The 10 Worst Foods When You Have Type 2 Diabetes
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10 Foods to Avoid When You Have Type 2 Diabetes

Trying to keep your blood sugar in check? Limit or steer clear of these 10 foods to stay healthy and avoid complications.
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Updated on August 7, 2025
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potato chips, orange juice, chocolate cake, pasta
Avoid or limit fatty desserts and sugary alcoholic beverages to keep your blood sugar balanced.

A healthy type 2 diabetes diet includes healthy carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; low-fat dairy; heart-healthy fish; and good fats like nuts, avocados, and olive oil. But feeling your best when you have diabetes isn’t just about choosing the right foods. It’s also about limiting or avoiding foods that can spike your blood sugar and increase your risk of complications.

“It’s all about moderation and making careful food choices for overall balanced blood sugar control,” says Amy Kimberlain, RD, CDCES, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a wellness dietitian at Baptist Health South Florida.

A healthy diet for diabetes may also help you manage your weight or lose weight if you’re overweight, and losing just 10 to 15 pounds (lb) may help you prevent and manage high blood sugar.

 Such weight loss can also help improve insulin sensitivity as well, further supporting healthy blood sugar management, says Kimberlain.
1

Sugary Foods

chocolate cake
Foods that are made primarily of processed sugar, like many desserts, candy, and soda, are considered low-quality carbohydrates and are among the worst foods to eat when you have type 2 diabetes. These foods not only lack nutritional value, but also cause a sharp spike in your blood sugar, says Kimberlain. And they can lead to weight problems.

Instead of sweets, reach for delicious fruits like apples, berries, pears, or oranges. These high-quality carbohydrates contain plenty of fiber to help slow down the absorption of glucose, so they’re a far better choice for blood sugar control.

 Pair fruit with a high-protein food, such as peanut butter, for even better blood sugar levels.

One caveat: Even though fruit is healthy, it does raise blood sugar, says Kimberlain. “I always tell patients that timing is everything. If you just had a meal two hours ago (which is when your blood sugar is at its peak), and now you have a piece of fruit, you will only raise your blood sugar even more,” she says. It’s better to give your body time to return to a normal range, or opt for a hard-boiled egg or a handful of nuts (protein foods that won’t directly affect your blood sugar), she suggests.

2

Fruit Juice

orange juice
While fiber-rich whole fruits are considered healthy carbohydrates for people with diabetes, fruit juice is another story. Unless they’re trying to raise low blood sugar levels quickly, people with diabetes should avoid drinking juice, even 100 percent fruit juice, says Kimberlain. Fruit juice contains more vitamins and minerals than soda and other sugary drinks, but the problem is that juices have concentrated amounts of fruit sugar, and therefore cause your blood sugar to spike quickly. Plus, sips of fruit juice don't fill you up the same way that a piece of fruit does, because juice doesn’t have the same fiber that’s found in whole fruit, she adds.

If you want a refreshing drink, reach for zero-calorie plain or naturally flavored seltzer with a spritz of lemon or lime. Infusing water with cucumber and mint is nice, too, says Kimberlain.

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3

Dried Fruit

dried fruit
Although dried fruit contains fiber and many nutrients, the dehydration process removes the water, so it’s easier to eat more. While snacking on raisins or dried apricots is better for you than eating a cookie, it’ll still send your blood sugar soaring when you don’t keep a close eye on portion size.

 Skip dried fruit and instead choose whole fruits that are high in fiber, which cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose. And remember to eat fruit at a time when your blood sugar isn’t already at its peak, says Kimberlain.
4

White Carbohydrates

pasta
Other foods to avoid when you have type 2 diabetes are refined starches like white rice and anything made with white flour, including white bread and pasta. These “white” carbs act a lot like sugar once your body begins to digest them, which means they will increase your glucose levels. Replace refined carbs with whole grains, such as brown or wild rice, barley, oatmeal, high-fiber cereals, and whole-grain breads, for carbs that break down more slowly and have a less-dramatic effect on blood sugar.

“The first ingredient [on the label] should [be] a whole grain,” says Kimberlain. “Whether it’s whole grain or whole rye, it should say ‘whole.’”

