Diabetes and Sample meal plan

Choose foods that you like and that satisfy you. Include carbohydrate foods in each meal or snack to help manage blood glucose levels. You can eat your main meal at lunch or dinner.

Breakfast

Choose from:

• One cup of high fibre breakfast cereal with low fat milk and one piece of fruit;
• or Two slices of bread or toast – preferably wholegrain, wholemeal or high fibre white – with thinly spread margarine, peanut butter, jam, Vegemite, baked beans, grilled tomato or sardines
• Water, tea, coffee or 100ml of fruit juice.

Light meal

• Soup (preferably one with vegetables and legumes, not one that is cream-based)
• One sandwich made with bread, one roll or six dry biscuits – preferably wholegrain or wholemeal – with thinly spread margarine or avocado
• Lots of salad vegetables
• 90g to 120g of lean meat, skinless poultry or seafood; or two eggs; or 40g of fat reduced cheese; or a half a cup of legumes (such as beans or lentils)
• One piece of fruit
• Water, tea or coffee.

Main meal

• One cup of cooked rice or pasta or one medium potato
• Lots of other vegetables
• 90g to 120g of lean meat, skinless poultry or seafood;
• or half a cup of legumes (such as beans or lentils)
• One fruit or one small tub of yoghurt
• Water, tea or coffee.

Between meal snacks

Not everyone needs to include snacks between meals. Talk to your diabetes educator or dietitian if you are unsure. If you do include snacks, select healthy choices such as fruit (fresh or canned in natural juice), low fat yoghurt, a glass of low fat milk, wholegrain bread, fruit bread or high fibre crackers.