Easy Healthy Breakfast Ideas For Prediabetes
Do you have prediabetes? Then make sure to start your day off on the right foot with a healthy breakfast. The right food choices can keep your blood sugars low and help you get back on track with your health.
Read on to discover what prediabetes is, how healthy eating can lower your risk, and five healthy breakfast ideas for prediabetes you can try today!
Try These Recipes And Tips For Blood Sugar Control
Eating a balanced breakfast is important, especially if you have diabetes. But figuring out exactly what to eat can be tricky. Having a plan can help you save time and avoid choosing foods that might cause your blood sugar to spike.
This article discusses why breakfast is important and how to build a healthy meal when you have diabetes.
Carbs: What They Are And Why They Matter
Carbohydrates are nutrients in your diet. Harvard Medical School explains that they are among the main sources of calories in your diet, along with protein and fat. Carbohydrates and protein each provide 4 calories per gram, and fat provides 9 calories per gram.
Starches and sugars are types of calorie-providing carbohydrates in your food and some beverages. Starches are larger and more complex than sugars. When you eat starches or sugars, your body breaks them down into a simple type of sugar called glucose. This goes into your bloodstream and contributes to your blood sugar or blood glucose levels.
So why do carbs matter?
Blood sugar can be hard to keep track of, so weve made a chart to help you monitor your blood sugar levels.
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What To Know About Weight Loss And Diabetes
Pictured Recipe: Vegetable Weight-Loss Soup
Research shows that losing weight can help you hit your blood glucose targets and control or slow progression of your prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Studies haven’t shown a low-carb diet to be more effective than a low-fat diet for long-term weight loss and maintenance. But you do need to maintain a calorie deficit if you want to lose weight.
Two large, multi-year studies funded by National Institutes of Health-the Diabetes Prevention Program in prediabetes and Look AHEAD in type 2 diabetes-used a lower-calorie eating plan and encouraged people to be more aware of their fat consumption by counting fat grams and calories. They didn’t focus on carbs. Both studies showed that people who lost weight-and kept it off-experienced numerous health benefits over the years. Both studies also encouraged physical activity almost every day.
Joslin also recommends 60-90 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week. This includes both cardio and strength training. Muscle burns calories, so if you’re only doing cardio, consider upping the resistance training to get more calorie burn throughout the day.
How Much Protein Carbs & Fat Should You Eat
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about how to find your daily calorie needs. The logical next question is: How many of these calories should come from protein, carbs, and fat respectively?
In this post, I will explain what calories and macronutrients are and give my recommendation on how much of each to eat in your daily diet.
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How Many Calories Should You Eat For Breakfast
It has long been known that breakfast is an important meal because it is a source of fuel after a lengthy period of fasting. Studies have suggested that eating breakfast can assist with weight management, reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improve memory & concentration.
The number of calories that a person should have at breakfast will largely depend on what their goals are, how many calories they consume per day and how often they eat. On average however, the recommended number of calories for breakfast would be roughly 400 700.
If you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than what your body burns. This is known as a caloric deficit and forces your body to use its fat stores as a source of energy.
On the other hand, if you want to gain weight, you need to consume more calories than what your body burns .
Everyone is different and your daily calorie requirement will depend on your weight, height, gender, age and how active you are. You can use the calculator below to get an estimate of how many calories you should be consuming.
This calculator will never show a number below 1000 calories per day. Please speak to a qualified health professional before attempting to eat less than that.
For example, a 35 year old man who weighs 60 kg, is 170 cm tall and exercises 4 times a week will need to consume approximately 2300 calories per day in order to maintain his weight, 1850 calories to lose weight and 1400 calories to lose weight fast.
How To Count Carbs For Better Blood Sugar Control
Counting carbs is one of the most important ways people with type 2 diabetes manage blood-sugar levels.
Stocksy
Your doctor may have told you to count carbs or use something called the glycemic index to plan your meals. A healthy diet consists of a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. However, people with type 2 diabetes need to watch carbohydrates carefully. Why? Because when any food that contains carbohydrates is digested, it turns into sugar, which increases your blood-glucose level. Its pretty basic: Eating too many carbs can raise the amount of sugar in your bloodstream and lead to complications. The key for people like you with type 2 diabetes is to eat carbs in limited amounts at each meal and when you snack. Total carbs should make up about 45 to 60 percent of your daily diet if you have type 2 diabetes.
