With diabetes, buying food can seem like an extremely daunting task. Fresh, frozen, canned, low-fat, low-sodium, low-carb, many kinds need to be picked.
Toby Smithson, a spokesman for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said that in an average convenience store, where thousands of items are available, “just walking through the store aisles to choose items can be overwhelming.” “But it can be a lot easier if you plan well and then make your purchases.”
Make your own food shopping list
Toby, who also has diabetes, draws up her own shopping list and follows it at the supermarket. “I draw up a list for breakfast, lunch, dinner and extra meals, and then I draw up a list based on the order in which the stores are laid out.”
She said starting purchases in the produce section helps patients stay on top of their health. “The fruit and vegetable shopping area makes it difficult for many patients to choose, but fruits and vegetables are the focus of the meal and those products should be purchased first.”
Melissa Joy Dobbins, a dietitian with the American Association of Diabetes Educators, said another strategy is to make a list based on food type. “A list template can be made on the computer for fruits, vegetables, grains and protein foods so that you can see what you need to buy when planning your menu.”
Melissa adds that apps and websites help us determine the nutrition of recipes. “Certain websites that provide nutritional information can help make a list of what to buy.”
Balancing nutrition and impact on blood sugar
You may have heard that it’s best to shop at the edges inside the grocery store, but that’s an old-fashioned idea that doesn’t quite work, Toby said. “There are also a variety of nutrient-dense foods displayed within the aisles, similar to grains, beans, vegetables, etc. I’m very concerned that patients will miss out on these foods because its vital.”
Melissa cautioned that there are often pitfalls with foods placed at the very edges of the food store. “You think carefully about what’s in that spot: baked goods.” Other foods that lack nutrition (such as alcohol or ice cream) are often displayed in this spot as well.
Toby said just because a food item is frozen or canned doesn’t mean it’s unhealthy. “Frozen and canned vegetables may be more nutritious than unprocessed foods because they have usually received processing the day they were picked, which locks in their nutrient content.”
Melissa and Toby agree that the trick to choosing canned foods is to avoid foods that have additional added sugar, syrup or sodium.
Melissa said it may help to rinse canned foods. “Canned beans are usually easier to get, unless one prefers overnight-soaked beans. They’re nutritious and convenient, and rinsing canned foods can remove up to 40 percent of the sodium.”
Melissa said buying colorful fruits and vegetables may also be a beneficial strategy. “Eating different colored fruits and vegetables provides a wide range of nutrients. I also usually include white fruits and vegetables, which have a bad reputation but are also extremely important (“white” foods include potatoes, cauliflower, radishes, onions, peppers, white corn, kale and mushrooms).
Toby said that no matter which food you buy, you should always consider its effect on blood sugar. “Corn, potatoes, black-eyed peas, red beans, green beans and other starchy foods can all be included, but be sure to note that they all contain carbohydrates.”
Read food labels for these points
Melissa said these labels can be confusing when trying to understand how to use food labels to draw up a diabetic meal plan. “Most people with diabetes only look at the grams of sugar, but they actually need to think about total carbohydrates.”
She said looking at labels may bring patients more options. “If one wishes to compare certain sugar-free foods with regular foods from the same product, there may not be a significant difference in their total carbohydrate count. Therefore, a choice can be made: do you prefer the regular food, or do you prefer the food with less or no sugar?”
Patients may also want to be able to eat heart-healthy foods, as well as foods that are good for diabetes, so it’s important to be aware of the fat content of foods.
Toby said that when reading food labels, it’s important to remember that not all fats are exactly the same in terms of nutritional content. “Monounsaturated fats – including those derived from vegetable oils such as canola, olive or peanut oil – are not harmful fats. Avocados, nuts and nut butters also contain good fats and are high in quality protein. Foods rich in saturated fats should also be avoided.”