5

Full-Fat Dairy

full fat dairy
You’ve probably heard that the saturated fats in dairy products can raise your LDL cholesterol levels.

 For people with diabetes, a diet high in saturated fat may also worsen insulin resistance.

Do your best to avoid full-fat dairy products made with whole milk, such as cream, full-fat yogurt, ice cream, cream cheese, and other full-fat cheeses, says Kimberlain. Look for reduced-fat or fat-free dairy products instead.

The American Heart Association recommends that everyone get no more than 5 to 6 percent of their total daily calories from saturated fat, and this guidance is even more important for people with type 2 diabetes, says Kimberlain.

 If you consume 2,000 calories per day, that’s about 120 calories from saturated fat, or 13 grams (g).
6

Fatty Cuts of Meat

fatty meat
People with type 2 diabetes should limit or avoid high-fat cuts of meat and meat products, such as regular ground beef, ribs, bacon, bologna, hot dogs, and sausage. Like full-fat dairy, these meats are high in saturated fats, says Kimberlain. Saturated fats in meat raise cholesterol and promote inflammation throughout the body.

 They can also put people with diabetes at even greater risk for heart disease than the average person, since their risk is already elevated as a result of diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes may have other conditions that contribute to their risk for cardiovascular disease as well, including high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol and high triglycerides, obesity, and poor blood sugar control.

Instead of fatty cuts of meat, choose lean proteins, including skinless chicken and turkey, fish and shellfish, and lean beef.

 When it comes to ground beef, make sure you choose beef that’s at least 92 percent lean and 8 percent fat, says Kimberlain.
7

Packaged Snacks and Baked Goods

potato chips
Aside from the sugar, white flour, sodium, and preservatives they contain, packaged snacks and baked goods like chips, pretzels, crackers, cookies, doughnuts, and snack cakes may also feature unhealthy trans fats. Trans fats increase your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, lower your “good” (HDL) cholesterol, and raise your risk of heart disease. They’re even more problematic for people who have type 2 diabetes because of their increased risk of heart disease, says Kimberlain. There’s no amount of trans fat that’s considered healthy to include in your diet, especially if you have type 2 diabetes.

The good news is that trans fats are now listed right below the amount of saturated fats on food nutrition labels, making it easier to steer clear of them. Look for labels that list 0 g trans fat, but keep in mind that products with less than 0.5 g of trans fat can claim 0 g, so they may not be entirely trans-fat free. Check the ingredients list as well to make sure the product doesn’t contain any partially hydrogenated oils, a major source of trans fats.

8

Fried Foods

fries

You may have a weakness for fried foods like french fries, fried chicken, and potato chips, but satisfying this craving another way will better serve your health in the long run. Fried foods typically soak up lots of oil, which equates to lots of extra calories, and many are breaded, further increasing their caloric content.

Minimize fried foods when you have type 2 diabetes to avoid weight gain and blood sugar issues, says Kimberlain. “Not only do these foods initially spike blood sugar, they can leave it high over a long period of time. Fat takes longer to digest, so it keeps blood sugar elevated,” she says. To make matters worse, some foods are deep-fried in hydrogenated oils that are laden with trans fats.

For the same flavor without the added fat and calories, Kimberlain suggests finding new ways to prepare the ‘fried’ foods you like, such as baking, roasting, or grilling. “You can even make baked ‘fried’ chicken,” she says. “Air fryers are popular now as well, so there’s that option, too. And if you don’t have an air fryer, I have a little convection oven that works just the same. I make baked fries in there that taste so crispy, you’d think they were fried.”

9

Alcohol

beer
Before you indulge in a cocktail or even a glass of wine with dinner, check with your doctor to make sure that it’s safe for you to drink alcohol, since it can interfere with your blood sugar levels. If you do drink, do so in moderation.

 “Moderation” is generally defined as no more than one serving per day if you’re a woman and no more than two servings per day if you’re a man.

 A typical serving is measured as 5 ounces (oz) of wine, 12 oz of beer, or 1.5 oz of distilled liquor.

“Diabetes medication is processed through the liver, and so is alcohol,” says Kimberlain. “This double whammy can be too much for your liver. If you’re taking medication to lower your blood sugar, it can cause low blood sugar, especially if you’re drinking and not eating.”