Theres no one diet that works for everyone with type 2 diabetes there are just too many variables: Age, weight, level of physical activity, medications, as well as daily routine and personal preference need to be taken into account. So heres where your diabetes care team comes in: Talk to your dietitian or diabetes educator to determine the right carb-counting number for you so youll be able to provide your body with a steady flow of energy throughout the day, maintain a healthy weight, and manage your blood sugar.
The Basics of Counting Carbs
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Personalize Your Carb Intake For Diabetes
If youd like to learn more about how you can reverse diabetes, lower high blood sugar, and get the health benefits of simply eating a more healthy diet, you can reach out to our coaches through our coaching program.
Our diabetes educators are experts with years of experience and the latest research and can work with you, your healthcare professional, and your registered dietitian to develop a healthy diet that works for you.
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Why Diabetics Should Eat Fruit
+ References
Mastering Diabetes has strict guidelines for scientific references in our articles. We rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, governmental organizations, and reputable medical organizations. We do our best to avoid using non evidence-based references in all articles. The references in this article are listed below.
5. Lifestyle Management: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes2019 | Diabetes Care. .
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Traditional Cereal Granola And Oatmeal
Boxed cereal is one of the most highly processed, starchy products you could choose that will surely send your blood sugar skyrocketing. And while the carbohydrate count may say it contains 30 grams per 1 cup, itll likely impact your blood sugar as if the carb-content is twice as much.
Those processed grains in cereal are already so broken down that your body really doesnt have to do much during digestion, which means all the resulting glucose will hit your bloodstream fast, says , RN, DCES, and coordinator of the Diabetes Prevention Program at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, South Carolina.
When it comes to oats, if youre buying the right kind steel cut whole oats instead of instant oatmeal it can work for some people, but in my experience, not for most, said Schwartz. Its still a very high-glycemic, starchy grain. And the slow rate of digestion for oats can make blood sugar management tricky.
And granola, added Schwartz, is basically whole oats painted in some type of high-carb sweetener along with a lot of fat.
The other problem with these pure-carb choices, like cereal, at breakfast is that youre often hungry again just an hour or two later, and then you crave more starchy, processed carbs, Schwartz told DiabetesMine.
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Healthy Target Range For Glucose Levels
| Time of Blood Sugar Test | Healthy Target Level |
|---|---|
| Fasting glucose level | No higher than 95 mg/dl |
| One hour after breakfast, lunch and dinner | No higher than 140 mg/dl |
Talk to your health care provider about what to do if your glucose level is outside the healthy target listed here. You may have to adjust your treatment plan to get your levels into a healthy range.
Easy Ways To Eat More Vegetables At Breakfast
Getting a low-carb, veggie-packed breakfast every morning doesnt require exceptional cooking skills or even fresh vegetables! Make things as simple as you need to so a healthier breakfast can be made in 5 minutes or less.
Sometimes that means preparing chopped veggies for the week or putting frozen things into the microwave. Its all worth it versus stopping at Starbucks for a sugar-laden scone and a coffee drink containing 60 grams of sugar.
Make your breakfast choices count!
Some ideas you can try:
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Why Choose Carbohydrates With Fiber Rather Than Sugar
Pictured Recipe: Strawberry & Tuna Spinach Salad
Remember that carbohydrates can be further broken down into fiber and sugar. Research shows Americans eat too much added sugar and not enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. Added sugar is anything that’s not plain dairy or fruit. The American Heart Association recommends women eat less than 24 grams of added sugar per day and men consume no more than 36 grams per day .
Instead, try to prioritize carbohydrates that provide fiber. Aim to get 25-35 grams of feel-full fiber each day. Focus on the quality of carbs you eat, aiming to make half your plate nonstarchy vegetables, a quarter of your plate whole grains and a quarter of your plate protein at most meals. Reduce your consumption of low-fiber, sugary foods and beverages, including desserts, muffins, soda, sugary coffee beverages, fruit juice, ice cream and baked goods, which add carbs without much nutrition.
The above recipe for Strawberry & Tuna Spinach Salad provides 20 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber for a healthy, satisfying meal that’s also diabetes-friendly.
Mini Corn Cheese And Basil Frittatas
Frances Largeman-Roth
You can make these flavor-packed frittatas ahead of time and store them in the fridge for on-the-go breakfasts, says Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, a nutrition and wellness expert in Brooklyn, New York, and the author of Eating in Color.
Theres more good news: The mini frittatas make a great breakfast for anyone, but theyre an especially good pick for diabetics, because they have about 6 g of protein in each one and are low in carbs, she says. That means theres room left over to add some high-fiber fruit to your meal, such as berries.
