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Did you know that one of the most commonly asked questions we get is: how many carbs per day is best for a diabetic to eat?
No doubt that’s why you’re here reading this as well, right?
And like many other people you may be totally confused by that question.
That’s not surprising because the amount of carbs recommended does vary depending on where you read it.
Why is this?
Well, there is no specific recommendation for the amount of carbohydrate, that’s why there are so many different numbers.
However, there is good scientific evidence to suggest what’s best. But unfortunately, that information is not getting out to the public (to YOU) as fast as it should.
Luckily though, here at DMP, we pride ourselves on sharing the best evidence-based info, coupled with over a decade of experience because we want you to get the best results. And we’re proud to say what we share works:
As you read on, be prepared to have some of your long held diet beliefs challenged. But also be prepared to be amazed by the possibilities, because with a few dietary changes, you can reverse your diabetes and live your life anew!
Rethinking ‘Mainstream’ Carb Recommendations
Over the years it’s been pretty common practice to recommend a low fat, high carbohydrate diet to people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
It wasn’t so long ago that the American Diabetes Association were stating that: “A place to start is at about 45-75 grams of carbohydrate at a meal.”
That would equate to around 135-225 g carbohydrates per day, excluding snacks.
And globally, diabetes associations have kept emphasizing that people with type 2 diabetes should eat the same as the general population (a high carb, low fat diet), that everything in moderation is fine.
Quite frankly, these large organizations have had you fooled – none of their dietary information has been based on real science!
And the fact is, 45-75 g per meal of carbohydrates per meal is way too high!
If you’ve been eating 225+ grams of carbs per day and wondering why you can’t get your blood glucose levels or A1c under control, there’s a simple answer — you’re eating too many carbs!
What the science shows is you must forget the ‘mainstream’ carb recommendations and flip the nutrition circle on it’s head. Because the goal is to keep your carb intake to less than 25%, not 60% as these large health organizations have been pushing for years.
As you can see, these recommendations suited for the ‘general’ public are highly flawed recommendations for people with type 2 diabetes, and are in fact, keeping you sick!
Like we always say: Diabetes prevention and diabetes treatment are two completely different things.
So be careful because many things you read online lump both prevention and treatment into the same boat – but they are completely different.
Here at DMP, we focus on TREATMENT – and effective treatment of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, starts with understanding carbs.
Get started right away by grabbing a free copy of our Carbs Cheat Sheet below!
How Many Carbs Should You Eat?
It can vary some from person to person. But overall your goal is to keep your carbohydrate intake to less than 130 grams per day, which is considered the top threshold for a lower carb diet.
Still, although anything below 130 grams is considered low carb, and it’s a good place to start, 130 grams is not that low.
What we’ve found works well for our members is to consume around 50 to 80 grams of carbs per day, or a maximum of 100 grams.
If you do this, you’ll be seeing great improvements to your blood sugar and health, in a very short time!
In the T2Diet Program randomized controlled trial we conducted, people were recommended to consume 100 g carbs per day and the results were astounding!
- Great blood sugar control
- Lower A1c
- Effortless weight loss
- Reduction in medication
Here’s the thing, you can choose to eat a higher carb diet but over time you will likely find it difficult to control your blood sugar levels and many find you need to continually increase your medication. And the reality is, if you struggle to maintain your blood sugar within a healthy range, you put yourself at higher risk for nasty diabetic complications.
Whereas, if you adopt new ways of eating, switching to a lower carb diet, you can reverse your diabetes. Yes, that’s right!
While diabetes is not reversible from a diagnostic standpoint — once you have it, you have it — it can be reversible from a physiological standpoint, which means you can keep your blood sugar within a normal healthy range, minimize or stop medications, and live a healthy life – it’s happening with our members all the time!
Dusty said: “When I started DMP, I was 310 lbs (140kg) and my A1C was 10. I had a very unhealthy lifestyle. Since then, I have lost weight, I am at 190 lbs (86kg) now and my A1C is between 6.5 to 7.0 and no longer have to take medicine. Thank you for what you do!”
A Word Of Caution!
If you are on insulin therapy, it is important to lower your carb intake under close supervision of your health practitioner because you will have to make adjustments to your dosage and a fast rapid change can result in hypoglycemia. Monitor your blood sugar levels closely when making dietary transitions and be aware of symptoms.
Please pin this info; then continue reading…
Where To Get Started With Carbs
Since most people usually have to lower carb intake quite a bit, 120 grams is often a comfortable place to start and then you can tweak and reduce your own individual intake from there.
