If you have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, you’ve probably been told to “watch your sugar” and maybe handed a list of foods to avoid with type 2 diabetes. A type 2 diabetes food list to avoid is a good start, but it doesn’t tell you what actually to eat each day.
Type 2 diabetes is personal for me. My boys have strong genetic risk factors for it on their dad’s side of the family, and I have PCOS, which makes women four times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes. I’ve even tracked my own blood sugar with a continuous glucose monitor.
Here’s the positive spin on diabetes. Of all the conditions I write about, type 2 diabetes has some of the strongest research showing that food and lifestyle changes work. In a study of more than 3,000 adults with prediabetes, lifestyle changes cut new cases of type 2 diabetes by 58% and worked better than the medicine metformin. In another study for people who already have type 2 diabetes, weight loss put almost half of participants into remission within a year. Heart disease, which often occurs alongside diabetes, has strong research supporting diet changes, too.
Diet changes work together with medical care, but they aren’t a substitute. If you take insulin or other blood sugar-lowering medicine, talk with your care team before cutting back on carbs so your blood sugar doesn’t drop too low.
Want the short version? Download the free Type 2 Diabetes Plate and Food List.
Type 2 Diabetes and Inflammation
Type 2 diabetes is common, and many people who have it don’t know that they do.
| Diabetes By The Numbers | Statistic |
| US adults with diabetes or prediabetes | More than half |
| Americans with diabetes | About 1 in 8 |
| People with diabetes who don’t know it | More than 1 in 4 |
| People with type 2 diabetes who have heart disease or have had a stroke | About 1 in 3 |
Type 2 diabetes makes up 90 to 95% of diagnosed cases. It also involves chronic, low-grade inflammation. The good news is that eating patterns that steady blood sugar also lower CRP, a common blood marker of inflammation, in people with diabetes (both low-glycemic-index and higher-fiber diets did). For how inflammation and insulin connect, see my insulin resistance guide.
Does an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Help Type 2 Diabetes?
Yes, and other eating patterns can help type 2 diabetes. Some of this research looks at lowering blood sugar in people who already have type 2 diabetes, and some looks at lowering the risk of developing it. Both point the same way. Here’s the research (strongest first):
| Diet Change | What Research Found | How Strong? |
| More fiber | Better blood sugar, cholesterol, weight, and CRP, and fewer early deaths. Goal: add 15 g a day, or reach 35 g in a day. | Strong |
| Low glycemic index foods | A1C down 0.31% on top of medication, with lower CRP. | Strong |
| Mediterranean diet | A1C down 0.31% in 11 trials, with lower LDL cholesterol. 30% fewer major heart events, mostly strokes, in older adults at high heart risk, about half with type 2 diabetes, with no calorie cutting. | Strong |
| Fewer sugary drinks and processed meats | Each daily sugary drink linked to 25% higher risk; about 2 ounces of processed meat a day, 30% higher risk. These are the strongest food links to type 2 diabetes. | Strong |
| Whole grains and brown rice over white | Whole grains linked to 29% lower risk, leveling off around two servings a day; brown rice 11% lower. | Moderate |
| Fewer ultra-processed foods | 40% higher odds of developing type 2 diabetes with higher intake. | Weak |
A 2026 review called the Mediterranean diet the best-supported way of eating for insulin resistance. In one small trial, people with type 2 diabetes lowered their A1C on a Mediterranean diet without losing weight, even while eating as much as they wanted.
Keto, Mediterranean, moderate-carb, and low-glycemic-index diets all lowered blood sugar in research trials. So pick the pattern you can actually keep. My dietitian experience leans towards the Mediterranean diet for most people for the long run.
Foods to Avoid With Type 2 Diabetes
This type 2 diabetes food list to avoid is ordered like your plate: protein, carbs, drinks, then snacks. “Avoid” foods have the strongest research behind them. “Limit” foods are fine now and then, but ideally don’t make up a large portion of your food choices.
| Food | Avoid or Limit | Why? | Swap It For… |
| Bacon, deli meat, sausage | Avoid | About 30% higher risk at 50 g a day, a little under 2 ounces, or about two regular slices of deli meat. | Chicken, fish, beans |
| Red meat most days | Limit | 22% higher risk at about 3.5 ounces a day, a little more than a deck of cards. | Fish or eggs, which weren’t linked to risk |
| White rice, white bread | Limit | White rice: 16% higher risk | Brown rice (11% lower risk), oats, whole-grain bread |
| Fried, breaded vegetables and fried grains (onion rings, tempura, fried rice, doughnuts) | Avoid | Fried food 4 to 6 times a week: 39% higher risk; daily intake = 55% higher | Roasted or air-fried vegetables, brown rice |
| Soda, sweet tea, juice drinks | Avoid | Each daily serving = 25% higher risk. The strongest grade of evidence for type 2 diabetes. | Water, unsweetened tea or coffee, or one of these anti-inflammatory drinks |
| Sweets and packaged snacks | Limit | Ultra-processed foods go with higher risk | Fruit, nuts, or these anti-inflammatory snacks to buy |
Fried food once in a while didn’t show a real link. The risk climbed when it showed up most days. That’s true for most of this list: what you eat most days matters more than any one meal. Patterns over perfection.
For more swaps by food group, see my anti-inflammatory food swaps, or the full anti-inflammatory food list.
Build Your Anti-Inflammatory Diabetes Plate
You don’t need to count calories, macronutrients, or log your foods in an app to eat well with type 2 diabetes. The easier the method, the more likely I am to stick with it, and I expect the same to be true for you, too! The American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Plate fills half the plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with protein, and a quarter with quality carbs. Keeping carbs to a quarter of the plate helps prevent blood sugar from rising too high after meals.
