24 Problematic Foods to Avoid With Diabetes (Includes a Chart)

In order to eat in a way that manages diabetes, it all comes down to two things: the glycemic index and the glycemic load of food.

The glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are ways of measuring how different types of food affect your blood sugar. The GI measures how fast a food will raise your blood sugar, while the GL measures how much of an effect a food has on your blood sugar over time.

Put simply, eating foods with a lower GI and GL help keep your blood sugar levels from spiking.

The ranges for GI and GL are the following:

Glycemic Index

• Low (Good) Glycemic Rating: 1 to 55
• Medium Glycemic Rating: 56 to 69
• High (Bad) Glycemic Rating: 70+

Glycemic Load

• Low (Good) Glycemic Load: 1 to 10
• Medium Glycemic Load: 11-19
• High (Bad) Glycemic Load: 20+

NativeNote: Fiber plays an important role in the GI by helping slow down the rate of your body’s sugar absorption. So when a food or beverage doesn’t have much fiber, blood sugar rises faster. This is why higher-carb foods (which are typically low in fiber) will spike your blood sugar.

Here’s the most up-to-date list of the food and drinks to avoid with diabetes (3)…

• White Bread — 75 / 39 / 100 g / 53
• Wheat Bread — 70 / 34 / 100 g / 49
• White Rice — 70 / 56 / 100 g / 49
• Brown Rice — 50 / 37 / 100 g / 73
• Rice Cakes — 85 / 70 / 100 g / 82
• Refined Cereal — 70 / 16 / 100 g / 23
• Instant Oats — 74 / 41 / 100 g / 56
• Puffed Rice — 85 / 76 / 100 g / 90
• Baked Goods — 90 / 34 / 100 g / 38
• Dates — 70 / 48 / 100 g / 69
• Raisins — 65 / 52 / 100 g / 79
• Dried Bananas — 48 / 42 / 100 g / 88
• Dried Pears — 43 / 27 / 100 g / 63
• Dried Figs — 50 / 29 / 100 g / 58
• Strawberry Jam — 65 / 46 / 100 g / 70

Wondering about a particular food in general? Check out this handy resource.

• Soda: A single bottle of Coca-Cola (20 fl oz) has 65 grams of carbohydrates.
• Fruit Juice: One cup of orange juice contains 26 grams of carbohydrates (whereas an orange contains just 11 grams).
• Flavored Coffee Drinks: A grande vanilla latte (16 oz) from Starbucks has 37 grams of carbohydrates.

• The first ingredient in packaged snacks like saltine crackers, pretzels, and graham crackers is unbleached enriched flour. This is the first red flag that a food product should be avoided.
• Sugary drinks contain high levels of fructose, which research has linked to diabetes and insulin resistance (4, 5).
• Trans fats—found in margarine, frozen meals, creamer, crackers, muffins, peanut butter, and more—have been linked to decreased artery function, insulin resistance, belly fat, inflammation, and decreased levels of “good” cholesterol (6, 7, 8). Having diabetes already makes you twice as likely to experience heart disease or stroke, so the additional heart health risk caused by trans fats is extra dangerous (9).

Fortunately, there are all kinds of delicious and healthy foods that can help manage your blood sugar (10).

Here’s a list of real, whole foods to enjoy…

• Salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, and trout
• Chia seeds
• Leafy green vegetables (non-starchy vegetables like lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli, collard greens, cabbage, and cauliflower)
• Certain nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds, and peanuts)
• Low-sugar fruits (citrus, berries, and an occasional banana)

And try these healthier swaps for beverages you may love:

• Instead of drinking fruit juice, eat fruit.
• Instead of a vanilla latte, add a scoop of collagen to your morning coffee.

A note about bananas:

Since bananas are high in simple carbs that can raise your blood sugar, many people with type 2 diabetes feel conflicted about whether or not they should eat them (11). If you’re wondering how much sugar is in a banana, it often depends on its size. Eating a smaller or medium-sized banana, especially one that is slightly underripe or not yet overripe, can help curb the level of carbs you consume while still reaping the benefits of bananas’ antioxidants, potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, and vitamin C (12).

If you are on a strict low-carb diet, you may need to steer clear of bananas. But for most people with type 2 diabetes, bananas are okay in moderation. If you have concerns, check with your doctor before adding them to your diet.