As for best and worst choices at the bar when you have type 2 diabetes, Kimberlain recommends mixed drinks like diet soda with rum (hard liquor has no carbs), or hard liquor with ice or calorie-free mixers. Avoid sweet wines, drinks with added sugar or honey, juicy drinks, and umbrella drinks with lots of sugar.

10

Sweeteners That Spike Your Blood Sugar

honey

People tend to think that “natural” sweeteners like honey or maple syrup are okay, but when it comes to blood sugar management, the body doesn’t distinguish between different types, says Kimberlain. These natural sugars still cause a spike in blood sugar. Instead of searching for a healthier sugar swap, the goal is to learn to enjoy food for its natural flavor and start cutting back on added sugar, she says.

The Takeaway

  • A type 2 diabetes–friendly diet not only prioritizes nutrient-dense, fiber-rich, plant-forward foods, but also minimizes choices that are high in sugar and saturated fat, which can be detrimental for blood sugar management and cardiovascular health.
  • When it comes to sugar, it’s best to limit your consumption of sweets, soda, fruit juice, dried fruit, and packaged baked goods.
  • On the savory side, try to swap “white” carbohydrates for more complex options, trade fatty cuts of meat for leaner ones, reach for low-fat dairy instead of full-fat dairy, and avoid fried foods.

Resources We Trust

Additional reporting by Jennifer D’Angelo Friedman.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Diabetes Prevention: 5 Tips for Taking Control. Mayo Clinic. March 12, 2025.
  2. Healthy Weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2024.
  3. Understanding Carbs. American Diabetes Association.
  4. Chart of High Fiber Foods. Mayo Clinic. November 23, 2023.
  5. Fruit vs. Fruit Juice: What’s the Difference? Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.
  6. Blood Sugar–Friendly Fruits if You Have Diabetes. Harvard Health Publishing. July 14, 2025.
  7. Choosing Healthy Carbs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2024.
  8. Full-Fat Dairy Foods and Cardiovascular Disease: Is There a Connection? Mayo Clinic. January 5, 2024.
  9. Blake S et al. How Excess Dietary Saturated Fats Induce Insulin Resistance. International Journal of Translational Science. October 2021.
  10. Saturated Fat. American Heart Association. August 23, 2024.
  11. The Truth About Fats: The Good, the Bad, and the In-Between. Harvard Health Publishing. April 12, 2022.
  12. Joseph JJ et al. Comprehensive Management of Cardiovascular Risk Factors for Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. January 10, 2022.
  13. Cuts of Beef: A Guide to the Leanest Selections. Mayo Clinic. November 21, 2023.
  14. Trans Fat Is Double Trouble for Heart Health. Mayo Clinic. February 1, 2025.
  15. Alcohol and Diabetes. American Diabetes Association.
  16. About Moderate Alcohol Use. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 14, 2025.
  17. About Standard Drink Sizes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. December 12, 2024.
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Julie Cunningham, MPH, RDN, LDN, CDCES

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Julie Cunningham has been a registered dietitian for more than 25 years. She is a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) and an international board-certified lactation consultant. She has served as the president of the Foothills Chapter of the North Carolina Dietetics Association (NCDA) and has been a member of the executive board of the NCDA.

Ms. Cunningham received a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University in North Carolina. She subsequently completed a master's degree in public health nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ms. Cunningham has worked in women's and children's health, cardiology, and diabetes. She is the author of 30 Days to Tame Type 2 Diabetes, and she has also written for Abbott Nutrition News, Edgepark Medical Health Insights, diaTribe, Babylist, and others.

A resident of beautiful western North Carolina, Cunningham is an avid reader who enjoys yoga, travel, and all things chocolate.

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Joy Bauer MS, RD, CDN is one of the nation's leading health authorities. Joy's mission is to improve the well being of our country and believes it's never too late or too early to reap the benefits of healthy living.

As the nutrition and health expert for The TODAY Show, Joy shares reliable, practical, and straightforward advice that helps millions of Americans eat better and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. She also hosts the program's popular "Joy Fit Club" series, which celebrates determined people who have lost more than 100 pounds through diet and exercise alone. Her other ongoing series include Joy's Diet SOS, Joy's Healthy Food Finds, and Too Good to be Healthy.

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