My plate adds one anti-inflammatory upgrade: a little healthy fat at every meal.
| Plate section | Eat | Try |
| ½ vegetables | Leafy greens, lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms (any non-starchy vegetable) | Sautéed Greens, Anti-Inflammatory Soup, Fresh Salsa |
| ¼ protein | Fish, beans and lentils, chicken, eggs, plain yogurt (a little under ½ cup a day went with 6% lower risk) | Baked salmon with roasted vegetables, Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, Vegetarian Chili |
| ¼ quality carbs | Oats, brown rice, beans, berries, whole-grain bread, skin-on potatoes (baked, boiled, or roasted) | Anti-Inflammatory Oatmeal, Berry Powerful Smoothie, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad |
| Healthy fats | Olive oil, nuts, peanut butter, avocado | A handful of nuts (more ideas) |
| Drinks | Water, unsweetened tea or coffee, unsweetened sparkling water, milk | Anti-inflammatory drinks |
Want meals already built this way? Try my anti-inflammatory dinners, lunch ideas, or breakfasts.
Beans count as protein or carbs, so they fit either quarter. Aim for about two servings of whole grains a day, like ½ cup oatmeal and a slice of whole wheat bread. Berries are a great carb choice: in one small trial, raspberries with a meal lowered blood sugar and inflammation afterward in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Potatoes can fit in an anti-inflammatory eating pattern as well. Baked, boiled, and roasted potatoes weren’t linked to type 2 diabetes in a study of more than 100,000 US adults, and roasted potatoes at dinner were no worse for blood sugar than rice in people with type 2 diabetes. Fries are the exception.
Here are a few more things to limit. Choose olive oil and nuts over butter, lard, and coconut oil most of the time, since swapping saturated fat for unsaturated fat helps your cholesterol. For drinks, milk is a good choice. Keep 100% fruit juice as a small portion, since more fruit juice is associated with higher risk. Diet soda is better than regular, but water is best. If you drink alcohol, the American Diabetes Association suggests no more than one drink a day for women and two for men, and talk with your care team about how alcohol affects your blood sugar and medicines.
Try eating your plate in order, vegetables and protein before carbs. That simple switch lowers the blood sugar rise after meals, and it works even better for people with type 2 diabetes.
For other habits that lower blood sugar, like a short walk after meals and better sleep, see my 7-day insulin resistance diet plan.
Free Printable: Type 2 Diabetes Food List
Put this on your fridge. Page 1 shows the anti-inflammatory diabetes plate. Page 2 lists what to eat, limit, and avoid for each part of the plate.
Type 2 Diabetes in Midlife
Diabetes becomes much more common in midlife.
| Age | Adults with Diabetes |
| 20 to 39 | 3.6% |
| 40 to 59 | 17.7% |
| 60 and older | 27.3% |
That’s about five times higher in your 40s and 50s than in your 20s and 30s. Men have higher rates than women (18.0% vs 13.7%), and more than half of adults 65 and older have prediabetes.
If you’re in perimenopause, see my perimenopause guide and insulin resistance guide for how hormones shift blood sugar.
FAQ
Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Reversed?
It can go into remission, meaning normal blood sugar without diabetes medicine. In a UK trial, almost half of participants were in remission after one year, and the odds rose with more weight lost. After two years, 36% were still in remission. The trial included adults with overweight who were diagnosed within the past six years and weren’t using insulin, so remission is possible for some people, not guaranteed. Work on this with your care team.
Is Keto Better?
Keto lowers A1C, but so does the Mediterranean diet. In a head-to-head trial, the two lowered A1C about the same. Keto raised LDL cholesterol and reduced fiber, and people found the Mediterranean-style diet easier to maintain afterward.
Does Intermittent Fasting Help?
It works about as well as cutting calories every day, with no difference in A1C.
Can I Eat Fruit?
Yes. Whole fruit fits in the carb quarter of your plate. In three large US studies, people who ate more blueberries, grapes, and apples had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while more fruit juice went with a higher risk. And among people who already have type 2 diabetes, those who ate the most fruit had an 18% lower risk of death during the studies. Choose whole fruit over juice.
Work With a Dietitian (Insurance May Cover It)
No single diet fits everyone with diabetes, so the American Diabetes Association recommends personalized nutrition care from a registered dietitian, called medical nutrition therapy. It works for both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
| Your coverage | Type 2 diabetes | Prediabetes |
| Medicare | Dietitian visits covered, no cost, with a doctor’s referral | A free Diabetes Prevention Program |
| Private plans | Varies by plan | Marketplace and many other plans cover screening, referral, and diet counseling with no copay |
| Medicaid | Varies by state | Varies by state |
In my experience as a dietitian, most insurance plans cover dietitian visits for diabetes, and many cover them for prediabetes, too. Call the number on your insurance card and ask whether “medical nutrition therapy” is covered for your diagnosis.
Takeaways
Start by adding, not cutting. Build your plate with half vegetables, a quarter protein, a quarter quality carbs, and a little healthy fat. When vegetables, beans, and whole grains fill your plate, they fill you up, leaving less room and less hunger for sugary foods. Then focus on the foods that matter most: avoid sugary drinks, processed meats, and fried foods most days, and limit red meat, white rice, white bread, and sweets.
Remember that more than one way of eating works for type 2 diabetes, so choose the one you can stick to. Ask about seeing a dietitian, since your insurance may cover it.
Ready to start? Download the free Type 2 Diabetes Plate and Food List and put it on your fridge.
Let’s get UNstuck and stay UNstuck!