Carbohydrates and Diabetes

Choose your carbs wisely when you have diabetes.

Our body gets most of its energy from carbohydrates (carbs). Digestion breaks down carbs into glucose which powers everything we do — from breathing to walking and thinking. This is why we need carbs and cannot cut it out from our diet.

There are many types of carbs. Some raise your blood glucose quickly while others do so slowly.

If you have diabetes, eating too many carbs that raise your blood glucose quickly can make it hard to control your condition. It also increases your risk of serious problems. Therefore, choose your carbs wisely.

Related: Carbohydrates and Diabetes

Choose carbs that contain plenty of nutrients (vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals) and raise blood glucose slowly or slightly.

Here’s a list of food you can choose from. Eating these carbs in moderation as part of your meal plan can help control your diabetes:

• Wholegrains (brown rice, barley, buckwheat, rye, semolina, corn)
• Pasta and noodles (wholegrain semolina or durum wheat)
• Legumes (beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, soybeans)
• Bread (wholemeal, wholegrain, sourdough, rye)
• Breakfast cereals (all-bran, oats, wholegrain wheat flakes)
  
• Beverages (unsweetened coffee and tea, tomato juice, water)
• Dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese)
  
• Whole fruit (papaya, kiwi, grapes, apple, pear, orange, berry, mango, guava, banana)
• All leafy vegetables
• Snacks (nuts, oatmeal cookies, wholemeal biscuits, energy bars)

My Healthy Plate

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Use My Healthy Plate as a guide to plan your meals. Remember to eat a variety of foods and control your portion sizes.

When it comes to carbs, it’s good to be picky so that you can keep your blood glucose within a healthy range.

Read these next:

• Why are Wholegrains Good for Diabetes?
• Who Says Healthy Food Can’t Taste Good?
• Power Up With Sports Nutrition