Your diabetes food plan

Dr Neal Barnard, author of The Reverse Diabetes Diet, believes you can manage diabetes through diet. See the July issue of Healthy magazine, on sale in Holland & Barrett stores nationwide, to find out how but, meanwhile, read on for a sample menu to help balance your blood sugar levels.

Breakfast ideas
•    Porridge oats with cinnamon, raisins and apple puree, cooked with water, not milk.
•    Bran flakes with berries, peaches or bananas and fat-free soya milk
•    Fruit smoothie with blueberries, peaches, fresh-pressed apple juice and low-fat soya milk
•    Veggie sausage or bacon with rye toast
•    Scrambled tofu instead of scrambled eggs – add herbs and spices such as onion powder, turmeric, cumin, parsley, spring onions or chives.

Lunch choices
•    Chunky salads – three bean, bulgur wheat and vegetables, noodles and tofu
•    Hearty soups – lentil, split pea, wild mushroom, spinach and nutmeg, mixed vegetables
•    Healthy sandwiches – use wholemeal pitta, rye or pumpernickel bread filled with hummus, grated carrots and beansprouts, or vegetarian turkey or ham substitute with salad and mustard

Dinner options
•    Tomato and spinach pasta with cucumber and onion salad
•    3-bean chilli with wholegrain rice and green salad
•    Tofu stir fry with carrots, broccoli, peppers, onions, garlic and low-salt soy sauce
•    Moroccan tagine of chickpeas, aubergine, onions and peppers with quinoa

Snack suggestions
•    Rye toast with pure-fruit jam
•    Fresh and dried fruits (both have low to moderate GI, but with dried fruits it’s tempting to take in more calories as the water has been taken out, so be moderate with them)
•    Cucumber, celery and carrot sticks with hummus
•    Air-popped popcorn sprinkled with nutritional yeast

Find more meal suggestions and lots of recipes in The Reverse Diabetes Diet by Dr Neal Barnard (Rodale, £8.99).

Compiled by: Colette Harris