Pumpkin and Eggplant Bake

The taste of kabocha is a cross between a pumpkin and sweet potato. It is chock full of beta-carotene, fiber and vitamins A and C. The rind of the kabocha

Garlicky Zucchini and Sweet Potato

Top your sweet potato with this tasty zucchini sauté. This vibrant, plant-powered creation is not only a feast for the senses but also a wholesome addition to your diabetes-friendly repertoire.

Millet Tri-Color Bell Peppers Bowl

This rainbow colored salad bowl is a good source of fiber, iron, vitamins A and C, folate and potassium. This vibrant and wholesome dish is not only a feast for

Pea and Fava Bean Mint Toast

This easy to make recipe is filled with lots of protein. This nutritious and flavorful dish combines the earthy richness of russet or sweet potatoes with the garden-fresh goodness of

Grapefruit Arugula Beet Salad

This nutrient-rich and refreshing salad can be eaten any time of day. Adding beets to a fruit salad gives it a step up in flavor. This colorful medley of ingredients

Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup

This easy vegetable soup makes a warm comforting meal for those cool autumn days. This hearty and flavorful dish brings together an array of wholesome ingredients to create a satisfying

Stuffed Green Pepper with Spanish Rice and Lentils

This easy to make meal is packed with protein and comes in its own bowl. This dish brings together the hearty goodness of lentils, the earthy flavors of brown rice,

Fresh Fruit with Chocolate Quinoa

The chocolate in this diabetes-friendly recipe adds a treat-like flavor to this easy dish that can be eaten morning, noon and night. Indulge in the captivating flavors of Fresh Fruit

Mini Potato Hash

You can cook the potatoes the day before and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use the potatoes in this satisfying hash. Bursting with colors, flavors,

Diabetes Recipes: Low-Fat, Plant-Based, Whole-Food Nutrition (2024)

FAQs

Is a WFPB diet good for diabetics? ›

There is a general consensus that the elements of a whole-foods plant-based diet—legumes, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts, with limited or no intake of refined foods and animal products—are highly beneficial for preventing and treating type 2 diabetes.

Is plant-based protein better for diabetics? ›

The ADA recommends that people with diabetes get their protein from lean sources low in saturated fat. Plant-based protein sources are ideal for diabetes since they're low in saturated fat and high in fiber. In fact, saturated fat is primarily found animal foods with a few exceptions, such as coconut.

What vegan foods are good for diabetics? ›

Protein
  • nuts, seeds and most of their butters (e.g. cashew, tahini, peanut, almond and Brazil)
  • beans and pulses (eg butterbeans, chickpeas and lentils)
  • vegetable milks (eg soya, almond and hempseed)
  • quinoa.
  • soya products (eg tofu, soya cheese and soya milk)
  • vegan Quorn.

What is a holistic diet for diabetes? ›

Eat protein and fat at each meal, three times per day. Eat eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Avoid all trans fats and processed foods, such as cookies, cakes, and potato chips. Consume olive oil, avocado, butter, seeds and nuts, whole-fat dairy products, cheese, and yogurt.

Can you reverse type 2 diabetes with plant-based diet? ›

Instead of powering our cells, the glucose remains in our bloodstream, eventually leading to diabetes. A plant-based diet is low in fat, which allows insulin to function properly. “ A plant-based diet is a powerful tool for preventing, managing, and even reversing type 2 diabetes.

Can you eat peanut butter on WFPB diet? ›

Absolutely! Peanuts are plant-based. Check the label of peanuts you buy in stores to ensure they are not processed with non-vegan ingredients, like honey.

What protein doesn t spike insulin? ›

Cottage Cheese

The American Diabetes Association lists cottage cheese as a great protein source for people with diabetes because it shouldn't contribute to blood sugar spikes. Cottage cheese comes in different curd sizes and fat contents, and pairs well with many different types of fruits and veggies.

What protein does not raise blood sugar? ›

Low-fat types like cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, or mozzarella are high-protein choices that help keep your blood sugar in check. Enjoy a quarter-cup of cottage cheese with a half-cup of fruit, a piece of low-fat string cheese, or ricotta spread on whole-grain crackers.

What is the best protein to lower blood sugar? ›

Best protein choices for diabetes
  • Beans such as black, kidney and pinto.
  • Bean products like baked beans and refried beans.
  • Hummus and falafel.
  • Lentils such as brown, green or yellow.
  • Peas such as black-eyed or split peas.
  • Edamame.
  • Soy nuts.
  • Nuts and spreads like almond butter, cashew butter or peanut butter.

What vegan foods lower A1c levels? ›

Focus on “slow-carb” and low-carb foods.
  • Non-starchy vegetables, especially green vegetables and veggies that grow above ground.
  • Whole grains (such as quinoa, brown rice, and wild rice)
  • Nuts and seeds.
  • Soybeans and tofu.
  • Beans.
  • Hummus.
  • Olive oil.
  • Avocado.
Nov 7, 2022

Will a vegan diet lower A1c? ›

Research on diabetes management also supports the use of both vegan and vegetarian diets. A meta-analysis that looked at five studies on vegans and one on lacto-ovo-vegetarians found that both types of diets reduced A1c levels over an average 24-week period.

How can I lower my A1c naturally? ›

Go easy on the sweets and sugary beverages, white breads, potatoes, pastas, starchy vegetables, and other carbohydrate-rich foods as these increase your blood sugar levels. Instead, opt for foods that are high in fiber, fruits and vegetables, small servings of lean meats and poultry, and low-fat milk or cheese.

What are the three meals for diabetics? ›

Eating a carbohydrate-rich breakfast followed by a substantial lunch and a small dinner — the so-called "three-meal diet" (3Mdiet) — promotes weight loss and significantly improves glucose control in type 2 diabetes, a randomized, controlled trial suggests.

What are the 5 worst foods for blood sugar? ›

10 Worst Foods for Your Blood Sugar
  • KETCHUP. ...
  • WHITE PASTA. ...
  • BAGELS. ...
  • ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. ...
  • FRUIT JUICE. ...
  • ENERGY BARS. ...
  • LOW-FAT SWEETENED YOGURT. ...
  • SPORTS DRINKS AND ENERGY DRINKS. Energy drinks and sports drinks carry all the woes of fruit juice with the added no-no of more sugars.

What is the best breakfast for diabetics? ›

Porridge oats or the instant variety are both fine - just avoid those with added free sugars like honey and golden syrup. Wheat biscuits, shredded wheat or muesli (with no added sugar) are also great alternatives. For sweetness, add chopped fruit.

Does a plant-based diet lower A1c? ›

Research on diabetes management also supports the use of both vegan and vegetarian diets. A meta-analysis that looked at five studies on vegans and one on lacto-ovo-vegetarians found that both types of diets reduced A1c levels over an average 24-week period.

Is whole earth plant-based sugar good for diabetics? ›

Yes. Whole Earth Infusions – MCT is appropriate for use by individuals with diabetes. Sugar substitutes, such as Stevia Leaf & Monk Fruit, can be used to sweeten foods and drinks with fewer calories and carbohydrates when they replace sugar.

How long does it take to lower blood sugar on plant-based diet? ›

Researchers find benefits in already healthy individuals after just four weeks of going meatless. A new study of 22 pairs of identical twins found that compared with their meat-eating sibling, individuals who followed a vegan diet improved cholesterol, blood sugar, and body weight in just eight weeks.

What plant-based sugar is good for diabetics? ›

If you're looking for a healthier alternative, try stevia. Based on research to date, this alternative sweetener is one of your better options. It's known for its antidiabetic properties and ability to stabilize blood sugar levels.

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