As a member, we show you exactly how to reduce your carbs to lower blood sugar and A1c, giving you delicious healthy food options, ideas, and alternatives for all the ‘normal’ high carb foods you might be used to eating.
Let’s break 120 grams down per meal right now.
Carbs per meal at 120g carbs per day
- Breakfast: 30 g carbs
- Lunch: 30 g carbs
- Dinner: 30 g crabs
- 2 x snacks: 15 g carbs each or 3 x snacks 10 g carbs each
This tends to work fairly well for the majority of people when getting started.
For Optimal Long-Term Results: Aim For 50-80g Carbs Per Day
If you focus on eating the right types of carbohydrates, then you won’t really have to focus on carbohydrate counting so closely (what a relief!).
Essentially the right type of diet for lowering blood sugar and A1c is a high plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet, whole foods, lower carb diet.
This sounds complicated but it’s not. Just stick to eating real food and choose non-starchy vegetables as your predominant source of carbohydrates.
If you need help with choosing the right foods, grab a free copy of our Carbs Cheat Sheet.
Over a days worth of eating, your veggie intake, some low carb fruits, a few beans or legumes and other portioned carbs, will add up to around 50-80 grams carbs per day, or a maximum of 100 grams.
This seems to be the sweet spot for achieving exceptional results with blood sugar and A1c, and is sustainable for many.
You may also hear about a ‘very low carb diet ketogenic diet,’ such as an Atkin’s diet or Keto diet, which limits carbs to 20-50g per day. It’s not necessary to limit carbs this low because it cuts out many of the essential plant ingredients that we need.
For instance, a ketogenic diet limits carrots, but carrots provide valuable nutrients and loads of dietary fiber. And while carrots are a little higher in carbs than spinach, they still aren’t really a high carb food, like potatoes, rice, bread, pasta and cereals.
In our experience, people get better results by following a low carb plan, because it provides much more food flexibility and is sustainable for the long term.
50-80 g Carbs Per Day Sample Meal Plan
Breakfast: Veggie scramble – 15 g (aim for between 10-20g)
Lunch: Chicken & veggie salad – 15 g (aim for between 10-20g)
Dinner: Beef coconut curry – 12-15 g (aim for between 10-20g)
Snacks: Berry Bomb 5 g, peanut butter with carrot sticks 5 g, or cottage cheese and berries 10 g. Aim for 5-15 g per snack.
Based off the meals and snacks above the total daily carbs is: 62 grams.
As you can see from this meal plan, you certainly will not be starving!
But it is a different way to eat than you’re probably used to. That’s why we’re here to help you.
As a VIP member, we’ll walk you step-by-step to putting a lower carb healthy eating plan into practice.
We show you exactly HOW to eat to get results, revealing the carb content of problem foods and giving you ample low carb options and alternatives for regular high carb foods – and we make it easy to manage your meal planning over the long term!
Join Us As A Member Today: **Access over 1500+ diabetes-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, food guides and ongoing support to reach your blood sugar goals.
Busting a Few Nutrition Myths
Avoid grain-based foods: You do not need to eat whole grain foods to get fiber and ‘good’ carbs. You can obtain plenty of fiber from vegetables, nuts and seeds, than from cereals and breads. And grain-based foods, even whole grains are high in carbs and will raise blood sugar.
Enjoy dairy: Dairy products are fine to eat, even full fat varieties. There is no evidence to show these are bad for our health. And in fact, new evidence suggests they are very beneficial. In terms of carbs, cheese and cottage cheese are lower in carbs than milk and yogurt.
Become a detective: When you go shopping, don’t rely on front-of-pack labeling. Food companies are great at enticing you to purchase foods, or telling you that a food is healthy, but it may not be true. The only way you’ll know is to read food labels and learn to understand the nutrition facts panel. When looking at nutrition labels, don’t just look at the total calories, observe the amount of carbs, fiber and how much sugar an item contains.
Carbs are more important than calories: But overall, the best bet for your diabetes diet is to focus on carb control. When you can observe your daily intake of carbs and lower them, you will see results pretty quickly. And just to be clear, we are talking about a low carb diet here, not a no carb diet! Sure, in the long term, calorie intake is important to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. If you need to, on a lower carb diet, you can control calorie intake by focusing on the amount of food you eat.
Your Practical Action Steps Right Now
If your diet is currently pretty poor or you’re just getting started, begin with around 120 g per day of carbs.
