List of Foods Not to Eat With Diabetes: High-Glycemic and Other Foods to Avoid for Type 2 Diabetics

Below find a list of foods that can be problematic for men and women with diabetes. First, though, there are certain things to keep in mind. For diabetics with Type 2, adult-onset diabetes, the word out is that sugar is outlawed. That's not quite the case. When you're diabetic, it's not a simple matter of you can eat X and you can't eat Y. What's really important is the overall balance of the foods you eat.

The general consensus among researchers is that you should eat fewer carbs (carbohydrates) than you may have eaten before. When you eat starches, pick the highly nutritious, high-fiber, whole grain carbs and eat them at the same time you eat a protein food (meat, fowl, fish, cheese, yogurt, beans). Stick to smaller meals when possible.

This list of foods not to eat with diabetes is less a hard-and-fast list than a set of guidelines to help you avoid high glycemic foods likely to raise your blood sugar levels and other foods of particular risk to diabetic patients. Your doctor is the best source of information about your diabetic diet. Good luck making positive eating choices!

White Pasta

Most noodles and pasta have a high glycemic index. Foods that are high glycemic are made from white flour, white rice, and other simple refined carbohydrates. If you're diabetic, avoid large plates of pasta. When you do eat pasta, choose whole wheat or brown rice pasta or a low-carb pasta, if available. For the sauce, use ingredients with plenty of protein and add colorful low-glycemic veggies to the dish.

White Rice

Eat brown rice. Steer clear of white rice, which has had the bran removed. Wild rice is fine--it's actually a grass, and not a rice at all--but avoid the wild rice mixes that come in the boxes--they usually come with white rice added.

Sweets

Desserts baked with white flour and white sugar are best avoided. Stay away as much as possible from cookies, cake, candy and baked goods, which possess little nutritive value and tend to make you feel full and replete...which means you're less likely to eat the healthier, low-glycemic foods. You should also limit the amount of figs, dates, very sweet fresh fruits (such as watermelon) and ice cream.

Cold Beverages

Avoid sugary sodas, juices, Gatorade and other sports drinks, and most soft drinks.

Potatoes

Eat small amounts only of baking and boiling potatoes, and eat them with protein.

White Breads

Steer clear of breads containing white flour. Read the labels--if you see "all-purpose flour" or "wheat flour," you're looking at another name for refined white flour. Similarly, check the ingredients on tortillas, pita breads, rolls, biscuit mixes, and other bread products.

Fats

According to the ADA (American Diabetes Association), diabetics are at greater risk for stroke and heart attack. As such, they should avoid foods that contain any trans-fats or saturated fats. Although there are those who have challenged the notion that all saturated fats are bad, the official word is that diabetics should avoid foods made with significant amounts of animal fat, hydrogenated oils, margarine and butter.

Don't be fooled by products labeled "0 Trans Fats." Zero trans fats only means the food contains less than a certain minimum amount of trans fats per serving. As these are often foods eaten in quantities of much more than one serving, you should be careful to read the label to see if it says "partially hydrogenated."

Caffeine-Containing Foods

Although some research suggests that caffeine in coffee might actually help prevent diabetes, other research has demonstrated that caffeine has a negative impact on a diabetic's health. Check with your doctor about limiting your coffee and tea intake if you have diabetes.

Artificial Sweeteners

Many diabetics use artificial sweeteners in place of sugar, assuming they don't raise blood sugar levels significantly. This may be so, or it may not. Artificial sweeteners like nutrasweet, splenda and sucralose constitute a heated grounds for debate amongst researchers and is clearly a controversial subject. According to the Mayo Clinic, sugar-free foods often include other carbohydrates that do in fact raise blood sugar levels. And the jury's out on the impact on health of the artificial sweeteners. It's best to consult your doctor about this one.

Alcohol

Avoid alcohol if you're someone whose diabetes is not well-controlled or who has experienced high blood pressure or diabetic nerve damage. In all other cases, the American Diabetes Association generally recommends people drink no more than one alcoholic drink per day for women or two for men. Again, talk to your doctor.

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