Fruits and Vegetable for Diabetics

Diabetics need to have a balanced diet which means including all food groups. Fruits and vegetables are essential in ensuring this and they also help patients to avoid excess fat and proteins. By having some fruits and veggies, they may not have to take nutrition supplements. Taking plenty of fruits and vegetables would ensure that your body gets plenty of anti-oxidants.

Some fruits and vegetables that help the diabetics in managing their condition are:

• Broccoli – It is an excellent non-starchy vegetable for diabetics. Non-starchy vegetables are low in calories as they have very little amount of carbohydrates, and it does not have an impact on blood sugar. Not only is broccoli low in carbs, it is rich in anti-oxidants and contains vitamins A and C, beta carotene and folic acid.
• Sweet Potato – Diabetics need to balance their non-starchy foods with a few healthy options of starch. Sweet potato is one of them. The intake of this vegetable needs to be controlled on the basis of the patient’s condition and the amount of carbohydrates needed.
• Mangoes – They are rich in vitamin A, C and potassium. American Heart Foundation has stated that blood pressure can be lowered by adequate intake of potassium rich foods. But again, mango is a carbohydrates-rich food and its intake has to be controlled. That is why the National Institute of Diabetes in USA has recommended limiting the intake of mangoes between 2 and 4 servings a day.
• Watermelon – It contains a high amount of vitamins A and C, and potassium. You need to be wary of eating a lot of this fruit because of its high glycemic index. It is best to eat this fruit with other vegetables to limit
• High fibre fruits and vegetables – Fibre in food does not allow the blood sugar level to rise quickly. Some fruits and vegetables that are rich in fibre are beans, whole grains, oatmeal, oranges, raisins and zucchini. These can help you reduce your insulin dosage by up to 25 percent.

Diabetics are recommended to take a lot of fruits and vegetables because the naturally occurring sugar called fructose is absorbed into the bloodstream much slowly than the sugar we use. When it comes to having very sweet food such as chikoo, mango and banana, it is advisable to take in small quantities, preferably with a meal. This helps to prevent the blood sugar from rising.

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