- Breakfast: 30 g carbs
- Lunch: 30 g carbs
- Dinner: 30 g crabs
- 2 x snacks: 15 g carbs each or 3 x snacks 10 g carbs each
If you want to work on losing weight and getting optimal results for blood sugar and a1c aim for 50-80 g carbs per day.
- Breakfast: 15-20 g carbs
- Lunch: 15-20 g carbs
- Dinner: 15-20 g crabs
- 2 x snacks: 5-10 g carbs each
- Before bed: 10 g carbs
If you don’t know what carbohydrate foods are, grab a free copy of our Carbs Cheat Sheet below – it will outline some common high carb foods, best fruits to eat, and list high, medium and low carb foods.
JoAnn B said: “My A1c started out around 9.5. It has been at 5.4 for the past six months. I have lost close to 50 pounds. Thanks again for all the great recipes and help.”
Michelle G said: “I’m making healthier food choices. Cooking again (huge step) because you’ve shown me quick plans. And prepping and packing lunches! Wish the doctor’s office would have shown YOUR way of doing it when I was first diagnosed. I probably would not have stuck my head in the sand so long! Glad I found you!”
P.S. Please share this info with friends, family or colleagues – it could be life changing for them too -thanks!
Hi i find youre article very interesting..but what grocery list would you reccomend for pre diabetic
The same foods as recommended for those with type 2 diabetes, Jennifer! View our recommended food list here.
Can I have the food list please, my husband’s a1c reading is some days as high as 16.
Hi Carolina, you can subscribe to receive the food list by clicking on the image and entering your details. You may also wish to consider joining us as a member for extra help and support.
I really tried to call carbs but sometimes it’s very difficult because I do not have a chart now I do I do know how many cards you were supposed to eat a day even though my doctor could say lower the carbs lower the carbs and I did my best but it got very difficult to count the the carbs but I enjoy my cereal with milk in the morning but then I like to put fruit in it so I guess that’s out of the question but I measure my milk one cup of milk one cup of regular cereal box cereal and one banana blueberries and nuts those that is my favorite breakfast and a big breakfast eater but I had to give up my breakfast any ideas and he had any suggestions will help thank you very much
Hi Angelina, there are other breakfasts to eat and it would be recommended since the breakfast you’re currently having would probably be 50g or more of carbs, and that’s a lot for one meal! Check out these breakfast ideas here.
There was a test ran just recently that studies the effects of pasta and blood sugar it is on Dr. Mercola’s website they had the effects of different temperatures of pasta cooked, cooled, and reheated where the participants all had the same reaction with no variation. they found that eating reheated pasta was a 50% lower spike than eating fresh cooked. The same applied to bread, They found that freezing and defrosting homemade bread could lower blood glucose values from an average of 259 mmol min/L to 179 mmol min/L. Toasting the bread lowered blood glucose from 259 mmol min/L to 193 mmol min/L. If the bread was toasted after freezing and defrosting, the blood glucose level was just 157 mmol min/L. Just thought you might want to know.
Interesting! This was likely related to the effect of resistant starch, which becomes a bit harder to digest and hence may lessen the immediate blood glucose rise. Just keep in mind all the numbers you shared are still elevated so we would not recommend this being a method you rely on for managing diabetes.
Hi Team,
I HAVEN’T SEEN THE FOLLOWING ADDRESSED.
Newly diagnosed, last Wednesday; THIS is so important, – I DON’T cook at all. Don’t want to cook.
Help! Don’t really know what to do. I like to grab and go, I would prefer, delivered pre-planed, pre-made frozen meals. At least to get me started.
What are your thoughts on prepared protein drinks, milk based, low carb, 4gm sugar, 30 gm protein.
Or plant based protein shakes??
Thanks much.
Check the total carbs rather than sugar, see if you can find a prepared protein drink with <5g carbs per serving.
Healthy eating will come much more naturally if you are willing to cook some, but in the meantime stock up on: cottage cheese, nuts, presliced veggies, string cheese, pre-boiled eggs, and deli meats/tuna fish as easy snacks. When you go out to eat pick a meal that contains a protein (chicken, beef, fish) and any vegetables (salad or cooked veggies). Ask the restaurant to omit any rice, pasta, or bread to significantly lower carbs in restaurant food.
