1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics is a low Glycemic Index and low carb diet meal plan for those who are living with or at risk of diabetes. A 1600 calorie diet plan is a balanced, healthy eating regimen that can prove beneficial to people with diabetes. Our bodies require the right nutrients in order to stay healthy and work properly. With a1600 calorie diet plan that is comprised of fresh, natural and unprocessed foods, your body will be able to perform the essential functions it needs in order to stay on the road to recovery.
1600 Calorie Diet Plan for Diabetics
If you have diabetes, this 1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics is surely the right way to monitor your blood sugar, while also bringing all the required nutrition to your platter.
Moreover, this diet plan can significantly help you to shed some good weight in no time.
So, if you are someone who is looking to put a tab on your blood sugar levels, while also staying in the right shape, this diet plan is the best way to go forward.
What is a 1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics?
The focus is to plan up a diet plan that is low in carbs and sodium and loaded with some good protein and dietary fibers.
Also, you have to limit down your daily calorie intake to 1600 calories and that way, you can easily achieve your desired weight loss goals.
Still, before you get started with a 1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics, read about the below-mentioned guidelines to get the best out of this diet plan.
- Your meals must contain lots of good quality carbs like whole grains, non-starchy veggies, legumes and fruits
- It must also come loaded with lean protein options like fish, chicken, lean beef, turkey, and low-fat dairy.
- Healthy fat options like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and nut butter must also be included in your daily diet
- You must also consult with your doctor before getting along with any such diet plan
- The diet you are following must also be low in sodium and doesn’t contain any kind of refined, processed and packaged food options
- Always opt for home-cooked food as that comes without any unwanted preservatives
- Plan up your meals while including an adequate amount of proteins, carbs, and healthy fats
- Drink at least 8 ounces of water daily to keep your body hydrated in the process
Sample weekly 1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics
Meal options for 1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics ( Breakfast)
1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics – Spinach, cheese and egg sandwich
- 1 serving of Spinach, cheese and egg sandwich
- 1 serving of toasted sugar-free English muffin
- 1 small whole-grain wrap with roasted veggies
- ½ cup of sautéed spinach with 1 tbsp of olive oil dressing
- Egg scramble made out of 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup of shredded low-fat cheese or 1 serving of cheese slice
- 1 cup of honeydew melon cubes
- 1 cup of black coffee with 1 whole-wheat toast
Meal options for 1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics ( Lunch)
1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics – Strawberry chicken salad
- 1 whole wheat large toasted pita bread
- 7-12 ounces of any low-calorie sugar-free beverage
- 1 serving of strawberry chicken salad with olive oil dressing
- 1 serving or ¼ cup of strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
- 1 serving of Mexican bowl ( 1/3 cup of brown rice,2/3 cup of baked beans, 1 cup of chopped spinach,1/4 cup of chopped tomatoes, ¼ cup of bell peppers with 1 tbsp of salsa sauce)
- 3 oz of grilled chicken breast with 1 cup of mixed green salad with olive oil dressing
- 1 serving o Tuna sandwich stuffed with 1 cup sliced tomato and half baked apple
Meal options for 1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics ( Dinner )
1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics – Salmon fillet
- 1 serving of Mediterranean couscous with sundried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup of lentil penne pasta
- 3 oz of salmon fillet with 1 medium baked potato
- ½ cup of a baked potato with 2 oz of broiled beef
- 3 oz of boiled shrimp with 1 cup of mixed green salad
- 4 ounces of grilled lean steak with 1 baked sweet potato
- 1 cup of cooked quinoa with 8 oz of silken tofu and 1 cup cooked bok choy
Meal options for 1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics( Snacks)
1600 calorie diet plan for diabetics – Sliced carrots
- 1 cup of low-fat Greek yogurt with 1 banana
- 1 cup of celery with 1 tbsp of peanut butter
- 1 cup of sliced carrots with peanuts ( 20nos)
- 1/3 cup of sliced peach with 1 serving of shredded cheese
- 1 apple with 2 tbsp of almond butter
Sample Diabetes-Friendly 1600-Calorie Meal Plan
Diabetes meal planning should be individualized and made with the intent to help people with diabetes achieve good blood sugar control as well as optimize nutrition, lose weight, reduce blood pressure, and cholesterol (if needed). Depending on your weight, activity, and blood glucose control your dietitian or certified diabetes educator may recommend a calorie and carbohydrate controlled diet. By reducing calories and carbohydrates you can better manage your health and improve your blood glucose control, as well as increase your energy. In fact, a recent study suggests that losing weight can actually help to put diabetes in remission.1
7 Ways to Eat Healthy on a Diabetes Diet
A Meal Plan That Has a Good Balance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat
Balanced meal plans will contain plenty of non starchy vegetables, good quality carbohydrates, such as, whole grains, starchy vegetables, legumes, and high fiber fruits. They will also include lean protein—such as chicken, fish, turkey, lean beef, and low-fat dairy. Additionally, a balanced meal plan will include healthy fats, such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, and nut butters, to name a few.
