10 Foods That Have Little Impact on Blood Sugar

If you’ve been under the impression that carrots are a sugar-loaded food, you’re not alone. Although this is a common misconception, “it is simply not true,” says Rene Ficek, RD, owner and president of Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating in the Chicago area.

“Carrots are considered a nonstarchy vegetable, along with options such as broccoli and lettuce,” Ficek says. “These foods are safe for people with diabetes to eat at each meal without worry that glucose levels will spike.”

“People hear cereal, and they think carbs, carbs, carbs,” Harris-Pincus says. But that’s not necessarily the case — you just have to be smart about which type of breakfast cereal you choose. A low-fiber cereal like Rice Krispies is going to be digested more quickly than a bran cereal that’s very high in fiber, Harris-Pincus says. “And that’s going to raise your blood sugar more quickly compared to a high-fiber bran cereal that’s not sweetened, like Fiber One.”

“Low-fat cottage cheese is high in protein and low in carbohydrates, making it a terrific addition to a snack or a meal,” says Jill Weisenberger, RDN, CDCES, who is based in Newport News, Virginia, and is the author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide.

“Barley tends to be good for diabetes and lowering blood sugar because even though it’s a carbohydrate, it tends to form this gel that can help with carbohydrate absorption and decrease the rise in blood sugar,” Harris-Pincus says.

As for how to incorporate it into your meals? “Everyone thinks of soup, but you can make it like any other grain and eat it like oatmeal with nuts, fruit, or a hard-boiled egg,” she says.

Harris-Pincus suggests using lentils as a base for meatless sloppy joes, tacos, falafels, and meatballs. They are also an option for a plant-based soup. “There are so many things you can do with lentils,” she says. “It replaces meat, basically.” Try lentils for your next meatless Monday.

“Strawberries can be the perfect low-calorie solution for someone with a sweet tooth,” says Mitzi Dulan, RD, Kansas City, Kansas-based author of The Pinterest Diet: How to Pin Your Way Thin. “Research suggests that eating strawberries may help our bodies better use insulin, which can lower the amount needed to manage blood sugar after eating.”

If you like to snack on berries on their own, that’s great, but Harris-Pincus prefers to pair them with foods that offer protein and fat to balance out the fruit’s carbohydrate content. “Have them with cottage cheese and nuts, with yogurt and whole-grain cereal like a parfait, on top of your smoothie bowl, or with a little piece of cheese for a snack,” she says.

“Yogurt naturally contains both high-quality carbohydrates and protein, making it an excellent food for slowing or preventing an unhealthy rise in blood sugar,” Ficek says. “In fact, research has shown diets high in [certain] calcium-rich foods may even help to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”