Now that I have diabetes, what can I eat?

Keep a list of the foods that you like to eat. Discuss that list with your dietitian or nutritionist. If you don't have a dietician or nutritionist, we can connect you to an HHC Diabetes Care Center. Just click on the "Contact Diabetes Care Centers" button to find a location near you.

Here are few healthy eating tips you may follow to reduce your calorie intake, fat and carbohydrate content, and those extra pounds.

• Watch your serving size and number of portions.
• Use one cup of skim milk instead of one cup of whole milk a day.
• Order your coffee “skinny”-with skim milk instead of cream.
• Use a smaller bowl for your morning cereal.
• Eat one cup of whole grain cereal instead of two.
• Substitute Canadian bacon for regular bacon.
• Add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. Eat fresh fruit instead of juice or dried fruit.
• Choose salads, fruits or vegetables instead of fries.
• Use whole grain foods like brown rice or whole wheat spaghetti in your meals.
• Add dried beans like kidney or pinto beans and lentils to your meals.
• Add fish 2-3 times a week to your meals.
• Try baked, broiled or steamed foods instead of fried.
• Choose lean cuts of meat like pork loin or sirloin steak.
• Use “light” or fat-free salad dressing instead of regular.
• Use water-packed tuna instead of oil-packed.
• Replace sugar with artificial sweeteners.
• Have a cup of low fat, sugar free yogurt, instead of a doughnut.
• Choose water, low-fat or fat-free milk, diet soda or club soda with lime instead of regular soda.
• Use tomato slices, lettuces leaves, pepper strips and mustard on a sandwich instead of mayonnaise.
• Order thin crust pizza instead of pan pizza. Choose low fat toppings like chicken or ham and add lots of vegetables. Ask for half as much cheese and more tomato sauce.