Decoding the diabetic diet

A focus on carb- and portion-control should be top priority, but that doesn't mean the occasional treat is out of the question

How much pasta are you really eating? (Photographers Choice/Getty Images / April 20, 2012)

By Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, Tribune Newspapers

6:24 p.m. EST, February 3, 2013

Dietary decisions

A healthy diet for diabetics is really the same as a healthy diet for anyone, though the consequences of not paying attention are greater.

Eat more

Fish

Nuts

Nonstarchy vegetables

Magnesium-rich foods (spinach, almonds, broccoli, lentils, tofu, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)

Foods rich in omega-3s (flaxseed, walnuts, salmon, tuna, sardines)

Whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, amaranth)

Whole fruit (in servings the size of a tennis ball)

Nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt

Olive oil

Cinnamon

Vinegar

Eat less

Stick margarine, butter, shortening or lard

Fried foods

Refined grains (white bread, white rice, white flour)

Sugary drinks (soda, fruit juices, sweetened ice teas, sports drinks)

Fruity yogurts

High-fat meats (sausage, bacon, hot dog, scrapple)