A Diabetes Meal Plan Should Include Eggs

A Diabetes Meal Plan Needs Foods Low in Carbohydrate

One of the best foods that you can have in a diabetes meal plan is an egg.  Why?  I heard eggs are bad for your heart…

Well, the amount of cholesterol in an egg is higher than most people should eat in one setting.  But the part of food that affects cholesterol the most in our bodies is saturated fat.  And eggs are not too heavily loaded with saturated fat.  One egg has 5g of fat (about 8% of daily value), of which only 1.5g is saturated.  I know that you probably don’t eat just one egg, so you should plan to only eat them a few days a week – not everyday.

Eggs are an extremely versatile food that you should try to fit in on a regular basis, whether it’s for breakfast or dinner.  Not only are they packed with nutrients but they are also filling and low in calories.  A single egg contains just 78 calories.  Let me tell you about some of the basic nutrients that an egg contains, to help you understand why they fit well in a diabetic diet meal plan.

Choline

Eggs contain extremely high levels of choline.  This impressive nutrient has a number of functions in the body.  It keeps your cell membranes healthy, prevents cancer and heart disease and reduces painful inflammation.  Choline also keeps your nervous system healthy and can prevent nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease.

Selenium

Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that can be found in eggs.  Its main role is to keep the body’s cells safe from dangerous free radicals.  Selenium also helps the body produce disease fighting antibodies, fights cancer and heart disease, boosts the male reproductive system and relives the pain associated with arthritis and inflammation.

Iodine

Eggs also contain good levels of iodine.  The main function of this nutrient is to keep the thyroid gland healthy and help it produce hormones.  Iodine also strengthens your hair, nails, skin and teeth and boosts the immune system of developing babies.

Vitamin B2

Vitamin B2 is another of the impressive nutrients that eggs contain.  This vitamin helps your body break down the main nutrients in your food for energy.  Vitamin B2 also supports the production of healthy red blood cells, boosts your skin and helps you maintain healthy vision.

Protein

Eggs are one of the best protein alternatives to meat around.  This powerful nutrient is responsible for the construction, maintenance and repair of all your body’s cells.  Protein also assists with a number of essential internal processes such as fluid balance and the production of important chemicals.

Now, even if you were already convinced that you can fit eggs into a diabetes meal plan, I want to tell you why you need to make it a regular practice (2-3 days per week).  Eggs have no carbohydrate.  That’s right, none at all.  So, you as a diabetic, can eat them and your blood sugar should not budge.  Of course, if you eat them with other carbohydrate foods, your blood sugar will increase some.

Diabetics really have to control the amount of carbohydrate they eat.  So it is important to combine the whole grains and vegetables in your diet with higher protein foods.  Protein eventually gets broken down, and sometimes it is used to make glucose (blood sugars) – but it takes a lot of energy in your body to do that.  So, eating a higher protein diet works with your body and allows it to feel full and not hungry, yet get the food that you need to eat.  And your blood sugars will be more stable as a result.

Summary & Serving Suggestions

As you can see, eggs are certainly a healthy treat and something that you should have on a regular basis.  You can eat them fried, by using a pan spray instead of butter to keep it from sticking to the pan.  Eating them on your chef salad is another healthy choice, especially if you use oil and vinegar on your salad as dressing.  I would have the lettuce, chopped ham and turkey, and egg, and add some vegetables like carrots, broccoli and cucumbers.  That would make a really low carbohydrate meal – add a slice of whole grain bread to the side and you have a lower carbohydrate meal that keeps you from being too hungry all day.

You may feel that the diabetes meal plan you got from your doctor or dietitian didn’t really work for you, and I understand your feelings.  The standard carbohydrate controlled diet doesn’t work like a charm for most diabetics, and if you fall into that group, you can learn more about our diabetes meal plans that we offer by clicking here – Healthy Diet Menus for You.