Meal Planning With Diabetes -And A Diabetic Meal Plan App To Guide You December 2, 2016

First Step: Create a reminder in your phone’s calendar to menu plan the same time each week.

Living with diabetes – a reality for 10% of the US population – it is often a daunting task to throw a recipe together that keeps your glucose levels, cholesterol, blood pressure and weight on track- every single day. Particularly around dinner time, when many who return home from a long day at work feel too fatigued to pull a fresh, healthy meal together for the family. All too often, eating at a restaurant, grabbing take-out, or pulling something pre-made or frozen out of the fridge becomes the default routine for many Americans. These options are often packed with sodium, high in sugar, and loaded with extra calories that put your health at risk.

With a little planning – and some helpful tools- it is possible to work in a few more meals per week that optimize your body’s potential to regulate your blood sugar and keep your weight in check. To get started, first schedule a regular half-hour during your week to sit down and make a plan for the week ahead. Add this weekly meal planning event to the calendar in your phone so you get a reminder alert each week. Making this planning session a regular part of your weekly routine will help you save time, calories, and money later during the week.

Here are a few steps – and convenient apps – to help you put your plan in motion:

1. Browse a few Diabetic-friendly Recipes and keep track of the ones that seem easy for a mid-week meal after a long day.
2. When you come across a healthy recipe you love and would like to use again, save it! Try one of these Recipe Storing Apps for easily accessible reminders later on. You can also prioritize your recipes based on the days of the week you know you’ll be harder pressed for time.
3. As you prepare for a trip to the grocery store, create a list for the week based on your recipe selections. You may wish to use a handy Grocery Shopping List App for greater ease and accessibility.
4. As you consume foods during the week, keep track of what you eat during the day and be mindful of your daily nutritional values. You can try this Create Your Plate tool suggested by the American Diabetic Association, or utilize a healthy diet app specifically designed to monitor your sugar and caloric intake.
5. As you monitor your daily levels living with diabetes, you can also find a diabetes app that works for you from this list of The Best Diabetes Apps via Healthline. This will also enable you to show your physician your progress during your routine check ups, and together you can discuss health options for going forward.

Bottom Line: Make a plan to plan! All it takes is 30 minutes each week to sit down and develop a health strategy that works for your busy schedule. Meal planning for diabetes management will enhance your health, add greater convenience to your week days, and might even save you the additional costs that a restaurant tab will build up over time.

References

American Diabetic Association. Meal Planning. Accessed 12/2/16 

Mayo Clinic. Diabetics Meal Plan Recipes. Accessed 12/2/16 

Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic provides medical care to eligible patients, just like any family practitioner or internist – but it is free. We serve uninsured adults living at or below 200 % of the Federal poverty level who live or work on Johns, Wadmalaw or James Islands. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.