If you’ve been instructed to follow a 1600-calorie diabetes-friendly meal plan, your healthcare provider has hopefully helped you identify carbohydrates, as well as educated you on different food options that can assist you in achieving your goals.
Below you’ll find additional options, that provide a total of 1600 calories in one day—notice that each meal is a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Suggestions include breakfast, lunch (with a recipe link), dinner, and snack ideas. Read more about diabetes meal planning.
Breakfast
- Spinach, Egg and Cheese Sandwich:
- 1 toasted English muffin (can substitute one small whole grain wrap or one slice of whole grain bread)
- 1/2 cup sautéed spinach (made with one teaspoon olive oil)
- 1 scrambled egg plus two whites
- 1 slice Swiss cheese (or 1/4 cup shredded low-fat cheese)
- 1 cup honeydew melon cubes
- Coffee with 1 teaspoon half and half
Lunch
- 1 serving strawberry chicken salad with dressing
- 1 (6-inch whole grain) pita, warmed in the oven
- 1 1/4 cup strawberries, 3/4 cup blueberries, or 1 cup raspberries
- 8 to 12 ounces ice water or sugar-free beverage
Dinner
- 4 ounces grilled lean steak (like flank steak or grilled chicken, pork, or broiled fish)
- 1 small baked sweet potato (about size of computer mouse)
- 1 cup sautéed green beans and mushrooms (or another non-starchy vegetable of choice)
- 8 to 12 ounces ice water or sugar-free beverage
Snack
- 1 tablespoon all natural peanut, almond, or cashew butter
- 1 small (4 ounce) apple or a different type of fruit of choice (Note: avoid dried fruit and canned fruit soaked in sugary syrup)
- 8 to 12 ounces ice water or sugar-free beverage
Two Common Methods of Diabetes Meal Planning
Most people with diabetes can benefit from either carbohydrate counting or following the plate method. For those people with diabetes who take insulin based on the amount of carbohydrates consumed, carbohydrate counting is very important.2
Carbohydrate Counting Method: This method involves tracking the grams of carbohydrates you consume in one meal. Most diabetes meal plans consist of about 45 to 75 grams of carbohydrate per meal (but should be individualized based on a persons’ lifestyle, blood sugars, weight, activity level, etc).3 The total amount of carbohydrates you should consume per day should be discussed with your healthcare provider or dietitian. Prior to having this discussion, you may benefit from keeping a food log so that he can get a basic understanding of how many carbohydrates you are currently eating. Additionally, keeping a food log can help you to manage your blood sugars and weight, while keeping you accountable for your intake.
Plate Method: For those people who are unable to count carbohydrates, the plate method can be a very effective way to meet your nutrition and health goals. This method is a little less overwhelming than adding up carbohydrates. Using a standard dinner-sized plate, aim to make half of the plate non-starchy vegetables, one-fourth of the plate high fiber carbohydrate, such as whole grains, legumes, or starchy vegetables, like sweet potato. The final quarter of the plate should consist of lean protein, such as white meat chicken, eggs, fish, shellfish, lean beef, pork or low fat cheese (the portion varies and is usually about 4 ounces).
Diet Chart For 1600 Calorie
A 1600 calorie diet is a fairly low calorie plan to lose weight or maintain an average healthy weight.
To make sure that all the dietary needs including minerals and vitamins are met, the 1600 calorie diet includes food items from all categories:
- A healthy breakfast that has about 500 calories is preferable to avoid a heavy meal for lunch.
- 1 cup of oatmeal topped with 2 tablespoons of raisins and 12 chopped almonds, served with 1 cup of skim milk and a banana is a good breakfast option.
- Lunch should also contain 500 calories.
- A healthy and filling lunch for this diet plan might include cup of broth-based soup, such as chicken noodle, 2 cups of mixed greens topped with 3 ounces of grilled salmon and 2 tablespoons of low-fat salad dressing, one-half of a whole-wheat pita and 1 cup of nonfat yogurt.
- Dinner needs to have around 500 calories; one can have 4 ounces of tofu stir fried with a 1 1/2 cup mixture of onions, peppers and Chinese cabbage and 1 cup of brown rice for 480 calories.
- Daily snack should be limited to 100 calories. One can make snack count by filling it with nutrient rich food. One small apple with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter will be apt for 100 calories.
