Low carb diet plan for diabetics type 2 can change your life. If you struggle with weight, are living a sedentary lifestyle, or have been diagnosed with a chronic illness like Type 2 diabetes, low-carb dieting may be the key to getting you back on track to better health.
In low-carb diet, the body switches from using glucose as the main energy source to ketone bodies. Many studies have shown that this type of diet can effectively arrest or even reverse some underlying causes of diabetes.
A guide to low-carb diets for diabetes
A low-carb diet can help people with diabetes better manage their blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrates or carbs raise blood glucose more than other foods, meaning the body must produce more insulin to digest them.
Reducing carb intake can help stabilize blood glucose. It may also counteract some other effects of diabetes, such as weight gain and heart disease.
Despite this, low-carb diets also carry some risks, including vitamin and mineral deficiencies. For some people, low-carb diets are challenging to stick to over time.
In this article, learn more about a low-carb diet for people with diabetes. People should remember to speak to a doctor before making significant dietary changes, especially ones that affect diabetes management.
Carb recommendations
There is no longer any expert-recommended standard carb intake for people with diabetes.
A person’s carb needs vary with their activity level, weight, health goals, and other factors. Working with a doctor or dietitian can help people set specific carb targets.
A very low-carb diet includes just 30 grams (g) or less per day. Low-carb diets include 130 g or fewer of carbs, while moderate-carb diets include between 130 and 225 g of carbs.
To get an idea of how significant a change in diet will be, people can try counting their daily carb intake for a few days, then set a new target.
Another strategy — which may be more sustainable — is to slowly and steadily reduce carb intake and see how blood glucose levels change.
For example, a person might replace their morning toast with a hard-boiled egg, then slowly replace other carbs with further nutrient-rich alternatives.
How do carbs affect diabetes?
A low-carb diet may be one of the most effective diabetes management strategies, especially for people who might be able to avoid medication.
Carbs elevate blood glucose more than any other food. For people with insulin resistance, blood glucose may remain elevated for hours after eating carbs.
For those with type 1 diabetes who do not produce enough insulin, carbs can also cause blood glucose spikes, so a low-carb diet may help people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Carbs can also affect a person’s health in other ways. Carb-rich foods tend to be high in calories but low in some important nutrients, such as protein. Eating too many of these “empty calories” can lead to weight gain.
Research shows that people who eat carb-rich foods may also feel more hunger between meals, causing them to overeat.
A low-carb diet may also:
- give a person more energy
- lower average blood glucose, or HbA1c levels
- reduce food cravings, especially for sugar
- lower the risk of hypoglycemia
- aid weight loss efforts
- decrease the risk of long-term diabetes complications
- lower cholesterol
What’s a low-carb diet?
But how low is low-carb? There are different types of low-carb diets. Generally, low-carb eating is when you reduce the total amount of carbs you consume in a day to less than 130g.
To put this into context, a medium-sized slice of bread is about 15 to 20g of carbs, which is about the same as a regular apple. On the other hand, a large jacket potato could have as much as 90g of carbs, as does one litre of orange juice.
A low-carb diet isn’t for everyone. The evidence shows they can be safe and effective in helping people with type 2 diabetes manage their weight, blood glucose (sugar) levels and risk of heart disease in the short term.
But the evidence also shows they can affect growth in children, and so should not be recommended for them. And there is little evidence to show the benefits of this type of diet in people with type 1.
If you do decide to follow a low-carb diet, it’s important to know all the potential benefits and how to manage any potential risks.
Low-carb meal plan
Our low-carb meal plan aims to help you maintain a healthy balance while reducing the amount of carbs you eat. Varying amounts of carbohydrate are shown each day to help you choose which works best for you.
It’s nutritionally balanced, we’ve counted the calories for you, and it contains at least five portions of fruit and veg per day.
We’ve included the values of fibre and protein too to help you make sure you are meeting your nutritional requirements. We know lots of people in the UK aren’t eating enough fibre, so it’s important to try and include good sources in your diet every day.
Please note that the nutritional information and exact specifications for all meals and snacks is available in the linked recipes and the low carb meal plan.
Benefits of following a low-carb diet
One of the main benefits of following a low-carb diet is weight loss. For people with type 2 diabetes, this helps to reduce HbA1c and blood fats such as triglycerides and cholesterol. For people who don’t have diabetes, losing weight can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and a low-carb diet is one option to help you do this.
For people with type 1 diabetes
If you have type 1, the strongest evidence suggests that carb counting is the best way to manage your blood sugar levels. This means matching how much insulin you take to the amount of carbs in your meal, snack or drink.
There is no strong evidence that following a low-carb diet is safe or beneficial, which is why we don’t recommend this diet for people with type 1 diabetes.
It is really important that you speak to your healthcare team for support to manage your insulin if you’re considering a low-carb diet.
For people with type 2 diabetes
We know losing 15kg within three to five months will give people with type 2 the best chance of putting their diabetes into remission. Evidence tells us this is more likely if you are able to lose weight within 6 years of your diagnosis.
Finding a way to lose weight can also help you improve the way you manage your condition and reduce your risk of diabetes complications. There are different ways to lose weight, such as a low-carb diet – but there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
Before you begin this meal plan
Before starting any healthy eating programme, please read how to choose your meal plan to make sure you follow the plan that’s right for you.
Please speak to your diabetes health care team before making significant changes to your diet.
This is especially important if you treat your condition with insulin and diabetes medications that increase the risk of hypos (low blood sugar levels). Reducing your carbohydrate intake and changes to your body weight may mean your insulin and diabetes medication needs to be adjusted.
