In this Tidbits With Oakstone video, Dietitian Samantha answers the following question:
What are the top 5 foods to help with blood sugar management?
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Video Transcript:
Hey y’all and welcome to Tidbits with Oakstone. My name is Samantha and I’m the registered dietitian and owner of OakStone Health and Nutrition which is a dietitian Private Practice located in Martinsville Virginia.
For this Tidbits with Oakstone video we’re going to be talking about five foods to add to your current nutrition habits to help manage those blood sugars better.
Leafy Greens
The first food that we’re going to talk about is leafy greens. Leafy greens, like kale spinach and swiss chard are great options to add to your current nutrition habits and they’re great options to manage those blood sugars because they have vitamins and minerals like magnesium. They also include fiber which helps prevent spikes in blood sugar level and helps with insulin sensitivity.
Leafy greens are low in calories and they’re low in carbs so if you’ve already maxed out your carbs at a meal or a snack, leafy greens would be a great way to add some more volume and food to your meals so that it can help you feel fuller for longer.
Some ways to add leafy greens into your nutrition habits are adding spinach to your morning smoothies or adding kale to your favorite salad.
Berries
The second food we’re going to talk about are berries. Berries like strawberries, blueberries,
and raspberries are wonderful options to help you manage your blood sugar levels because they contain antioxidants which help reduce inflammation and they also contain fiber which is going to prevent the spikes in blood sugar.
A great way to add them to your your current nutrition habits are sprinkling them on top of your yogurt or oatmeal in the mornings, or you can eat them as a snack just make sure you pair them with a protein food like a boiled egg, nuts or cheese.
Whole Grains
The third food is whole grains. Whole grains include whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, oats, quinoa, and whole wheat crackers. They’re all wonderful options to add more whole grains to your current nutrition habits.
Whole grains are really important because they are going to help you stay fuller for longer and they also have fiber in it which is going to prevent those spikes in blood sugar levels.
A great way to add whole grains to your current nutrition habits is the next time that you have spaghetti night, instead of using regular pasta maybe use some whole wheat pasta.
A tip I like to give to my clients is to gradually increase their whole wheat intake if they are not used to consuming this type of food (because it can by a tougher texture than simple carb foods like white bread or white rice). So instead of switching fully to whole wheat pasta, try using a half portion of regular pasta and the other half whole wheat pasta until you build up your tolerance for whole wheat textures.
Nuts and Seeds
The fourth food is nuts and seeds. These include walnuts, pistachios, almonds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds. They are great options because they contain healthy fats, protein, and fiber which again helps prevent those spikes and blood sugar.
You can add them in your smoothies, on your cereals, or eat them as a snack with your fruits.
Legumes
The fifth food is legumes. This means beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
These are great foods to eat to manage blood sugar levels because they are high in fiber and protein. They also help with digestive health.
You can add them to your current nutrition habits by adding them to soups. So the next time that you make chili beans, make sure you’re adding in extra beans and legumes. You can even add lentils on top of a salad, or chickpeas as a snack by roasting them in the oven.
So that’s it for this Tidbits with Oakstone video and to recap the top five foods to help with managing those blood sugar levels are…
- Leafy greens
- Berries
- Whole grains
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes
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