It may seem like having diabetes means the end of good eating. That is not the case. There are food options that are delicious, healthy, and safe for people with diabetes.
Caving into Cravings
Everyone has food cravings. The best way to deal with them is to make room in a meal plan to eat these foods from time to time. People diagnosed with diabetes in the past may have been told
not to eat sugar. Now people can substitute small amounts of sugar for other carbs and still meet glucose goals.
For example, a person who wants a cookie with lunch can swap the bread on a sandwich with low-carb bread. This can help that person stay within
carb limits
for the meal. The total amount of carbs has more of an effect on blood glucose than the type. Just make sure to adjust the total carb intake to make room for the treat.
Sweet as Sugar: The Real Story on Sugar Substitutes
Some people may want to try eating foods sweetened with sugar substitutes. Artificial sweeteners are 200 to 600 times as sweet as sugar and often do not contain carbs, so they will not affect blood glucose.
Sugar alcohols are natural sugar substitutes. They are not always listed in the
nutrition facts label. They can be found in the ingredients list. though. Sugar alcohols end in “ol,” like maltitol and sorbitol. Carbs from sugar alcohols are included in the total carb amount on the nutrition facts label. The body doesn't absorb half the carb in sugar alcohols, so a person can subtract half the sugar alcohol grams from the total carb grams.
