Prediabetic Food List: Free Download & Sample Menu

If you’ve been looking for a prediabetic food list to help you control or reverse prediabetes, we can help.

We’re proud to say that for the past decade, we’ve been helping people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes return their blood sugar levels to normal. Yes, with the right foods, this is possible.

List Of Foods To Eat For Prediabetes

Proteins

Proteins are some of the best foods to eat, as they are an:

• Essential nutrient for building tissues: skin, hair, bones, and internal organs
• Source of enzymes needed for metabolic processes
• Necessary for hormone formation and regulation
• Basis for antibodies and immune response
• Involved in transportation and storage of molecules within and between cells
• Help support blood sugar regulation

Incorporate these protein sources in your prediabetes diet:

1. Lean Meats: Beef, veal, lamb, and various steak cuts.
2. Pork: Opt for lean cuts like chops or loin.
3. Poultry: Include chicken, turkey, and other birds like duck and quail.
4. Fish: Add tuna, salmon, cod, and various other fish types.
5. Seafood: Enjoy crab, lobster, shrimp, and shellfish.
6. Game Meats: Consider venison, wild boar, and more exotic options if desired.
7. Organ Meats: Rich in nutrients, but not everyone’s preference.
8. Eggs: Chicken, duck, and other bird eggs.
9. Dairy Products: Cottage cheese, cheddar, ricotta, and limited yogurt and milk. Choose full or low-fat options.
10. Nuts and seeds: Walnuts, chia seeds, sesame, hazelnuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and cashews.
11. Vegetarian protein: whey protein, bee pollen, tempeh, tofu, natto, textured vegetable protein (TVP)

Of course, you may not like all of these options, so choose the ones you do like.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates significantly impact blood sugar and A1c levels in prediabetes – more than any other nutrient, so it’s important to focus on the amount and type of carbs consumed.

Focus on these specific carbohydrate recommendations:

• Non-starchy veggies should be your primary carbohydrate source, as they provide dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial compounds like polyphenols.
• Aim for 5-10 servings of vegetables daily – yes, that may sound like a lot, but in time this will become second nature.
• One serving: 1/2 cup of veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, or 1 cup of leafy greens.
• 2.5 cups of vegetables is the daily minimum to aim for – this should be very easy to achieve.

Main vegetables to include:

Fruits

Lower carb fruits such as berries – fresh raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries are your best choices, eaten 1/4 to 1/2 cup per serve.

Followed by stone fruits such as peaches, apricots and plums (1 small fruit per serve), grapefruit and cherries. Lemons and limes are fine, too.

Healthy Fats

Fat is necessary for important bodily functions, including brain function and it’s not something to be avoided because it is an essential nutrient – our body can’t survive without fat!

All natural sources of fat are fine to eat, like the proteins listed above – these also contain healthy fats.

Monounsaturated fats have particular anti-inflammatory properties, heart-healthy benefits, and help decrease insulin resistance in prediabetes.

Examples of monounsaturated fat sources:

• Oils: virgin olive, hazelnut, avocado, sesame, macadamia, almond
• Avocado
• Olives
• Nuts & seeds: macadamia, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, almonds
• Cocoa butter
• Tahini (sesame paste)
• Fish: herring, cod liver oil, sardines, cod

• Increase omega-3 fatty acid intake:
  • Salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel, chia seeds, flaxseeds

Other fats to enjoy:

• Dairy products (full or low-fat)
• Coconut oil
• Butter

Sample One-Day Prediabetes Menu

Okay, so the food list above might not include cherrios or doughnuts, and these types of foods are certainly the ones you want to eliminate from your prediabetes food list.

So, let’s look at a tasty one day menu that includes some of the above foods.

As you can see, there are lots of tasty things you can eat.

Click on the images above and try a recipe!

And, be sure to grab your copy of the prediabetes food list below – it has a much more detailed food list and more recipes too – including dessert!