When you have diabetes, eating well takes practice and planning. A good balance of the right foods, along with regular exercise and your prescribed medications, can help you feel better and stay healthier. Create a meal plan that works with your schedule, keeps your weight on track and improves your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol numbers. Here are some tips to help you manage your diabetes.

Plan your meals. Planning is a huge part of healthy eating and a well-stocked pantry is where it all begins. Make a weekly grocery shopping trip to Meijer so you are able to eat more healthy fresh food at home. Use the American Diabetes Association’s Create Your Plate model to choose foods you want to eat, to help manage blood glucose levels and lose weight through sensible portioning. This plate model can even be used to teach the whole family healthy eating. Go to www.meijermealbox.com to view our diabetes web videos on how to create a healthy plate.

Make healthier choices. Many of the foods you enjoy can be made even healthier when you use NuVal™, the nutritional scoring system at Meijer. NuVal™ scores are located on the price shelf tags beneath food products and compare scores the same way you compare prices. Scores range from 1 to 100; the higher the score, the more nutritious the food.

Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals isn’t good for your metabolism and it can lead to overeating at the next meal. Depending on your diabetes medication, skipping meals may also cause hypoglycemia. Commit to eating at least three meals per day.

Snacking Smart with Diabetes
Grabbing a quick bite between meals isn’t off-limits for people with diabetes. Snacking can contribute to a healthy diet. It ensures that your body gets the fuel it needs throughout the day. Here are some tips you should keep in mind when snacking.

Time it right- Grazing throughout the day may negatively impact your blood sugar. Constantly taking in carbohydrates and extra calories can result in consistently high blood sugar which leads to weight gain. Having a scheduled snack time will help you have better control of your blood sugar.

Don’t eat out of a bag or box. It is easy to overeat and not even realize how many calories and carbs you’ve consumed when you eat out of a bag. Divvy up big bags of snacks into single serving sizes or put in a small bowl or try 100-calorie snack packs like Nabisco 100 calorie yogurt pretzels. Portion sizes are the key to controlling your blood sugars and avoiding weight gain.

Make healthy snacks- Snacks should include a carbohydrate and protein choice. Carbohydrate choices can be fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes or low fat milk. For protein, use lean meats, peanut butter, low fat cheese, light yogurt, or low fat cottage cheese. Lean protein is great for people with diabetes because it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels and it helps you feel satisfied. Generally snacks can be between 15 and 30 grams of carbohydrate, but that’s based on individual needs. Get started with these diabetes-friendly healthy snacks ideas.

Snacks with 15-20 grams of carbohydrate

1/3 cup hummus + 1 cup raw fresh cut veggies (green peppers, carrots, broccoli, cucumber, celery, cauliflower or a combination of these)
¼ cup low fat cottage cheese + ½ cup canned fruit in light syrup or fresh fruit
½ turkey sandwich (1 slice Pepperidge Farm whole grain fiber bread + 2 oz. turkey + mustard)
1 cheese quesadilla (made with one 6-inch corn or whole wheat tortilla + 1 oz low fat shredded cheese) + ¼ cup salsa

Snacks with 30 grams of carbohydrate

1/2 peanut butter sandwich (1 slice Pepperidge Farm 100% whole wheat bread + 1 tbsp. peanut butter) + 1 cup Meijer low fat milk
6 oz. Yoplait Light yogurt + ¾ cup berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or a combination of these)
¾ cup whole grain cereal + ½ cup Meijer fat free milk
1 medium banana + 1 tbsp. peanut butter