7-Day Diabetes Meal Plan
Day 1
Breakfast: 4 Egg Muffins (352 calories & 8 g carbs)
Snack: 5.2 oz (148 g) Greek yogurt (0%) + 1 oz. (28 g) almonds (248 calories & 12 g carbs)
Lunch: 1 serving Salad Niçoise (405 calories & 18 g carbs)
Snack: 3 oz. (85 g) shelled edamame (120 calories & 8 g carbs)
Dinner: 1.5 serving Quiche (401 calories & 10 g carbs)
Veggies: 20 oz. (4-5 cups, 570 g) vegetables enjoyed throughout the day – estimated 80 calories & 20 g carbs
Total: 1607 calories & 76 g carbs
Day 2
Breakfast: 4 Egg Muffins (352 calories & 8 g carbs)
Snack: 4 oz. (114 g) apple + 1 tsp. nut butter (155 calories & 20 g carbs)
Lunch: 1.5 serving Quiche (401 calories & 10 g carbs)
Snack: 2 servings Cottage Cheese Parfait with Berries (250 calories & 25 g carbs)
Dinner: 1 serving Rosemary Chicken (Tuscan Style) + 1 serving Cauliflower Mash (375 calories & 14 g carbs)
Veggies: 20 oz. (4-5 cups, 570 g) vegetables enjoyed throughout the day – estimated 80 calories & 20 g carbs
Total: 1613 calories & 97 g carbs
Day 3
Breakfast: 1.5 serving Cauliflower Oatmeal + 2 eggs (353 calories & 25 g carbs)
Snack: 4 oz. (114 gram) hummus (200 calories & 17 g carbs) Tip: Enjoy with some of the daily veggies
Lunch: 1 serving Peruvian Chicken Wrap (375 calories & 16 g carbs)
Snack: 5 oz. (143 gram) Shelled edamame (200 calories & 14 g carbs)
Dinner: 1.5 serving Mustard Baked Chicken Tenders + 3 oz. (86 g) cooked quinoa (382 calories & 21 g carbs)
Veggies: 20 oz. (4-5 cups, 570 g) vegetables enjoyed throughout the day – estimated 80 calories & 20 g carbs
Total: 1590 calories & 113 g carbs
Day 4
Breakfast: 1 serving Chia Seed Pudding (201 calories & 23 g carbs)
Snack: 4 oz. (114 gram) apple + 1 tsp. nut butter (155 calories & 20 g carbs)
Lunch: 1 serving Peruvian Chicken Wrap (375 calories & 16 g carbs)
Snack: 2 Sugar-free Chocolate Chip Cookie (330 calories & 19 g carbs)
Dinner: 1 serving Salmon with Lemon Butter + 3 oz. (86 g) cooked quinoa (439 calories & 17 g carbs)
Veggies: 20 oz. (4-5 cups, 570 g) vegetables enjoyed throughout the day – estimated 80 calories & 20 g carbs
Total: 1580 calories & 115 g carbs
Day 5
Breakfast: 1 serving Chia Seed Pudding + 2 eggs (345 calories & 24 g carbs)
Snack: 5.2 oz (148 g) Greek yogurt (0%) + 1 oz. (29 g) almonds (248 calories & 12 g carbs)
Lunch: 1 serving Salmon with Lemon Butter (400 calories & 14 g carbs)
Snack: 1 Sugar-free Chocolate Chip Cookie (165 calories & 9 g carbs)
Dinner: 1.5 serving Turkey Chili (348 calories & 25 g carbs)
Veggies: 20 oz. (4-5 cups, 570 g) vegetables enjoyed throughout the day – estimated 80 calories & 20 g carbs
Total: 1586 calories & 104 g carbs
Day 6
Breakfast: 1 serving Protein Pancakes + 2 tsp. nut butter (372 calories & 24 g carbs)
Snack: 1 serving Keto Peanut Butter Fat Bombs (247 calories & 3 g carbs)
Lunch: 1.5 serving Turkey Chili (348 calories & 25 g carbs)
Snack: 1 Sugar-free Chocolate Chip Cookie (165 calories & 9 g carbs)
Dinner: 1.5 serving Zucchini Lasagna (366 calories & 18 g carbs)
Veggies: 20 oz. (4-5 cups, 570 g) vegetables enjoyed throughout the day – estimated 80 calories & 20 g carbs
Total: 1578 calories & 100 g carbs
Day 7
Breakfast: 1 serving Cottage Cheese Pancakes + 1 tsp. nut butter (300 calories & 23 g carbs)
Snack: 5 oz. (143 gram) Shelled edamame (200 calories & 14 g carbs)
Lunch: 1.5 serving Zucchini Lasagna (366 calories & 18 g carbs)
Snack: 1 serving Keto Peanut Butter Fat Bombs (247 calories & 3 g carbs)
Dinner: 1.5 serving Tofu Scramble (Vegan) (357 calories & 25 g carbs)
Veggies: 20 oz. (4-5 cups, 570 g) vegetables enjoyed throughout the day – estimated 80 calories & 20 g carbs
Total: 1550 calories & 103 g carbs
Risks and considerations
Without proper planning, a low-carb diet can make it more difficult to get specific nutrients.
People on a low-carb diet may also eat large amounts of protein, which may accelerate kidney damage if they already have kidney disease.
Other risks include:
- osteoporosis and bone fractures
- low-fiber intake
- clogged arteries
These risks may be due to eating too many processed protein sources, such as cold cuts and red meat. Limiting fruit and whole-grains can also be problematic if a person is not getting enough fiber.
Some people struggle to maintain a low-carb diet in the long term. Eating a low-carb diet may cause some people to feel hungry, moody, or have trouble concentrating.
Anyone who wants to try a low-carb diet to help manage diabetes may want to speak to a doctor or dietitian first, as healthcare professionals can help ensure they get all the nutrients they need.