The Best Carb-Dense Foods For Managing Diabetes

Worried about keeping your blood sugar levels under control? If you’re someone who is suffering from diabetes or who currently is pre-diabetic and looking to do everything you can to side-step this condition, it’s important that you are taking note of the foods that you eat on a day-to-day basis. More specifically, the carbohydrate-dense foods that you consume.

Many people with this condition are led to believe that they must cut carbohydrates out of their plan entirely, but that just isn’t the case. It’ll all come down to carefully choosing the foods that you eat and making sure that you are eating an appropriate amount of them.

Not all carb-dense options are problem foods. Let’s look at some of the best energy-providing carbohydrate sources that you can feel good about putting on your menu.

1. Sweet Potatoes

The first excellent choice to be turning to is sweet potatoes. While you might think that they’d be a poor option due to their sugar content – the fact that they are called ‘sweet’ potatoes may make you think you need to avoid them because they’re too sweet – this isn’t the case.

In fact, despite their sugar content, sweet potatoes can actually help you better manage your blood glucose levels so they are an excellent choice to have in your plan.

Want an extra tip? Try serving these with a little healthy fat. The fat content can help increase the absorption of the beta-carotene in the sweet potato, making it more nutritious. Roasted sweet potatoes with a little olive oil are perfect for this.

2. Beans

Also, beans are another excellent food to get into your diet plan if you hope to manage blood glucose levels. Beans are loaded with dietary fiber which slows digestion and therefore causes a steady release of glucose into the body. If you want long-lasting energy, beans are the way to get it.

Furthermore, beans also contain a good dose of protein, making them a very well-balanced food. As many people fall short in their daily protein intake, this makes it easier to get your numbers up.

3. Oatmeal

For a fast and easy breakfast option, consider turning to oatmeal. Oatmeal is a higher-volume food, so you’ll be able to eat more food for fewer calories compared to other cereal choices. This means it’s ideal for weight control.

Oatmeal is also relatively high in dietary fiber and will provide a small dose of protein as well.

Just be sure that you purchase the unsweetened variety of oatmeal to reap full benefits. Then you can make it a little tastier, if desired, by adding cinnamon, a little nut butter, or a scoop of your favorite protein powder.

4. Berries

Finally, if you have a sweet tooth that just won’t quit, berries tend to be an excellent standby. They provide that delicious taste that you’re looking for and the overall sugar content is relatively low compared to other fruit options.

Plus, they’re also loaded with antioxidants and dietary fiber – two important nutrients for all-around good health.

So, keep these carbohydrate choices in mind as you go about your diet plan. They’re ones that you can feel good about eating.