I’ve been newly diagnosed with T2 diabetes and was totally confused until I read all of the above. You have cleared up so much for me and I’m eager to start the plan. Although I have a few side effects from Glipizide med, I believe I can do this. Thank you for walking along side me on this journey…. Kim M
There is definitely a huge learning curve when newly diagnosed, but it sounds like you’re off to a great start. Keep looking around our site for plenty of free resources and let us know if you have any questions.
I’d just like to say that, unfortunately, lowering carbs doesn’t work for everyone. My HBA1c was found to be 6.1% 3 years ago during a routine blood test for something else. I was shocked because I was slim and very active with a BMI of just over 19, ate healthily and had been intermittent fasting for 4 years. I immediately did all the research I could, cut right back on carbs to under 50g per day, increasing good fats to make up for the lost calories and upped the exercise with more resistance work. (And yes, I do count everything properly and carefully so I know I’m not eating more carbs than I think.) Within three months my weight had dropped by 8 pounds to 110 and my BMI to below 18. My HbA1c was checked and it had gone up to 6.2%. A year later it had gone up to 6.4% but thankfully dropped again to 6.2% a few months later. I have continued with the regime but my own monitor readings don’t show any improvement. I have tried all sorts of supplements like curcumin, gymnema and psyllium with no obvious effect. Covid prevented any proper clinical follow-up and, anyway, now I have more or less resigned myself to continuing like this. As I’m 72, I think it must be a case of ageing beta cells functioning less well and I also have a slightly underactive thyroid which the GP suggested could account for other metabolic disorders like raised blood glucose. I had a CT scan of the pancreas in 2019 to check it out and there was no apparent problem there. It does seem, from my research, that there is a minority of lean individuals who have this problem but everyone always concentrates on the ‘losing weight’ option which is irrelevant to this group. Or else, they are told they must be TOFI (thin on the outside, fat on the inside) which definitely doesn’t apply to me. I wish there was more recognition of this issue in diabetic publications.
You are correct that lowering carbs alone might not entirely stop the need for medication in some; it’s just one tool that can help people better manage their diabetes and blood sugar levels. Continue to work with your GP to rule out other metabolic conditions and keep up with the healthy lifestyle and weight. It might take time but your body will thank you for continued healthy eating!
I appreciate all the advice u have given me so helpful my a1cis 8.1 thank u God Bless u all please keep educating us .
I am 64 years old and diabetic for the past 25 years. I want to take Medical Nutrition Therapy for T2 diabetes. Can you help me in this regard.
Our blog contains a wealth of information for managing your diabetes through nutrition and diet! We share helpful resources like this Diabetes Friendly Food List and we also have some awesome courses that go into more detail on meal planning and other topics.
I am a prediabetic! My alc is 6.1 and my glucose is 138. My doctor has given me 6 months to use a low carb diet to bring levels down, I paid the 39.99 to do your 30 day plan
Glad you joined us Pam – you can certainly see great changes in 6 months so hope you enjoy the program.
Dear Jedha,
I am diabetic type2 and your recommendations seem to be great. My question is what kind of 45-70% of fats do you recommend? Can you give me an example of fats which are good for me? Animal, nuts or?
Ondrej
Hello Ondrej,
I would focus on monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fats. These include olive oil, avocado, olives, macadamia nut oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil (occasionally), walnut oil, almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, salmon, tuna, sardines, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and other nuts and seeds. Other fats can be included as well and you can learn more about them here.
hello- would you encourage a pregnant mother to follow the same carb allotment? Who is also diabetic
Hi Brittany,
Great question. Although every women is different, I often find an amount between 90-120 grams of carbohydrates per day works well for most pregnant women. This is still lower than the standard American diet.
I am so happy to have found this website I am looking forward to trying this low carb diet for my 81 year old diabetic self. Was diagnosed in 2007 and my A1C numbers have climbed to 7.9 scaring me cuz I am not going to go on insulin if I don’t have to I have a problem with rapid heartbeat with diabetic meds so I need to do this naturally thank you again
Glad you found us Gretchen and good luck – you can diet control your diabetes if you work at it!
Anything for diabetics from India? It has become a capital of world in diabetes. I feel good people consider it their duty to plan out for India as well.
Hi Valentine, are you able to clarify what you are looking for?
i really need help with the cabs
Hi Willie Mae,
If you are still struggling to lower your carbohydrate intake I would suggest talking with a Registered Dietitian or Nutritionist to help!
I think I lost my 2 recipes on Thursday
Barbara, please go ahead and contact our awesome support team and I am certain they will get the recipes back for you!
