Diabetic Diet ‘Free Foods’
When we talk about free foods in a diabetic diet we are not referring to the monetary cost of the food. You have to pay for food – that is a fact of life (well, unless you have your own fruit and vegetable garden or farm!)
Free foods for diabetics generally refers to foods that can be eaten carefreely without counting them as part of your main diet plan. You won’t have to consider these free foods as an exchange or even count them as carbohydrates.
You should keep all of these ‘free foods’ around the house at all times. They are fantastic for snacks in between meals or when you are just feeling hungry but can not afford to have certain foods that do not fit into your daily meal plan for health reasons. A diabetes nutritionist specialist will be able to assist you with a comprehensive list of these foods but here is an example:
- Water
- Sugar free drinks
- Sugar-free gelatin
- Rhubarb
- Cranberries
- Pickles
Salsa and some other condiments may also be considered free foods as well. These are great to have on water crackers or other foods that are sugar free and conform to your dietary intake plan according to your doctor and nutritionist. Of course, the type and severity of your diabetes will greatly determine what you can eat and how much of certain foods you can safely handle. Once you are aware of these facts it is absolutely vital that you stick to them at all times – after all your life is at stake here.
Some dieticians will consider vegetables to be included in the free food group. However some vegetables will never be included and these are peas, potatoes, corn and carrots due to their starch content. You should consult your doctor about eating these foods. Your dietician, doctor or nutritionist will advise you about which vegetables are safe to eat as part of your free foods and which you will need to monitor.
Although a diabetic may often feel restrictive and bland, it does not have to be that way. There are certainly hundreds of foods you can safely eat. It is also nice to have these free foods that can be eaten at any time without you having to account for them.
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