What does an advised type 1 diabetes diet look like? This guide will
advise you on which food and drinks to choose.
It can come as a shock to be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and you
may have a lot of questions about what you can and can’t eat and
drink, as you learn to manage your condition.
What can I eat with a type 1 diabetes diet?
A healthy, balanced diet is important for everyone, whether you are
living with diabetes or not, but also helps with diabetes management.
Your type 1 diabetes diet should include food from all food
groups – fruit, vegetables, carbohydrates, protein and dairy1.
There are more flexible insulin regimens available now2,
which mean you don’t need to avoid certain foods if you have type 1
diabetes. However, it is still advisable to try to plan nutritious
meals1 and create a type 1 diabetes meal plan.
Top tip: try developing simple habits to help you stay on track
with your type 1 diabetes diet. The diagram below shows you how much
carbohydrates, vegetables and protein your meals should include2,3.
Top tip: try to stick to small, healthy portion sizes by using
smaller plates4.
Are carbohydrates an important part of my type 1 diabetes diet?
It is a good idea to include some carbohydrates with your meals. This
is because your insulin may cause blood sugar levels to drop too low
without carbohydrates. The amount and type of carbohydrates you
consume should be dependent on your sugar levels4. If, for
example, you plan a night out where you know you will consume alcohol,
you should alter the level of carbohydrates in your meals
accordingly5. Find out more about drinking alcohol while
living with diabetes in this article.
All carbohydrates will affect your blood sugar levels, so it’s
important to count your carbohydrates, which will help keep
blood sugar levels steady6. You will need to match the
amount of carbohydrates you eat and drink to your insulin regimen to
help maintain your blood sugar balance4.
How does insulin affect the carbohydrates I can eat?
It is a good idea to count the carbohydrates you eat and drink, so
you can adjust your insulin according to this and other factors, including4,6:
Exercise
Illness
Blood sugar levels
It is possible to be more flexible with when you eat carbohydrates,
and how much you eat, if you are on an insulin pump or you are using a
basal bolus insulin regimen4.
This means you can be more flexible about your type 1 diabetes diet,
without compromising your blood sugar control4.
If you are on a twice-daily fixed insulin regimen, your type 1
diabetes meal plan should include regular mealtimes and a similar
amount of carbohydrate every day. If you eat more carbohydrate than
usual, your blood sugar levels may go too high7. Eating
fewer carbohydrates may lead to low blood sugar levels, also sometimes
called a ‘hypo’4.
What type of carbohydrates should I eat?
Choose healthier carbohydrates such as4:
Wholegrains
Starchy foods (e.g., potatoes or
pasta)
Fruit and vegetables
Pulses (e.g., kidney
beans, chickpeas or lentils)
Unsweetened yoghurt
Milk
Nuts
Seeds
Top tip: when shopping for food, you don’t need to choose products
labelled ‘diabetic’ or ‘suitable for diabetics’, as these usually
cost more and can work as a laxative in your body – instead aim for
unprocessed food where possible4.
What can I drink?
Water is the best choice of drink, and you should aim to drink
approximately two litres of water every day8. You can have
tea or coffee but avoid adding sugar or full-fat milk. Instead, you
could have semi-skimmed or skimmed milk4.
Top tip: add to the flavour of water by using cucumber slices or
pieces of fruit, such as strawberries, limes or oranges8.
What healthy snacks can I have?
Sometimes you may need to help keep your blood sugar levels up by
having a small snack between meals4. Some examples
of healthy choices to include in your type 1 diabetes diet, are:
Fruit – you should aim for five fruits or vegetables daily and
be mindful of calories in each one4. For example,
watermelon has fewer calories than a banana9.
Vegetables4 – again, take note of the sugar levels in
the vegetables you choose to eat.
Unsweetened
yoghurt4
Try to avoid highly processed food, e.g., crisps, chocolate, and
biscuits4.
Top tip: manage your portion sizes to maintain a healthy weight4.
What should I avoid?
Avoid drinking sugary drinks and fruit juices because they
usually increase blood sugar levels to high rates very
quickly4. Fruit juice can harm teeth, so if you are giving
it to a child living with type 1 diabetes, dilute it with water and
provide it at mealtimes10.
Aim for a healthy, balanced diet, with lower levels of4,11:
Sugar
Salt
Saturated fat, a type of
unhealthy dietary fat, that is most often solid at room
temperature. Foods like butter, palm and coconut oils, cheese and
red meat have high amounts of saturated fat.
Why should I maintain a healthy diet with type 1 diabetes?
Having a healthy and balanced type 1 diabetes diet will reduce your
risk of long-term diabetes complications, including heart disease and
stroke, by helping you to4:
Control blood pressure
Control blood fats
Maintain a healthy weight
Top tip: it’s a good idea to make changes to your diet slowly over
time and to set realistic goals. This will make it easier for you to
stick to your type 1 diabetes meal plan and any lifestyle changes.
With these tips, we hope you feel more comfortable managing your
diet with type 1 diabetes.
