People living with diabetes get a lot of nutrition advice—from the internet, friends, family, healthcare professionals, and even celebrities. Everyone seems to have an opinion about what you should eat. But what’s often missing is how to make healthy food choices in real life.
Even if there were a “perfect diet,” most of us couldn’t switch to it right away. That’s because our food choices are shaped by many different factors. Let’s take a look at the factors used to make food choices and how an eating plan can help with them.
How do you choose what to eat?
Choosing what to eat may seem simple—you do it every day—but many things affect your decisions. An eating plan can help you make these choices, but think about this question first: What are you going to eat for dinner tonight?
Your answer might depend on:
- What you like eating and how it will taste
- How much it costs
- Your health/medical needs
- What’s available
- How much time you have
- How easy it is to make or get
- Your cooking skills
Everyone thinks about these factors differently. If you’re managing diabetes, health and medical needs may be the most important. If money is tight, cost may matter most. If you’re busy, something quick and easy may win.
Top Factors
Research shows that taste, price, and health are the biggest factors in most people’s food choices. Here are some ideas to help make healthy choices related to these factors:
1. Taste
It makes sense to choose foods that taste good. And the good news is, you don’t have to sacrifice taste for health. Foods that help you manage diabetes can be delicious, too. You can add flavor to any part of the Diabetes Plate using fresh or dried spices and herbs, healthier swaps for popular toppings, and much more.
The American Diabetes Association has thousands of tasty recipes on Diabetes Food Hub to help you get started—like roasted radishes, Zesty Broccolini, Lemon Herbed Chicken, or Sweet Potato Masala.
2. Price
Healthy eating doesn’t have to break the bank. A few things can help you stay within your budget:
- Make a shopping list so you only buy what you need.
- Buy canned or frozen vegetables and fruits—they’re often cheaper, last longer, and are just as nutritious as fresh.
- Pick canned vegetables with no added salt and canned fruits packed in water or their own juice.
- Look for sales and buy fresh produce that’s in season for the best value.
3. Health
Many food choices help you manage diabetes or other health concerns. You may even be balancing more than one condition, which makes an eating plan important.
A great place to start is the Diabetes Plate, a simple visual guide for building meals with vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, fruit, and healthy fats. Talk with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) for help with creating an eating plan that meets your needs and allows you to reach your health goals.
Eating Is Personal
Many factors influence what you choose to eat, and what factor is most important can change each day. The key to building an eating plan that helps you make food choices is finding what fits your lifestyle, tastes, budget, and health needs.
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