7 Day Meal Plan

By Renee Wickliff BSN, RN, RD, CDE

This 7-day meal plan for diabetics is based on the DASH, Mediterranean, and whole food plant-based diet, all diets recommended in the 2019 Standards of Medical Care for Diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2019). Type 2 diabetics may be concerned that these meals are too high in carbohydrates and this will be bad for their blood sugar. However, the real culprit in type 2 diabetes is not carbohydrates. It’s insulin resistance, which is caused by too much fat (Nutrition Facts, n.d.). Extra fat in the diet blocks insulin from unlocking our cell doors to let sugar in.

These meal plans keep fat, especially saturated fat, lower than the typical diet. Diets that are lower in fat help insulin work better. The carbohydrate containing foods in these meal plans are also rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It will take your body longer to digest these nutritious foods, so your blood sugar won’t spike.

I do recommend using a food scale to determine portion sizes. It is very accurate which can help prevent overeating. Another advantage of using a food scale is less clean up. Let’s say you are making apple cinnamon oatmeal with peanut butter for breakfast (day 2). Instead of measuring out ½ a cup of oatmeal and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter using measuring cups (and then having to clean said measuring cups…peanut butter is a pain to clean!) simply place a bowl on the scale. Hit “zero” to bring the digital read out to “0”. Weigh out 40 grams of oatmeal, then cook. Put the bowl back on the scale and hit “zero” again to bring the digital read out to “0”. Spoon 32 grams of peanut butter into the oatmeal, then enjoy using the same spoon to eat your breakfast. No measuring cups to clean!

Finally, I did not include any desserts/treats with meals. On days when you need a pick me up or are craving something sweet, work in your favorite treat.

[1] American Diabetes Association, “Lifestyle Management: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes,” Diabetes Care, pp. S46-S60, 2019.
[2] Nutrition Facts, “What causes insulin resistance?,” [Online]. Available: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/what-causes-insulin-resistance/.