Here are sample meal plans for the Eat to Beat Diabetes Diet, which can help you lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
BREAKFAST
Option 1
1 toasted whole-wheat English muffin topped with 1 ounce of Canadian bacon and 1 slice of low-fat cheese
1/2 grapefruit
Option 2
1/2 cup of high-bran cereal with 3/4 cup berries
1 cup of skim milk
1 hard-boiled egg
Option 3
2 slices of whole-wheat toast topped with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 cup of yogurt
1 fresh pear
LUNCH
Option 1
Open-face sandwich: 1 slice of whole-grain bread topped with 2 ounces of turkey breast, 1 ounce of low-fat Swiss cheese, spicy mustard and 1/2 cup of sliced cucumber and tomato
1 cup of baby spinach tossed with 1/2 cup of garbanzo beans and lower-fat salad dressing
Option 2
Seafood pasta salad: Mix 1/2 cup of whole-grain pasta with 2 ounces of seafood (use tuna canned in water, shrimp, scallops — your choice!), 1/2 cup of kidney beans, 1 cup of chopped vegetables (try to use at least three different colors: red peppers, white jicama and green broccoli; or orange carrots, white radishes and red tomatoes, etc.) and 1 cup of yogurt
Option 3
Chicken Caesar salad (3 ounces of skinless chicken breast with 2 cups of mixed salad greens, 1 ounce of shredded Parmesan cheese and fat-free Caesar salad dressing)
1 cup of croutons
DINNER
Option 1
Chicken stir-fry (include 3 ounces of skinless chicken breast, 1 cup of mixed oriental vegetables and 1/3 cup of brown rice with your favorite oriental seasonings)
Green tea
Option 2
Meat and vegetable kabobs (use 3 ounces of various meats/fish, including skinless chicken, shrimp, scallops or lean sirloin, with 1/2 cup of chunks of celery, mushrooms, onions, cherry tomatoes or summer squash)
1/2 cup of coleslaw made with lower-fat dressing
1/2 cup of black bean salad (drain and rinse canned black beans under running water to remove some of the sodium, then combine with lower-fat Italian dressing and diced onions, green or red peppers and celery)
Option 3
3 ounces of grilled skinless chicken breast (marinate in your favorite herbs or a lower-fat salad dressing)
1/2 cup of green beans (add fresh or dried dill, cider vinegar and black pepper instead of salt)
1/2 cup of baby carrots
1/2 cup of baked potato topped with 1 tablespoon of fat-free sour cream
The above meal plan provides approximately 1,300 calories a day — 45 percent of calories from carbohydrate, 31 percent from protein and 23 percent from fat.
If you like to use an exchange-type method, each breakfast contains two servings of starch, one serving of protein, one serving of fruit and one milk serving; lunch contains one starch serving, three protein servings, two vegetable servings and one milk serving; dinner contains one serving of starch, three servings of protein and two vegetable servings; snacks include one serving each of milk, protein and fruit. Use one fat serving per day, choosing healthier fats such as olive or canola oil, nuts and seeds, or avocado.
