What Foods Should Diabetics Avoid: 22 Harmful Foods 

Diabetes can turn severe and lead to several health problems if you do not address it early. Not only medication, but you need to eat the foods that prevent diabetes spike and exercise regularly. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and consuming the diet for diabetes can keep you fit. So, today we will tell you what foods should diabetics avoid and how harmful they can be for your health. Please scroll down to know the foods and make sure they are not in your diet chart!

What Foods Should Diabetics Avoid?

Diabetes is such a dangerous health problem that it can increase your blood sugar levels even if you are on proper medication. It can affect your kidneys and heart that can cause serious ailments. So, it becomes crucial to address your diet chart right away and also include exercise in your regime regularly.

So, let us not waste any more time checking out what foods should diabetics avoid:

Smoothies

Of course, one of the healthiest options for breakfast or midday snack can be a fresh blend smoothie. But if you happen to have diabetes and follow a strict diabetic food chart, then smoothies are not the ideal inclusion.

Fruit smoothies can have large amounts of sugar and carbs that can particularly be bad for your health overall. It can spike up your blood sugar levels and lead to serious health problems.

White Bread

Are you wondering why pieces of bread should not be on the diabetes diet menu? Well, no! You can consume the whole grain bread but not the white ones. That is because white bread and high blood sugar are directly in link with each other. White bread tends to be high in the glycemic index, responsible for an unusual increase in your blood sugar levels. If you wish to know what foods should diabetics avoid, then white bread is a definite no!

Charcoal Grilled Meat

When the summers are approaching, cleaning the barbeque griller is a common custom in the United States. And having some charcoal-grilled meat in the presence of vitamin D makes it a perfect setting. But if you have diabetes, the charred meat is not for you. That is because the char present in the meat makes you insulin resistant and even damage cell receptors.

When you are grilling, it is nearly impossible to avoid the char in your favorite meat. However, the American Diabetes Association suggests you chop off the extreme black burnt portions to remove the char as much as possible.

French Fries

Potatoes are starchy and contain a lot of carbohydrates that are not ideal for your health. But they do possess certain nutrients that your body needs. So, it is always best you consume them in moderate amounts to avoid a body nutrient imbalance.

Also, the way you are consuming this high starch veggie is equally essential. French fries are deep-fried and are rich in both fat and carbs. So, this combination can put a heavy toll on diabetic people. It can elevate your blood sugar levels, and it will remain for a long time. That is because fat is difficult to digest that can keep your blood sugar levels high for a long.

Shortenings

When you have diabetes, your body has a high chance of strokes and heart attacks. So, it is always best you avoid anything that contains large amounts of saturated fats. Some examples of high saturated fats are palm oil, dairy products, high-fat meat, and lard. Also, if you consume packaged foods, purchase those that have hydrogenated oils mentioned on their labels.

But if you see the packaged-foods have high amounts of trans fats, leave it back at the grocery stores. If you are making a list of what foods should diabetes avoid- shortenings must indeed be on the list.

Sports or Energy Drinks

People who are into sports and do not have any pre-existing diseases must keep away from energy or sports drinks. Even if you are exercising regularly, it is best to avoid these beverages to prevent sodium, calories, and added sugars.

You can always choose plain cold water if you have high blood sugar. Also, another beverage option you can opt for is a natural electrolyte beverage.

Soda based beverages

Another beverage that must not make it to your diabetic food chart is diet sodas. Are you wondering that the diet sodas are less sweet? Well, no! They contain more than 500 times sweetness than plain sugar. More so, it also signals your pancreas to release insulin. Hence, you are not directly having sugar but sending a signal to release and initiating a dysfunctional physiological response.

Cinnamon Rolls

Most of you know that sugary muffins and donuts are not for diabetes. But do you know that cinnamon rolls possess more sugar and saturated fat than the entire diabetes diet menu contains? Well, yes! That is true. So, if you happen to have diabetes or are prone to high blood sugar levels, keep away from all pastries and muffins.

Frozen Foods

When we talk about what foods should diabetes avoid, the first thing that comes to our minds is sugar and high-carb. But do you know that salt and preservatives can play a vital role in diabetes too?

If you keep your salt intake in control, you can be sure to keep your blood pressure levels in control. That is crucial to keep you away from strokes and heart attacks. So, you can say that high blood pressure and diabetes are in close link with each other.

Most of the frozen foods you purchase are full of preservatives, high sodium, and flavor-enhancer. So, it is best to consume freshly cooked foods and contain moderate amounts of all ingredients to avoid any unusual spike.

Restaurant or Fast Food

Fast foods are the worst option for anyone in general. It can cause several health problems and even aggravate existing illnesses.

A study was done for fifteen years on three thousand participants who consumed fast foods more than two times a week. The study concluded that all participants became two times more insulin resistant than people who did consume fast food.

