People with diabetes have the same nutritional needs as people without diabetes. Following basic healthy-eating principles will help you improve your overall health and your ability to manage your blood sugar. Some important things to consider when choosing healthy meals are:

Eat more fiber by:

• Choosing whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, or whole-wheat pasta instead of processed or refined grains
• Eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Focus on the non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and spinach
• Eating dried beans like pinto or black beans and lentils

Lower your fat intake and choose healthier fats by:

• Eating lean meats, such as loin cuts and skinless poultry
• Choosing nonfat dairy
• Eating fish two to three times a week to get adequate amounts of "healthy fats"
• Cooking with liquid oils instead of solid fats like lard, margarine, or butter
• Choosing fresh fruit for dessert instead of high calorie cookies, cakes, and ice cream

Pay attention to how many calories you eat in a day by:

• Opting for water or zero-calorie drinks instead of regular soda, juice, other drinks that contain a lot of added or natural sugar
• Watching your portion sizes of all foods, even the healthy ones
• And don't forget to count the calories in any alcoholic beverages you may drin