Diabetic diet

The NHS (and Diabetes UK) recommend a healthy, balanced diet that is low in fat, sugar and salt and contains a high level of fresh fruit and vegetables. Together, these can be said to sum up the NHS approach to controlling type 2 diabetes with diet.

• Eat plenty of starchy carbohydrates.
• Eat carbohydrate foods with a low GI
• Avoid high-GI foods, especially between meals
• Eat regular meals and healthy snacks
• Don’t miss breakfast
• Don’t skip meals
• Avoid all unhealthy/hydrogenated fats
• Choose low-fat dairy products
• Check food labels
• Choose lean meat and remove fat and skin
• Avoid fried and fast food and baked goods
• Keep hydrated and avoid binge-drinking
• Base meals upon starchy carbohydrate

The Department of Health recommends eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, ideally different fruit and vegetables. One portion of fruit juice counts as one, and a smoothie can be up to two.

The NHS recommends people to eat less saturated fat and advises eating foods containing unsaturated fats such as:

• Oily fish
• Unsalted nuts
• Avocados

Rather than foods containing saturated fat such as:

• Cheese
• Biscuits
• Sausages
• Pies
• Choosing leaner meats such as chicken or trimming fat off cuts of red meat can help to reduce saturated fat.