If you develop insulin resistance, you are increasing the chances of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Gluten-Free Foods

Most people in the United States are concern about their health and love to consume gluten-free foods. But it is always not a healthy option for everyone.

That is because gluten-free products make your baked food items much denser. Thus, it contains more amount of carbohydrates in comparison to the traditional method of baking food items.

Fancy Coffee Beverages

Who does not like having coffee with chocolate sauce and whipped cream? But if you are searching for all the possible foods should diabetics avoid, then fancy coffee drinks must not be in your diet plan.

A chocolate sauce with whipped cream coffee contains more than forty-four grams of sugar equivalent to almost eleven teaspoons of it. And per American Heart Association, you are supposed to consume only six teaspoons of sugar every day. Consequently, fancy coffee must be off your diet plan if you wish to remain healthy and keep your blood sugar in check.

Ready-to-Drink Tea

The benefits of black tea are vast and can be great if you look for a weight loss diet plan. But the ready-to-drink teas do not work the same and can be harmful to your health overall.

You are gorging down tons of sugar and other preservatives that are not good for your health at all. One bottle of ready-to-drink teas contains about twenty-five grams of carbs that equals twenty-four grams of sugar intake. So, the ready-to-drink teas indeed make it to the list of what foods should diabetics avoid.

Dried Fruits

Dried fruits are indeed the best source of proteins, healthy fats, fiber, and much more. But they are a part of nature and can cause health problems if you consume them excessively. More so, their high-calorie intake can affect your diabetes diet plan and increase your blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, keep away from having dried fruits.

Granola Bars

One quick go-to and shortcut to your breakfast is granola bars. But they have large amounts of refined carbs and enormous amounts of sugars and syrups.

Each granola bar contains around 16 grams of sugar content and more than 30 grams of carbs. And further, with a supply of only one gram of fiber, granola bars are not an ideal option for you. So, when you make a list of what foods should diabetics avoid, granola bars can top the list.

All Flavored Yogurts

Do not fool yourself with the commercials that tell you flavored yogurt contains fruits. Instead, they are packed with loaded amounts of sugar, preservatives, and flavoring agents. The flavor of your favorite fruit usually comes from the flavoring agents and not from the fruit.

One cup of flavored yogurt can contain up to thirty-one grams of carbs. With which twenty-eight grams are added sugar and seven grams of protein.

Potato Chips

Potatoes chips can work like poison for a diabetes diet menu. Indeed, it is addictive, but they a bomb of fat, carbs, and salt. It can spike up your blood sugar levels in no time. More so, it can also be one of the foods you should avoid to prevent diabetes too.

It is always best to keep away from the potato chips as much as possible to avoid any health problems.

Pancakes

Everyone likes to eat pancakes in the United States and all around the world. But it does not contain any nutrients. More so, the sugar syrup on top with many more unhealthy toppings is not an ideal breakfast option for anyone.

More so, the saturated fats and sugar content can make your blood sugar level go-up and remain like that for a long. That is because the fat takes time to digest and keeps your sugar levels high.

Skimmed Milk

You might wonder why skimmed milk has made it to the list of diabetes foods chart. That is because the skim milk does not contain any fat but does possess a lot of carbohydrates. So, you can be sure to elevate your blood sugar levels in no time by consuming skim milk.

If you are on a weight loss regime, choose to skim milk. But if you have diabetes, keep away from skim milk.

Vegetable Oil

Most of the vegetable oils that we use are hydrogenated oils. So, these hydrogenated oils area kind of trans fat. It is always best you choose the oils that are partially soybean and hydronated palm oils. In this case, you can be sure that the vegetable oil will contain only a trace of trans fat and not made of it wholly.

Some of the best oil options for diabetic patients are grapeseed oil, virgin olive oil, and avocado oil.

Biscuits

Most of the biscuits available in the market contain loads of butter, saturated fat, and other harmful substances. The saturated fat present in biscuits can lead to inflammation and causes a spike in your blood sugar levels.

Apart from diabetes, these ingredients can lead to obesity, cancer, and other dreadful illnesses. So, it is best to keep away from biscuits as much as possible. You might wonder that homemade biscuits can be a great option. But it isn’t so! Homemade biscuits too contain saturated fats that cause health problems.

Mac & Cheese

Do you love mac and cheese? Well, then, if you are making a list of what foods should diabetics avoid, both cheese and macaroni are a no! They are refined carbs and contain saturated fats too. Both of these factors are enough to let your blood sugar levels go up. More so, they have a high glycemic index that is harmful. So, keep away from mac and cheese if you’re making a diabetic food chart.

Final Thoughts

Now you know well enough what foods should diabetes avoid. So, keep away from all the foods mentioned above, and be sure to keep your blood sugar levels in control. More so, all these foods are not healthy in general. Consequently, it is best to consume them in moderate amounts to avoid any future health problems.