Diet Chart
| Sunday | |
| Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | 1 aloo parantha + 1 cup curd + 6 almonds |
| Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | Pomegranate (1 cup) + 1 Guava |
| Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | Parboiled Rice (1 cup)/ 3 Chapatis + Veg. curry (1/2 cup) + Daal (1/2 cup) + 1/4th fresh lemon + salad |
| Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | Green Tea (1 cup) with 1/2 tsp honey + 1 cup soybean chaap |
| Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapatti + Chicken stew (1 cup) + salad |
| Monday | |
| Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | Soy Milk 1 cup + 1 cup Cornflakes + Ripe Banana (1) |
| Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | 1 Orange + Grapes (1 cup) |
| Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | Parboiled Rice (1 cup)/ 3 Chapatis + Veg. curry (1/2 cup) + Daal (1/2 cup) + 1/4th fresh lemon + salad |
| Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | Green Tea (1 cup) with 1/2 tsp honey + 4 Almonds + 5-6 Raisins |
| Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapati + Veg. Curry (1 cup) + salad |
| Tuesday | |
| Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | Veg. Sandwich (2) + Orange juice (1 cup) |
| Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | Pomegranate (1 cup) + 1 Guava |
| Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | Parboiled Rice (1 cup)/ 3 Chapatis + Veg. curry (1/2 cup) + Daal (1/2 cup) + 1/4th fresh lemon + salad |
| Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | Green Tea (1 cup) with 1/2 tsp honey + 4 Almonds + 5-6 Raisins |
| Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapatti + Chicken stew (1 cup) + salad |
| Wednesday | |
| Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | 1 paneer parantha + 1 cup curd + 6 almonds |
| Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | 1 Orange + Grapes (1 cup) |
| Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | Parboiled Rice (1 cup)/ 3 Chapatis + Veg. curry (1/2 cup) + Daal (1/2 cup) + 1/4th fresh lemon + salad |
| Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | Green Tea (1 cup) with 1/2 tsp honey +1 cup paneer tikka |
| Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapati + Veg. Curry (1 cup) + salad |
| Thursday | |
| Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | Soy Milk 1 cup + 1 cup Cornflakes + Ripe Banana (1) |
| Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | Pomegranate (1 cup) + 1 Guava |
| Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | Parboiled Rice (1 cup)/ 3 Chapatis + Veg. curry (1/2 cup) + Daal (1/2 cup) + 1/4th fresh lemon + salad |
| Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | Green Tea (1 cup) with 1/2 tsp honey + 4 Almonds + 5-6 Raisins |
| Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapatti + Chicken stew (1 cup) + salad |
| Friday | |
| Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | Veg. Sandwich (2) + Orange juice (1 cup) |
| Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | 1 Orange + Grapes (1 cup) |
| Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | Parboiled Rice (1 cup)/ 3 Chapatis + Veg. curry (1/2 cup) + Daal (1/2 cup) + 1/4th fresh lemon + salad |
| Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | Green Tea (1 cup) with 1/2 tsp honey + 4 Almonds + 5-6 Raisins |
| Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapati + Veg. Curry (1 cup) + salad |
| Saturday | |
| Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM) | 1 dal parantha + 1 cup curd + 6 almonds |
| Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM) | Pomegranate (1 cup) + 1 Guava |
| Lunch (2:00-2:30PM) | Parboiled Rice (1 cup)/ 3 Chapatis + Veg. curry (1/2 cup) + Daal (1/2 cup) + 1/4th fresh lemon + salad |
| Evening (4:00-4:30PM) | Green Tea (1 cup) with 1/2 tsp honey + 4 Almonds + 5-6 Raisins |
| Dinner (8:00-8:30PM) | 2 Chapatti + Chicken stew (1 cup) + salad |
Food Items To Limit
- Avoid candy, soda, sugar, white rice, white pasta, white bread, sweet syrup, breakfast cereal, desserts, and pastries contain simple carbohydrates.
- Avoid margarine, butter, eggs, milk, cheese, and red meat are high in saturated fat.
- Avoid eating red meat as it contains high levels of saturated fat that shoot up the cholesterol levels in the blood.
- Avoid eating fried foods such as fried chicken, deep fried foods, and potato fries.
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid aerated and artificially sweetened drinks.
Do’s And Dont’s
Do’s:
- Eat Healthy Fat to Lose Weight
- Eat 2-3 hours before going to sleep
- Make Healthy Swaps
- Follow Smart Tips for Dining Out
Don’ts:
- Don’t starve yourself
- Dont dehydrate yourself
- Dont eat if your are not hungry
- Dont eat too much saturated fat
Food Items You Can Easily Consume
- Non-starchy fruits and vegetables
- Complex carbohydrates, found in whole grain bread and pasta, bran, etc.
- Use olive oil, vegetable oil, rice bran oil, canola oil, mustard oil, and peanut oil.
- Eat lentils, beans, soy, mushroom, tofu, fish, turkey, chicken breast, and lean cuts of beef.
- Have five or six small meals throughout the day.
- Eat a heavy breakfast