Healthy Eating with Prediabetes

What is prediabetes? Fill your plate like the one below to spread
carbohydrates over the day:
Prediabetes is when your blood sugar (glucose) • Cover ½ of your plate with non-starchy
levels are higher than normal, but not high vegetables. Some non-starchy vegetables
enough to be called diabetes. are broccoli, bell peppers, carrots,
cucumbers, and dark leafy greens. A portion
Insulin is made in your body. After you eat, of fruit the size of a tennis ball, or ½ cup
insulin helps the sugar in your blood move into (125 mL) may also be included in this part of
your cells. This gives you energy. the plate.
• Put whole grain products and starchy
When you have prediabetes, insulin doesn’t vegetables on ¼ of the plate. Some starchy
work as well as it did before. This causes high vegetables are potatoes, yams, corn,
blood sugar levels. squash, and parsnips.
• Put protein foods on ¼ of the plate. Some
Many people with high blood sugar will get type
protein foods are meat, fish, eggs, cheese,
2 diabetes.
and tofu.

A healthy lifestyle to lower

the risk of type 2 diabetes
The healthy lifestyle habits in this handout can
help lower your risk for diabetes. Everybody’s
journey is different! If you’re ready to make a
change, you can choose what works best for
you.

Follow the Balanced Plate

Eat 3 meals a day. Space meals 4 to 6 hours
apart. Spreading your food over the day helps
Limit sweet foods and foods with
manage blood sugar.
added sugars
Snacks may reduce hunger between meals.
Sweet foods and foods and beverages with
Include snacks if they help you eat smaller
added sugar quickly raises blood sugar. Use the
portions at your next meal.
tips to eat less added sugar:
• Drink water most often.
• Choose water or sugar-free drinks instead of
juice or drinks with added sugar like regular
pop, iced tea, and sugar-sweetened coffee
and tea drinks.
• Choose whole fruit instead of juice.
• Limit sugar, jam, honey, desserts, candy,
syrups, and sweet sauces.
• Ask your dietitian about using sugar
substitutes to sweeten foods like coffee, tea,
and baking.
Developed by Registered Dietitians
Nutrition Services
404314-NFS
Eat more fibre Drink more fluid when you increase the
amount of fibre you eat. Drink at least 9–12
Fibre slows the movement of sugar into your cups (2.25–3 L) of fluid each day. Choose
blood. This helps to keep blood sugar from water, coffee, tea, and other sugar-free
rising too high after eating. beverages.
Eating more fibre may also help lower your risk Choose unsaturated fats
of heart disease. Aim to eat 30 grams (g) of
fibre or more each day. People with prediabetes are more likely to get
heart disease. Eating more unsaturated fat and
Read the Nutrition Facts table on food less saturated fat can decrease your risk.
packages to find foods higher in fibre. The
higher the % Daily Value the more fibre is in Replace saturated fats with small amounts of
one serving. unsaturated fats like the ones listed below:
• soft margarine
• oils: canola, olive, peanut, and sunflower
• avocado, nuts and seeds, and nut butters
• ground flax seeds, chia seeds, or hemp
seeds
• fish instead of other animal proteins

Use the tip of your thumb to guide

your portions of oils and fats at meals.

Choose less saturated fat:

