Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is essential to your overall health for several reasons. If your blood sugar is consistently too high, it can lead to permanent damage in your kidneys, nerves, eyes, and more. Too low, and it could result in short term issues like drowsiness and trouble concentrating, and even long-term issues like seizures and coma. Luckily, there are ways to manage your blood sugar so that it stays within the target range. That includes adding the right types of foods to your diet.
To discover some of the best blood sugar-regulating foods out there, we spoke to Nutritionist Mary Sabat. She told us that the key is choosing high-fiber ingredients like oatmeal, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, and Greek yogurt. Learn more about the benefits of each of these foods below!
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1. Steel Cut Oatmeal
If you're looking to stabilize your blood sugar, opting for high-fiber foods is always a great choice. As Sabat notes, "Fiber is so important for blood sugar regulation as a high fiber carbohydrate will be absorbed slowly so blood sugar does not go as high." She says that steel cut oats, in particular, are "a terrific source of dietary fiber, which helps to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, thus stabilizing blood sugar levels." Nice!
To make this food even healthier, Sabat recommends pairing it with a protein and a healthy fat. "Good choices might be adding a scoop of vegan protein powder and some chia seeds or some plain organic Greek Yogurt and some nuts or seeds," she suggests.
2. Leafy Greens
There are so many reasons to pack leafy greens like spinach and kale into your diet—and according to Sabat, you can add healthy blood sugar levels to that list. She tells us that these tasty veggies are "packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which help to regulate blood sugar levels."
Just like oats, leafy greens pair perfectly with a healthy fat and some protein—a.k.a. a salad. Sabat explains that mixing these nutrients together will "help to slow down the absorption of carbohydrates making the blood sugar stay more stable." Noted!
3. Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds are another great addition to any meal, especially if you want to stabilize your blood sugar. And there are so many options to choose from, from almonds and cashews to chia seeds (which makes an excellent oatmeal topping). Sabat explains that these ingredients are packed with healthy fats and fiber.
"By themselves, or when added to a meal that has more carbohydrates, these healthy fats will slow down the absorption of sugar thus producing lower blood sugar levels," she says.
4. Organic Greek yogurt
There's so much to love about yogurt: it's probiotic-rich, versatile, and so tasty. Luckily, Sabat says that Greek yogurt can also help regulate blood sugar levels thanks to the amount of protein and probiotics it offers up. "The yogurt also has carbohydrates, but the protein and fat content in the yogurt slows down the absorption of the carbohydrates, thereby regulating blood sugar," she explains.
The bottom line
Overall, stabilizing your blood sugar is all about practicing healthy habits, from getting regular exercise to maintaining a healthy diet. And when it comes to some of the best foods for your blood sugar, choosing high-fiber options like the ones on this list is always a good idea.