While starchy carbs pose a greater risk of raising blood sugar than nonstarchy carbs, you can still enjoy them in moderation. Corn, along with green peas, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin fall into the starchy-carbs category that the ADA notes are in the eat more of these category. Not only do you get fiber from the corn, but you also score antioxidants like carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, according to the Mayo Clinic.
And as for those carbohydrates, one serving of these egg bites has only about 5.2 g, making this a super, low-carb way to start your day.
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Know Your Blood Sugar Level And Keep It Under Control
The first step in this general treatment plan has two parts:
1) Knowing your blood sugar levelmeans you test to see how much glucose is in your blood and
2) Keeping your blood sugar level under controlmeans you keep the amount of glucose within a healthy range at all times, by eating a healthy diet as outlined by your health care provider, getting regular physical activity, and taking medication, if needed.
Your blood sugar level changes during the day based on what foods you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat. Your level of physical activity and when you do physical activities also affect your blood sugar levels.
As you get closer to your due date, your insulin resistance could increase. If that happens, you might need to take medication to help keep your glucose level under control. Knowing your glucose levels at specific times of the day will allow your health care provider to figure out the right medicine for you.
Follow your health care providers advice about when to test your glucose level. You will have to test your blood sugars four times a day and keep track of the numbers in a log book.
Even though your glucose level changes during the day, there is a healthy range for these levels. The goal is to keep your glucose level within this range. The following chart shows the healthy target range for each time you test.
Toast Muffins Pancakes And More
When it comes to toast, pancakes, muffins, and other breakfast baked goods, Schwartz said these should be considered a luxury indulgence, like a cupcake.
Schwartz recommends reading the book Bright Line Eating by Susan Peirce Thompson, who says that ingredients like highly processed white flour should be considered as addictive as cocaine and sugar both of which are also plants.
It doesnt matter if its whole grain flour or white flour, traditional muffins, pancakes, scones, and breads are made with heavily processed starch. They are dessert. If youre consistently choosing these types of things for breakfast, youre going to struggle with your blood sugars, your energy, and your weight.
Dont fall for whole-grain labeling, she warned. Unless youre looking at actual chunks of whole grain, its still just as processed as white flour.
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Adjusting Insulin Doses To Compensate For These Morning Hormones
In terms of blood sugar management, it simply requires an increase in your insulin doses, but where and when to increase your insulin can be tricky.
I check my blood sugar as soon as I wake up, and I take a full unit of insulin, walk the dogs, and then go home and eat breakfast, explained Oerum. Her approach is common many with type 1 diabetes find they need 1 unit of insulin immediately upon waking to prevent morning blood sugar spikes.
You could change your basal rates in your insulin pump to address dawn phenomenon, but its not always 100 percent consistent so it can be helpful to actually just wake up, check your blood sugar, and take that small bolus of insulin unless you woke up with a low blood sugar.
If your blood sugars tend to rise earlier while youre still sleeping that would be a good reason to adjust your background insulin doses via your basal rate or long-acting insulin dose, with the support of your healthcare team.
All of this will help you stay in a healthy blood sugar range heading into breakfast.
There are quite a few popular foods these days that are touted as healthy breakfast options, but for a person with type 1 diabetes these foods can be nothing but trouble.
Blood Sugar Levels And Carb Intake: Why It Matters
There are two main misconceptions around carbohydrates.
The first is that all carbohydrates are bad for you, and the second is that carbohydrates are the cause of diabetes.
First things first all carbohydrates are not the same. Refined carbohydrates found in artificial sweeteners enter your bloodstream quickly and can cause elevated blood glucose quickly after eating a meal.
On the other hand, whole carbohydrates found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are surrounded by fibers and a host of micronutrients. As a result, your digestive system absorbs glucose at a reasonable physiological rate, resulting in a slow rise in your post-meal glucose.
Second, carbohydrates are not the underlying cause of diabetes, which can be a bit confusing at first since blood glucose levels are the key measurement for people living with all forms of diabetes. Since the goal with all forms of diabetes is to regain control of your blood glucose, it seems natural to carb count.
However, its important to understand that high blood glucose levels are a symptom of diabetes, not the root cause.
The underlying cause of most struggles with diabetes is actually an excess of dietary fat, which creates insulin resistance, which in turn increases your blood glucose values in the fasting and fed state.
Insulin resistance is the direct cause of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, and can be an additional complication some people experience on top of type 1 diabetes.
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