Introduction
There are many great alternative breakfast recipes and ideas. Each individual type of breakfast has something to offer to everyone. For some, however, the foods that they can consume are limited, owing to the fact that they may have food allergies, diseases, or other complications. These include gluten allergies, nut allergies, and type-2 diabetes, to name a few. Creating a safe diabetic breakfast, or any meal related to body abnormalities, requires you to research what is necessary for protecting your health.
Specifically, diabetes is diagnosed based on an individual’s ability to properly control and stabilize blood sugar levels. In all variations of diabetes, the body produces an excess amount of sugar in the blood, which forces its sufferers to eat and drink selectively and cautiously. This article will primarily focus on type-2 diabetes, since it is the most common type and directly correlates with changes in diet.
What is important for diabetes sufferers to include in their diet?
If you suffer from diabetes, your body either refuses to produce insulin or blocks it off. Insulin is responsible for stabilizing your blood glucose levels, so if your body cannot use insulin, it allows much more sugar to enter the blood than is necessary.
Seeing as how the body loads up the blood with a lot of sugar, you must avoid sugary foods as much as possible-especially simple carbohydrates. Sweet foods like sugary beverages, trans fat doughnuts, refined wheat (white bread), honey, and juice are just a few examples of high-sugar foods. Consuming too many of these can lead to lethal diseases such as heart disease and circulatory inflammation.
As a general rule of thumb, try to limit your intake of simple carbs as much as possible. Starchy foods such as pasta and potatoes should also be limited in your diet. Keep this fact in mind when creating a diabetic breakfast.
Eat more fibrous foods
However, there is an exception to this rule: complex carbohydrates such as fibers are healthy for diabetes sufferers. The body absorbs fiber differently than glucose, and it doesn’t have an effect on your blood sugar levels. As a result, fibrous foods such as oats, barley, whole wheat, beans, and broccoli are great at keeping your blood sugar levels at bay and satisfying your appetite. I highly recommend consuming fibrous foods if you want to eat more carbs.
The positive effects of fiber on diabetes sufferers has been proven in a study conducted in 2020. It claimed that high-fiber foods are “an important component of diabetes management, resulting in improvements in measures of glycemic control, blood lipids, body weight, and inflammation, as well as a reduction in premature mortality”.
These are the 5 foods I highly recommend to keep your blood sugar levels stable and healthy-not to mention they are also delicious! It is important to note that anyone can enjoy these diabetic breakfast ideas, not just those who have diabetes.
1) Banana peanut butter overnight oats
This unique oatmeal recipe gives you plenty of fiber and protein to start your day right. Pour some oats (preferably whole grain) and unsweetened milk into a bowl.
Then, chop one whole banana into slices, scoop out 3 or 4 tbsp of peanut butter and mix them in the bowl using a spoon.
Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge overnight. As soon as you wake up, you can dig in to this delightful, protein-enriched meal. If you have to leave in the morning for school or work, the time save is even better.
2) Blackberry raspberry kiwi smoothie
Although most fruits contain glucose, they tend to contain fibers which naturally protect the body against diabetes. Blackberries, kiwis, and raspberries are high-quality fruits for diabetes sufferers because these fruits score low on the glycemic index. In addition, they contain several important vitamins and antioxidants.
It is often worthwhile to combine fruit smoothies with protein foods such as whey protein and peanut butter, but the base ingredients are sufficient enough. Blend these berries together for a nutritious smoothie, and if you want more creaminess, add in one whole banana along with the other ingredients.
3) Poached eggs on avocado toast
This is a versatile combination that can be served with vegetables such as spinach and asparagus.
Poached eggs are made by cracking eggs in salted, boiling water, then stirring it like a tornado. The poached eggs will have the wet yolk runoff on your avocado toast, making for the perfect bread pairing. The best part about this recipe is that it is super easy to make more than one.
4) Wheat bran flakes in oat milk or unsweetened almond milk
You shouldn’t eat too much of this in one sitting, but it is one of the best cereals for diabetics. Bran flakes are super fibrous and beat out almost every other cereal when it comes to maintaining your blood sugar.
They are also fortified with amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Lastly, they contain plenty of magnesium, iron, vitamin D and calcium, all of which keep your heart and bones strong and healthy.
You can sprinkle cinnamon on top, or add nuts such as almonds and pecans to give it additional flavor. It will remain a reliable and easy-to-make diabetic breakfast for years to come.
5) Chia pudding
This is a delicious snack that is simple to make and contains healthy fats and protein. Most recipes for chia pudding call for a sweetener such as honey or stevia, so I recommend either slashing these portions in half or removing them altogether. In fact, adding safe, sugary berries such as strawberries and blueberries is often enough to give it a great taste.
Simply mix 2 tablespoons of chia seeds and half a cup of unsweetened almond milk in a jar. Make sure to mix it well with a spoon. Then the table is open to add whatever else you want, like the aforementioned honey or even dark chocolate. The little seeds pack more of a punch than you may think!
