Having diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t have your favorite foods; you can eat foods, but you must pick the healthy options. One of the best options to fill your temptation is eating foods and vegetables loaded with nutrition and low in calories.
A few fruits and vegetables are preferable for dealing with your diabetes. Search for low glycemic index food, which means it won’t spike your glucose.
Moreover, getting a lot of calcium and probiotic-rich dairy food sources is essential to sustain your bones and give good microbes. Moreover, excellent sources are low-fat milk, kefir, and Greek yogurt.
These food varieties are essential for any diabetes meal plan, but you don’t have to eat them with a fork or spoon. You can pack a ton of nutrition into one smoothie and get a flavorful treat. However, the longer you stay with healthy options and add sugars, the more you can enjoy smoothies regularly.
A smoothie can be an effective way to eat superfoods, like spinach and green leaves. Different ingredients can contain tons of fat and sugar, increasing the risk of sugar spikes and weight gain. A good diabetes meal plan includes these things.
Remember that when you mix the organic foods into your smoothies, use them as a piece of your daily fruit product, so you don’t need to go overboard on starches. This can drive up your glucose if you eat a lot of it.
Diabetes-Friendly Smoothie Ingredients
Making a smoothie that can be included in a diabetes meal plan involves picking nutritious and tasty ingredients that won’t trigger a glucose spike.
- Avocados
The American Diabetes Association prescribes adding avocados to morning smoothies as a substitution for dairy is a great option.
- Flaxseed Meal
Ground flaxseed is extremely nutrient thick, containing around 80 calories, 6 grams (g) fat, 5 g starches, 3 g fiber, 0 g sugar, and 3 g protein in 2 tbsp., as per the Department of Agriculture.
- Tofu
Tofu is the favorite food of a vegetarian and is also included in every diabetes meal plan. A soy food, not a processed soy ingredient. It fills in as a veggie lover source of low-calorie protein and is utilized as a substitute for dairy in smoothies. Tofu offers a thick, rich surface and mixes well with fruits, like strawberries.
- Hempseed
Hempseed is usually low in carbs and is also loaded with fiber, protein, good fats (omega-3 and omega-6), iron, B nutrients, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese.
- Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
Nonfat plain Greek yogurt is a low-calorie, low-starch, protein-loaded source of common bacteria that can add texture and richness to smoothies.
- Chia Seeds
Chia is a seed from the chia plant, and the seeds are wealthy in alpha-linoleic acid. Moreover, chia seeds contain antioxidants, offer a vegan source of calcium, and are stacked with potassium and magnesium. Hence, it is the perfect ingredient for the patient who follows the diabetes meal plan.
- Protein
Compared to fat, protein offers numerous health advantages, and you will find it in the diabetes meal plan of every diabetic patient because it is essential for everybody, particularly for individuals with diabetes. High-protein foods can slow food absorption and the speed at which sugar enters the arteries. Protein is necessary for everyone, whether from animals or vegetables; adding it to a smoothie can give great health benefits.
- Fiber
Soluble fibers are hard to break, and the body struggles to break them, implying it takes more time to deliver its energy, decreasing the risk of a glucose spike. Insoluble fiber spikes stomach-related health and reduce the absorption of different food in the gastrointestinal plot. If your diabetes meal plan does not include fiber, you must consider talking to your dietician, as fiber is essential to managing hunger.
Best Low-Carb Smoothies for Diabetics Patients
- Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie
With a high 25 g of protein in one serving, this smoothie is ideally suited for supplanting a protein shake after an exercise.
Ingredients; 4 oz. Strawberries, 1 oz. banana, one scoop vanilla protein powder (1 oz.), one teaspoon flaxseed, Water
Nutrition Value: 195 calories – 18 g carbs – 25 g protein – 4 g fat
- Vegan Blueberry Smoothies
After a workout, a tasty low-carb, high-protein blueberry smoothie is all you need to feel relaxed; it’s loaded with creamy and antioxidants, which you must add to your diabetes meal plan.
Ingredients: 4 oz. canned unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup blueberries, four tablespoons pea protein powder, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nutrition Value 402 calories – 9 g carbs – 15 g protein – 33 g fat
- Low-carb Smoothie Bowl with Berries
A low-carb smoothie with strawberries is an ideal way to start your day. It’s a heavenly, rich breakfast that only takes 5 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup almond milk, 2 oz. sliced strawberries, 3 cups crushed ice, 1/3 cup pea protein powder, 1/2 teaspoon psyllium husk powder, one tablespoon coconut oil, 5 – 10 drops liquid Stevia
This smoothie contains 166 calories, 4 g carbs, 18 g protein, 9 g fat
- Green Smoothie with Avocado and Peanut Butter
This simple green smoothie contains low-carb vegetables like kale, cucumber, and celery, good fat from the avocado, and peanut butter. A perfect smoothie for your health and adding to a diabetes meal plan will give faster results.
Ingredients: 1 oz. Kale leaves, 1/2 avocado, one stick of celery, 2 oz. cucumber, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, one tablespoon peanut butter, two tablespoons lemon juice
Nutrition count; 141 calories, 9 g carbs, 4 g protein, and 11 g fat
- Chocolate Avocado Smoothie
Ingredients: 1/2 ripe avocado, three tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, one teaspoon lime juice, a pinch of mineral salt, 6-7 drops of liquid Stevia
Nutrition Value 319 calories, 12 g carbs, 2 g protein, 31 g fat
Other Diabetes-friendly Smoothies You Must Try
- Superfood smoothie
- Berry blast smoothie
- Peach smoothie
- Joann’s green smoothie
- Green smoothie
- Oatmeal breakfast smoothie
Wrap Up
A smoothie can seem to be a beverage but contain many carbs and calories. If losing weight is your goal, you can replace a meal with a smoothie as it has enough calories to keep you full all day. You can try any of the smoothies mentioned above and add them to your diabetes meal plan, as these are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and good fats. Being a diabetic patient is not easy; you must do everything to control your glucose level.