Just an observation about your mentioning Dr. Hyman. You seemed to refer to him in a positive manner like we can trust his diet advice. But then you seemed to be pro-dairy and I’m pretty sure he is anti-dairy. I watched a good bit of his diet and health presentation on PBS and he gives completely different diet advice than other docs I’ve seen on PBS. No wonder so many are ignoring the whole diet advice thing. I also watched Dr. Fuhrman and he promotes the near vegan thing. It’s really annoying if you ask me. Everything needs to be in it’s proper category-fact or opinion/theory/belief etc…
A big part of nutrition is figuring out what works well for you- but hence many different schools of thought are born. Everyone at DMP is very research based in our recommendations, so we always stick with the facts. But the slight other problem with research is that even research can be bias depending on who is funding the study, etc. But again it all comes down to what keeps your sugar under control and is something that is sustainable for you– and we find a low carb diet often meets both those criteria. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Hi Jedha, I would like to get help for my nutrient and diet. I am a type 1 diabetic. I’ve got this problem for 5 years. Since the beginning of this problem I have lost 18 kilo, and this is making me very weak. I need to gain my weight back to deal with this problem. It has left me without energy and strength. I am under weight. I would like to be help with my diet and nutrients, so I can win this back. I need to know how my diet should be for a type 1 diabetic. (nutrients, also)
I would like to have it the same way you had describe it for a type 2 diabetic, with the same layout.
Thank you very much.
Hi Maritza, our information is geared for type 2 diabetes only. Many of the recommendations and research will be applicable to your situation, but there will be certain things that are different. As far as the weight gain, make sure to add plenty of healthy fat to each meal, as described in this article.
Hi I’m a Registered Dietitian. We recommend 40-45% of calories from carbs a day. Many of these individuals are overweight or obese. Eating 50-80 grams of carbs a day is not realistic and not enough to feed your brain which needs 130g. I am just curious where these numbers come from. Thanks!
Eating 50-80 grams of carbs per day is entirely realistic, especially for overweight and obese individuals. We know because our members are doing it and reversing their diabetes!! All of our numbers and the info we share comes from scientific research Deanna. More and more new research is showing that a low carb diet works best for diabetes treatment. It has also been proven that the brain does not need 130 grams of carbs per day. You can check out our research page which contains many research links (some of which have not yet been added from 2018 discoveries). I’d also recommend you dig around the scientific journals yourself, to get up to date. Many breakthroughs have been occurring in nutrition research that is really helping us turn people’s lives around.
I have no gallbladder so I cannot eat high fat, so what do I do for that? I do want to follow the lower carb option.
Hi Monica, The low carb guidelines are not a high-fat diet but would be considered moderate amounts of fat. Individuals that have had their gallbladder removed initially may have trouble eating higher-fat meal but usually, this gets better with time and your body may tolerate more.
How I make I’m eating the right amount of carbs.
I am 69 years old and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 2 years ago. I have never been overweight, have always exercised, don’t smoke or drink and have no health problems. My doctor says my diabetes is inherited. My grandmother had it. My problem is I’ve lost 20 pounds since starting my diabetes meds and cutting my carb intake significantly. I’ve not been able to put on any weight at all. I look like a skeleton. My doctor told me to eat more protein which I’m doing. I’m 5’6” and weight 123. The extra protein doesn’t help. My A1C usually runs 6.6 or 6.7 as I’m still eating some carbs to try to maintain what little weight I have. A good part of my day is spent eating or snacking. If I happen to be away from home and eat lightly or sometimes miss a meal, I immediately lose 2-3 pounds. I try to remember to take snacks with me but sometimes forget. I know my situation is in the minority (I.e. losing too much weight). But why isn’t there a med for people like me who don’t need to lose weight? Thanks for any suggestions.
Has your doctor done a work-up to rule out any other potential causes of weight loss (aside from the medication)? Assuming your doctor does believe it is caused by the medication then you may want to suggest trying an alternative medication as there are plenty of options out there and not all cause weight loss.
In the meantime, why don’t you try adding in some more healthy sources of fat to your diet Pam. Protein is good, but fat will give you more calories which is ultimately what is needed for weight gain. Check out this article for some more information on healthy weight gain!
What can I do to lower my morning blood sugar readings? I get so discouraged waking up to blood glucose readings over 180.
Hi Pam,
Check out our 10 tips for lowering blood sugar in the morning. Here you will find strategies to help!