Healthy Meals for Prediabetes and Diabetes

A prediabetes diagnosis is a wake-up call to improve your diet and lifestyle. It is concerning because it can rapidly progress to type 2 diabetes.

However, you can also use this as a motivation to keep you determined to follow a healthier lifestyle. We will be discussing healthy meals for prediabetes in this article.

Diet is important in diabetes management but it is even more important in managing prediabetes because at this point diet can actually make the U-turn possible.

Healthy meal choices and an active lifestyle can revert prediabetes and you can get back to having normal sugar levels.

For healthier meals, you need to focus on foods that are rich in nutrients and are not a source of empty calories.

Healthy meals are the tiny steps that gradually take you to a healthy diet and then eventually a healthier lifestyle.

A few things you need to avoid include high-sugar foods, high-fat foods, refined carbs, and pro-inflammatory foods (Foods that promote the process of inflammation in the body).

Finding the right or healthy meals can be hard for prediabetes. So here is a list of super healthy and nutritious foods that you can include in your daily meals for prediabetes.

Burrito Bowl

Burrito bowls are fresh, healthy, and easily customizable assemble of rice, beans, chicken, avocados, and grilled veggies.

The best thing about burrito bowls is that you can control the number of ingredients in accordance with your dietary needs.

For prediabetes, you can increase the number of beans, chicken, avocados, and veggies with smaller quantities of fruits.

These little bowls are an ultimate supply of all your macros in one sitting and they help to maintain satiety.

Pistachio Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is very beneficial for people with prediabetes because it is high in fiber and helps keep blood sugar levels in control.

Pistachio quinoa salad can be an amazing combo of nutrients with essential fats and proteins.

• To prepare a pistachio quinoa salad begin with boiling water in a pan and add quinoa
• Cook on low flame for 12-14 minutes until all the water is absorbed.
• Turn off the flame and mix it well.
• Now add pistachios, cucumber, oranges, and beans
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Vegetable Quinoa Soup

Quinoa soup can be a great alternative to high-fat soups and a vegetable soup with legumes and whole grains is a nutritious as well as a delicious treat for people with prediabetes.

• To prepare the vegetable quinoa soup, boil water in a pot and add quinoa.
• Simmer until the water has fully absorbed and the quinoa is thoroughly cooked.
• In another pan, add minced garlic in olive oil and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-low flame.
• Now add veggies (carrots, celery, capsicum, etc.) and cook for 5 minutes
• Add vegetable broth, salt, and pepper.
• Cook for another 5 minutes on low flame. And it’s ready to eat!

Grilled chicken and Avocado Salad

Grilled chicken avocado salad is a great lunch option. It is not only high in protein but the avocado salad also adds the extra bonus of essential fats.

Eating plenty of vegetables means adding fiber and enough vital nutrients, which you nearly skip every day.

To prepare this you just need to mix chopped lettuce, cucumber, red onions, and avocados with grilled chicken.

Add lemon, salt, and pepper for seasoning.

Honey Glazed Salmon & Asparagus

This meal is another nutrient-loaded treat as the salmon provides protein and essential PUFA & MUFA and asparagus gives it an antioxidant boost making it perfect and healthy for people with prediabetes.

• To prepare this, begin by inserting a steamer into a saucepan and filling it the saucepan with water till the bottom of the steamer
• Now, in a bowl mix soy sauce and honey
• Place salmon fillet and asparagus on a baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.
• Cook under the preheated broiler for a few minutes.
• Now drizzle 2/3 of the honey and soy mixture over the salmon and asparagus.
• Continue broiling until fish flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Drizzle the remaining honey and soy mixture over the salmon and it’s ready!

White bean soup with sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are well-known for their medicinal properties including cholesterol-lowering properties, this delicious recipe is a nutty soup with white beans, herbs, garlic, and pumpkin seeds yet it is very light, delicious, and easy to make.

• To prepare this you need to take a large pan and add some olive oil to it
• Now chop onions and saute them in the oil.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper for seasoning and cook for 2-3 minutes
• Now add cinnamon, cumin, and apple cider vinegar. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Add white beans and water and boil the mixture for 20-25 minutes until the beans are soft and thoroughly cooked.
• Blend the sunflower seeds in a blender
• Now add, fresh herbs and mix well
• Add salt according to taste.
• For the seeds, take sunflower seeds, honey, and cinnamon, put these in the oven, and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.
• Add the seeds to the soup
• Serve with fresh herbs.

Garlic Roasted Okra

Okra is a great vegetable as it contains abundant amounts of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, folate, and magnesium.

Okra is also known to have glucose-lowering properties that’s why it is one of the best vegetables for managing prediabetes.

The garlic roasted okra is a delicious and light meal that includes roasted okra with garlic flavor and seasonings.

• To prepare this, first, you need to wash the okra and then dry it with a paper towel
• Now cut both ends and divide the remaining vegetable into two or three pieces.
• Now mix okra with garlic powder, paprika, and salt
• Put the mixture on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle lemon and serve with a whole wheat tortilla.

Conclusion

Including healthy and nutritious meals in the daily diet is an excellent approach to managing prediabetes and helps prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

If you have prediabetes you should make these necessary changes to your diet and switch to healthier eating patterns.