Maintaining a healthy diet is something many people are passionate about. The food choices you make can affect things like your blood pressure, blood glucose levels and cholesterol. The types of foods you choose to put in your body take on a new level of importance if you have diabetes.

Over 34 million Americans have diabetes. If you have recently been diagnosed with this condition, you might be confused about what you can eat and which foods you need to stay away from. Read below to find out more about the foods you need to incorporate into your diet if you have diabetes.

Select Healthier Carbohydrate Options

One of the first things you need to learn about blood glucose levels is that they can be affected by carbohydrates. Instead of completely depriving yourself of carbohydrates, you need to choose healthier options. You also need to manage your portion sizes. If you are looking for healthier carbohydrate options, be sure to consider foods like:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Lentils and chickpeas
• Unsweetened milk or yogurt
• Brown rice and whole oats

Eliminating foods low in fiber from your diet is also important when trying to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. This means you need to avoid eating things like processed cereal, white rice or bread. Getting in the habit of checking food labels can be helpful. By checking labels, you can choose foods that are higher in fiber.

Limit the Amount of Processed Meat You Consume

Once you start eliminating bad carbs from your diet, you might want to ramp up the amount of meat you consume to avoid feeling hungry after a meal. However, you need to be mindful of the type of meats you put into your body. Processed meats like beef, sausage or lamb can cause long-term health issues like heart disease and even cancer.

Instead of consuming these processed meats, you need to choose healthier options like:

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Beans or lentils
• Fish
• Eggs
• Unsalted nuts

Adding more beans to your diet will help you fill fuller and increase the amount of fiber you consume. With this added fiber, you can keep your blood glucose levels manageable. Consuming fish options like mackerel and salmon is also a good way to boost omega-3 levels. With higher omega-3 levels, you can protect your heart.

Work On Eliminating Sugar From Your Diet

One of the hardest changes you might have to make when being diagnosed with diabetes is reducing the amount of sugar you ingest. If you are like most people, you probably don’t realize how much sugar you consume. On average, an American adult will consume around 152 lbs. of sugar every year.

If you have a sweet tooth, then you need to find healthy alternatives to satisfy your cravings. Luckily, there are a number of natural and artificial sweetener options on the market that can help you accomplish this goal.

By making diet changes and getting more physically active, you can keep your diabetes under control.