7 Day South & North Indian Diabetic Diet Chart to Control Blood Sugar Levels

Co-authored by Dr. Florence Suma, Ph.D.

India is known as the diabetic capital of the world, with over 77 million adults (18+ years) living with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes develops when your body cannot produce enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it produces, resulting in high blood sugar levels. Over time, high blood sugar levels or hyperglycaemia can lead to nerve, eye, kidney, and heart damage, and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Healthy eating, weight management and regular physical activity are key to managing diabetes.

Quick Tips for a Healthy and Nutritious Diabetic Diet

In today’s fast-paced world, with too much information available, sticking to a healthy and balanced diet seems hard and at times confusing. Here are some simple and easy tips to help you control blood sugar levels and weight loss without compromising the taste.

1. Include vegetables in every meal

The easiest way to do this is to garnish your dosas, chillas, or chapatis with shredded vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, onion, etc.

2. Another excellent way is to have vegetable soups

Add small chunks of cabbage, cauliflower, drumsticks, brinjal, okra (bhindi), etc., along with salt and spices in a pot of boiling water. Enjoy your soup with a dollop of ghee, butter or coconut oil.

3. Replace your rice with millets

Add Kodo millet, Barnyard millet, Proso millet, etc in your diet. Millets are superior to rice in terms of protein, fibre, and antioxidant content. They help lower your high blood sugar levels.

4. Add healthy fats

such as ghee, olive oil, or coconut oil while cooking your rice or chapati to lower its glycemic index. Furthermore, it keeps you fuller for a long time.

5. Say YES to homemade food

Meals cooked at home are prepared hygienically using high-quality, and unadulterated ingredients.

Dos and Don’ts‍

While planning a healthy and nutritious diet for a diabetic person, knowing what to do and what not to do makes all the difference. Here are some key dos and don'ts you should remember while planning the diet.

Eat when you are truly hungry and stop just before you are full. Eating when you are not hungry can weigh you down. Instead, have a cup of sugarless black coffee or tea with a spoonful of butter or ghee. You can also have a handful of those yummy roasted nuts and seeds.	Avoid eating between meals. Eating between meals keeps your blood sugar levels constantly high, which can cause complications like heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, nerve damage, foot ulcers, eye damage, etc.
Hydration is the key to good health. Make sure you drink 3 – 4 litres of water daily. Adding lime juice, crushed garlic pods and a pinch of salt to your drinking water may be beneficial.
Eat whole fruits. Organically derived low glycemic fruits such as apples, guava, avocado, strawberries, grapefruit, etc., increase your blood sugar levels very slowly. Opt for whole fruit instead of fruit juices as they are high in sugar and calories and low in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Whole fruits also keep you fuller for a longer time.	Say No to processed and packed foods. Given that they are convenient, they are heavily loaded with sugars. Instead, snack on roasted nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, watermelon seeds, etc.
Eat low-glycemic foods. · Non-starchy vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, capsicum, broccoli, Cucumbers, cabbage and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale etc., are low in carbohydrates and high in dietary fiber and therefore are excellent for diabetic food. · Nuts such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts, etc., and seeds such as flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, etc., help lower bad cholesterol and manage your blood sugar levels.	Say NO to sugar and sugar products. They are high-glycemic foods that can spike your blood sugar levels instantly and eventually lead to obesity and other health complications.
Healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, butter, or ghee boost your energy and improve your metabolism without negatively affecting your heart health. Make sure to use homemade butter and ghee. Use only oils that are extracted using a wood press at cold temperatures available in your neighborhood.	Keep away from refined oils. Oils are refined using harmful chemicals that often lead to heart problems and obesity.

Planning your meals

Diet management is fundamental to controlling diabetes. However, following the right diet can be challenging due to cultural, social, and economic influences. A diabetes-friendly diet is more or less similar to everyone else’s diet. There is no need to cook separately, so you can enjoy a healthy and tasty meal with the rest of your family.

7 Day South & North Indian Diabetic Food Chart for Sugar Patients

Save this chart for reference.

Download Indian diet chart for diabetic patients pdf

Conclusion

Eating high glycemic index foods leads to elevated blood glucose levels that can result in diabetes and related health complications. Mindful eating and an Indian Diabetic Diet Chart will prevent a host of health problems. Consult your doctor or nutritionist for any modifications in the diet.

Reference: Diabetes in India 2024.

About the Authors
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Dr. Satish Madiraju, a renowned cardiologist is passionate about consumer heart health and is on a mission to prevent a million heart attacks. He shares his expertise not only on heart health but also on leadership, digital health, and improving patient experience.

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Dr. Florence Suma is passionate about writing creative, clear and well-researched articles. With a Ph. D in Food Science & Nutrition, she provides reader-friendly articles that are reference-backed and adhere to the ethics of writing.