For many people, managing diabetes through diet can feel confusing, especially with the different opinions about what to eat and what to avoid.
A practical approach is to focus on balanced meals, sensible portions and foods that provide fibre, protein and other essential nutrients.
In this article, Tribune Online highlights practical Nigerian diet choices that can help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar while maintaining a balanced diet.
Eat more vegetables
Vegetable should take up a large part of a diabetes-friendly meal. Foods such as ugu, waterleaf, bitter leaf, okra, cabbage, garden eggs, cucumber and tomatoes can add fibre and nutrients without contributing as much carbohydrate as foods such as rice, yam or swallow.
Make vegetables the largest part of your meal, while keeping your staple food and protein to smaller portions. Fibre is particularly useful because it can help with blood sugar management and also keeps you feeling full for longer.
Choose your carbohydrates carefully
Carbohydrates have the greatest immediate effect on blood sugar, but people with diabetes do not necessarily need to eliminate them completely. The better approach is to pay attention to both the type and quantity of carbohydrate you eat.
Large portions of highly refined foods such as white rice, white bread and other refined grains can raise blood sugar quickly. Where possible, include foods such as beans, whole grains, vegetables and less-refined carbohydrate choices.
Keep your meal portions under control
Even food that fits into a healthy diet can raise blood sugar when eaten in excessive amounts. A large plate of rice, several pieces of yam or a very large portion of eba can provide more carbohydrate than your body needs at that meal.
Instead of completely avoiding your favourite staple foods, reduce the portion and give more space on the plate to vegetables and a suitable source of protein.
The amount of carbohydrate that is appropriate also differs from one person to another, so people using insulin or other diabetes medicines may need an individualised meal plan.
Add beans, fish, eggs and other protein sources
Protein can make a meal more filling and can help you avoid relying mainly on carbohydrate-rich foods. Beans are particularly useful because they provide both protein and fibre. Other options include fish, eggs, chicken and other lean sources of protein.
Watch out what you drink
Some of the easiest sources of excess sugar are drinks. Soft drinks, sweetened fruit drinks, energy drinks and tea or coffee prepared with large amounts of sugar can add substantial amounts of sugar without making you feel as full as a meal would.
Water is a better everyday choice. If you want fruit, eating whole fruit is generally preferable to drinking fruit juice because whole fruit contains fibre. This does not mean every fruit is off-limits. People with diabetes can eat fruit, but portions still matter.
Use less oil in your meal
Diabetes-friendly eating is not only about sugar and carbohydrates. The amount and type of fat in the diet also matter, particularly for overall heart health. Meals prepared with very large amounts of palm oil or other fats can contain considerably more calories.
Using a reasonable amount of oil and choosing methods such as boiling, steaming or grilling more often can make meals lighter.