These fats may increase your risk of heart
disease. Choose less often:
• cream and ice cream
• coconut oil, lard, butter, and hard margarine
• processed meat like bacon, wieners, deli
Use these tips to choose high fibre foods. meat, and sausage
• Choose whole grain breads, cereals, • deep fried foods
crackers, pasta, whole wheat pasta, whole • snack foods like chips, salty snacks, baked
wheat couscous, quinoa, barley, oats, and goods, cookies, donuts, and chocolate bars
brown rice.
• processed cheese and cheese spreads
• Try a new whole grain like quinoa, barley,
bulgur in a side dish.
• Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp (15-30 mL) high fibre cereal
(4 g of fibre or more) on yogurt, applesauce,
salads, casseroles.
• Eat legumes such as split peas, beans, and
lentils often. Add them to soups, casseroles,
salads, and spaghetti sauce.
• Choose vegetables or fruit at every meal and
snack.
• Eat these fruits more often: apples, oranges,
berries, pears, cherries, plums.
Healthy Eating with Prediabetes Page 2 of 4 404314-NFS
Be active Weight and diabetes risk
Activity helps to lower blood sugar by helping Carrying extra weight can increase your risk for
the body use sugar for energy. type 2 diabetes.
• Be active for at least 30 minutes each day, 5 This handout contains many lifestyle choices for
to 7 days a week. your weight and health. For support with weight
• Start with a few minutes a day and build up to and health, talk to your dietitian or doctor.
30 minutes.
• Aim for at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) a
week of activities that make your heart beat
Next steps
faster, like brisk walking, swimming, bike This handout includes lifestyle choices that can
riding, sports, or running. You should breathe help you manage your prediabetes. Change
faster but still be able to talk. can be hard, especially if you try to make too
• On at least 2 days of the week do muscles many changes at once. To learn more, visit
strengthening activities using major muscle [Link]/nutritionhandouts and search “setting
groups such as lifting weights, using goals”.
resistance bands, or sit ups, squats, and wall
push-ups.
Ask your healthcare provider if you would like
If you haven’t been active for a long time, talk to support with goal setting.
your doctor about your activity plans before you
start.
For more support
As well as being active 150 minutes a week,
it’s important to break up sitting time. Sitting • Talk to your healthcare team.
time is time watching TV, playing video games, • Call Health Link at 811 and ask
using the computer at home or work, reading, to talk to a dietitian or
and doing homework. complete a self-referral form on
[Link]/811.
Plan to get up and move around if you are • Visit [Link]/nutrition.
sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time.
• Call, text or chat with 211
Alberta ([Link] It is
a provincial directory of financial
benefits, programs, and
services.

Healthy Eating with Prediabetes Page 3 of 4 404314-NFS

Sample meal ideas
The meal ideas below give examples of how to use the tips in this handout to put together meals and
snacks. These are samples only; they don’t replace the advice of your healthcare team. Choose the
small or large meal plan based on your appetite. Drink water throughout the day.
Small Meal Plan Large Meal Plan
Breakfast Breakfast
1 whole grain English muffin 1½ cups (375 mL) cooked oatmeal
2 egg omelet with: 2 Tbsp (30 mL) ground flax seed
1 oz (30 g) cheddar cheese Pinch of cinnamon
½ cup (125 mL) onions, tomato, mushrooms ½ cup (125 mL) berries
1 cup (250 mL) milk
Lunch Lunch
1 cup (250 mL) lentil soup Chicken sandwich with:
3−4 whole grain crackers (30 g) 2 slices of whole grain bread
1 medium orange 2½ oz (75 g) chicken breast, sliced
1/6
½ cup (125 mL) carrots avocado or tomato, sliced
½ cup (125 mL) lettuce
1 tsp mustard
½ cup (125 mL) cucumber, sliced
1 cup (250 mL) milk
1 medium apple

Supper Supper
2½ oz (75 g) baked salmon 2½ oz (75 g) lean steak
1 cup (250 mL) brown rice, cooked 1 cup (250 mL) baked yams or sweet potato
1 cup (250 mL) steamed green beans ½ cup (125 mL) roasted cauliflower
½ cup (125 mL) sliced tomatoes 1 cup (250 mL) mixed greens
1 cup (250 mL) milk 2 Tbsp (30 mL) sunflower seeds
1 small pear 1 Tbsp (15 mL) salad dressing
1 cup (250 mL) milk
15 grapes or 1 cup (250 mL)

Snacks: If you need help to keep portions smaller at meals, you may need a snack between meals.
Smaller snacks Larger snacks
• 2 cups (500 mL) plain popcorn with dill or Italian • ½ cup (125 mL) low sodium cottage cheese
herbs with ½ cup (125 mL) pineapple chunks drained
• 1 cup (250 mL) carrots, celery, and • 2−3 rye crackers and 1 oz (30 g) cheese
2 Tbsp (30 mL) salad dressing • ¾ cup (175 mL) plain Greek yogurt with ½ cup
• ¾ cup (175 mL) sugar-free yogurt (125 mL) sliced strawberries, and ⅓ cup
• 3−6 (30 g) whole grain or rye crackers (75 mL) high fibre cereal
• 1 apple, sliced, with cinnamon • 1 slice of whole grain toast with 1 Tbsp (15 mL) nut
• 1 cup (250 mL) milk or fortified unsweetened soy butter, and ½ banana sliced on top
beverage • 1 (30 g) high fibre granola bar (4 grams of fibre or
• 1 cup (250 mL) broccoli, cucumbers and higher) and ¼ cup (60 mL) unsalted nuts
¼ cup (60 mL) hummus

Healthy Eating with Prediabetes Page 4 of 4 404314-NFS (Oct 2023)

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accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy,
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