22 foods to Avoid

The good news is you can indulge in your favorite foods and still eat healthfully with our satisfying and delicious alternatives. Eating with diabetes doesn’t have to mean deprivation, starvation, or bland and boring foods. However, some foods really are best left on the table or in the store. Everyone—with diabetes or without—would be wise to avoid or limit the foods on this list because they are high in saturated fat, sodium, calories, or carbs, or might contain trans fats. High amounts of sodium and saturated fat can lead to heart disease, while excess sugars, high carb counts, and added calories can cause unwanted weight gain and blood sugar spikes. If you see some of your favorite foods on this list, don’t despair:

 

1. High-Fat Nachos

Skip the appetizers at your favorite restaurant and make a healthier at-home version for a full meal instead. Use reduced-fat cheeses and baked tortilla chips

 2. Biscuits & Gravy

High in calories, sodium, and fat (particularly saturated fat), traditional biscuits and gravy have more than earned their place on the naughty list  

3. coffee drinks

Stay away from sugary coffee drinks and opt for a simple cup of joe with a little milk or half-and-half.

4. Fruit Juice with Added Sugars

Fruit beverages can sneak extra calories and sugar into your diet, so reading labels is essential to making good decisions. Choose a low-calorie juice drink instead, and be aware of how many servings are in one bottle.

5. High-Carb Cinnamon Rolls

Doughy, sticky, and drizzled with sugary icing, cinnamon rolls are the culprit of many a diet violation. Even a homemade cinnamon roll can be over the top, and a typical “mall” roll contains more than 800 calories and 120 grams of carb. Tweak the ingredient list to include more healthful options, such as rolled oats and whole grain or whole wheat flour.

6. Calorie- Loaded Asian Entrées

 While some Asian chicken dishes are great choices, pass on items such as deep fried orange chicken with white rice. This dish typically comes without vegetables and weighs in at more than 400 calories and 43 grams of carb per serving—and that’s without the steamed white rice. Opt instead for plain, unbreaded chicken with a thin sauce, steamed brown rice, and lots of veggies.

 7. high-sodium battered-fish dinners

Fish isn’t always a safe choice for managing weight and diabetes, especially when it’s breaded and accompanied by fries. Make it your goal to fill half your plate with non-starchy veggies, a quarter of your plate with a starch, and the remaining quarter with meat or another protein source.

8. Fast-Food Fries

A restaurant order of french fries is loaded with saturated fat, sodium, and calories. Curb your craving with a more nutritious alternative, such as Oven-Roasted Fries

9. Fried foods

Fried chicken is another all-time favorite comfort food. Frying the chicken adds significant carbs, calories, sodium, and fat—it turns a good protein choice into a healthy-meal deal breaker.

10. High-Carb Cookies

That store-bought cookie studded with sprinkles or chocolate chips could be hiding trans fats. Instead of purchasing them, bake cookies at home.

11. Smoothies with Hidden Sugars

Don’t be fooled by fruit smoothies: Though they may seem like a healthy choice, they are usually filled with added sugar and sold in extra-large portions.

12. Sodium-Loaded Lunch Meat

A simple sandwich is a safe and healthy lunch choice, right? Not necessarily. Processed lunch meat can be full of sodium, so it’s important to read the nutrition labels or ask a deli attendant. Try slicing meat you’ve roasted at home.

13. fatty restaurant hamburgers

Saturated fat is the leading factor in high cholesterol levels, and you guessed it: Big, juicy cheeseburgers are full of saturated fat. That doesn’t mean you need to cut out saturated fat altogether. Just limit it to 7 percent of your total daily calories.

 14. high-fat purchased pie

Before you order dessert, remember that one slice of French silk pie can pack up to 650 calories, 46 grams of fat, and 52 grams of carb at a restaurant like Village Inn. You’re not safe buying a frozen pie, either, unless you have checked the label

 15. Fatty Frozen Meals

The convenience of make-in-minutes frozen meals, such as pot pies, doesn’t make up for their high sodium and fat contents. Try choosing frozen meals with fewer than 400 calories, 4 grams of saturated fat, and 600 milligrams of sodium. And before cooking, toss some frozen vegetables on top of the meal to make it more nutritious.

16. High-calorie treats

Think twice before taking a bite out of that commercially made pastry, such as a doughnut or muffin. These tempting treats come at a price, with high calorie, sugar, and fat contents, plus some contain trans fats. Look for fat-free, sugar-free, or reduced-sugar varieties.

17. High-Carb Beverages

Surprisingly, flavored waters are a top offender for people with diabetes—these beverages are often high in
sugar and carbs. What’s worse, many are sold in 20-ounce bottles. This translates to 2.5 servings, meaning if you drink the whole thing, you get close to triple the sugar, calories and carbs. Go for the VitaminWater Zero line— the drinks have 0 calories, 7 grams of carb or less, and 0 grams of sugar.

 18. Sugary Soda Drinks

Pop or soda: However you say it, these sugar-laden drinks can derail your healthy meal plan and spike blood sugar levels. Every 4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon, so if your drink has 30 grams of sugar, that’s equal to consuming 7.5 teaspoons of sugar! These beverages add calories and carbs and may cause weight gain. healthier alternatives, such as sparkling water with fruit.

 19.High-Sodium Frozen Pizza

Frozen pizza is convenient and delicious, but many varieties are also full of sodium and calories that can blow a meal plan in one slice. Buy a thin-crust veggie pizza instead, or doctor up a plain one with fresh herbs and your own veggies.

.20. Cakes with Trans fats

Having diabetes doesn’t mean you have to bid farewell to desserts, but it is true that some are better choices than others. Many commercially baked cakes contain trans fats, which can lead to high cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease. Portion and moderation are the keys.

21. Sugar-Loaded Milk Shakes

It’s no surprise that rich, thick milk shakes are loaded with sugar and calories, but they also could be hiding trans fats. Top it off with whipped cream and you only add more calories. Don’t despair:

22. High-calorie restaurant pizza

Restaurant pizza is better than frozen pizza, right? Wrong. These high-calorie pies can be just as bad as the heat-at-home frozen varieties. Tip: Cut sodium, fat, and calories by choosing a thin-crust pizza with veggies or lean meats like ham or chicken. And although it’s tough, resist extra cheese.

 Want healthier options you can check: here