American Diabetes Association | Research, Education, Advocacy

Do you have a diabetes emergency plan? These tips will help you plan your supplies, medications, and emergency contacts in case of a natural disaster or security risk.

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Recipe of the Day

Cranberry Almond Spinach Salad

Fresh spinach topped with red onion, chewy dried cranberries, and crunchy toasted almonds, tossed in a sweet and tangy dressing—doesn’t that sound delicious?

Get Cooking!

INSULIN Act Introduced

A Podcast for People with Diabetes and Their Caregivers

A No-cost Type 2 Diabetes Lifestyle Change Program

ADA’s <em>Standards of Care in Diabetes-2023</em>

Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel

Tip of the Day

Ready to get out more? You can take care of your kidneys AND eat out and enjoy a nice meal. Learn which foods to order when dining out and enjoy the flavors of a kidney-friendly meal.

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Take Action Against Prediabetes

Small changes in your diet and exercise can make a big difference with prediabetes. Assess your risk and change your course today.

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Thriving with Diabetes

Try something different

From diet and exercise to treatment and care, there are tons of practical things you can do every day to make your life easier. Here are just a few.

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Learn How to Manage

Find a Diabetes Education Program Near You

Regardless of where you are in your journey with diabetes, we are here to help. A diabetes care and education specialist in a program near you can help you manage your diabetes.

Diabetes Food Hub®

Insulin Affordability Resources

Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes

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Easily find the diabetes program or resources in your area you’ve been looking for. Search for almost anything from medical care to education, to nutrition and health. Find resources in every ZIP Code so you can get the help you need wherever you are.

Recipes & Nutrition | ADA

Recipes & Nutrition

When it comes to nutrition and diabetes, it’s all about finding the right balance that works for you.

When you’re managing diabetes and prediabetes, your eating plan is a powerful tool.

But figuring out what to eat can feel like a hassle, right? Well, it doesn’t have to because there are easy things you can do to add flavor to your daily routine—including healthy twists on your favorite foods.

One key to feeling your best lies in the food you eat. You can start by working with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN/RD) to make an eating plan that works for you. In it, be sure to include the foods you like—and don’t be afraid to try something new.

Most importantly, remember that eating well—and adding activity to your daily routine by moving more—are important ways you can manage diabetes. And we’re here to help you every step of the way.

Let’s get started.

What does the science say?

“What can I eat?” is one of the top questions asked by people with diabetes when they are diagnosed—and our goal is to help answer that question. A panel of scientists, doctors, endocrinologists, diabetes educators and dietitians reviewed over 600 research articles over the course of five years to see what diets—or eating patterns—work well for people with diabetes. The results were published in our Nutrition Consensus Report.

The main finding? Everyone’s body responds differently to different types of foods and diets, so there is no single “magic” diet for diabetes. But you can follow a few simple guidelines to find out what works for you to help manage your blood glucose (blood sugar).

Get the key takeaways

Introducing the Diabetes Plate Method

No matter which eating pattern works best for you, it can still be hard to know where to start when it comes to building healthy meals that help you manage your blood glucose—while still being tasty.

That’s where the Diabetes Plate Method comes in. Using this method, you can create perfectly portioned meals with a healthy balance of vegetables, protein and carbohydrates—without any counting, calculating, weighing or measuring.

Learn more

And once you’ve got the Plate Method down, check out these tasty plates for some meal planning inspiration! Find articles like this and more from the nutrition experts at the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Food Hub^®—the premier food and cooking destination for people living with diabetes and their families.

Antoinette was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes—but she hasn’t let it hold her back.

“During discharge I was given a sheet of paper of things to eat and things to avoid. This was supposed to be my guide for my new life. Although I was overwhelmed, I was determined that I would not let diabetes control my life.”

Now, Antoinette manages her diabetes through a exercise, stress management, medication and a balanced meal plan—and she strives to remove the stigma associated with diabetes and build a community of people actively seeking to improve their health despite their diagnosis.

What you need to know about nutrients

Now that you’ve got the basics, let’s dive into nutrients.

First things first: do you use food labels for products that you buy in the store? The food labels on packaging can be a great place to find information about the nutrients in the food you’re purchasing.

Get smart on food labels

Carbs, carbs, carbs—what about them?

When it comes to managing diabetes, the carbohydrates, or carbs, you eat play an important role. They impact your blood glucose, so remember that balance is key!

There are three main types of carbohydrates in food—starches, sugar and fiber. As you’ll see on the nutrition labels for the food you buy, the term “total carbohydrate” refers to all three of these types.

When it comes to choosing foods with carbs, the goal is to choose carbs that are nutrient-dense, which means they are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and low in added sugars, sodium and unhealthy fats. 

Learn more about carbs

How to eyeball carb servings

How is calcium connected to aging, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and falls? 

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body and makes up a lot of your bones and teeth. It keeps your bones and teeth strong and supports your body’s overall structure. Calcium is also used to help your muscles move, helps with blood circulation, and your nerves to transmit messages throughout your body. The other nutrient to know when thinking about calcium is vitamin D. Vitamin D is used to absorb calcium, so without it, it can lead to not getting sufficient amounts of calcium. Also, as we get older, our bodies aren’t as efficient in absorbing calcium.

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Treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

  Learn more about type 2 diabetes with our special collection of lessons. How to eat right, what types of hypoglycemic drugs are there? Is it true that only older people get type 2 diabetes? How to maintain your health and do you need to play sports?

  • Lesson 1. About Diabetes

    Causes, types of diabetes, methods of therapy. What complications can occur in this disease?

  • Lesson 2.

    Self-control

    How to determine at home the level of sugar in the blood and urine, as well as the level of acetone in the urine? Why is it necessary to monitor weight and pressure?

  • Lesson 3. Nutrition Basics

    How to control the amount of carbohydrates and calorie content of food in type 2 diabetes, what should I pay attention to?

  • Lesson 4. Physical activity

    Without regular physical activity, success in controlling type 2 diabetes is difficult. Where to start and how much to move?

  • Lesson 5.

    Hypoglycemic drugs

    Types of drugs, injections or tablets, their pros and cons, in what cases are they prescribed, and when insulin may be needed?

  • Lesson 6. Insulin therapy

    Insulin is a hormone produced by the β-cells of the pancreas.

  • Lesson 7. Hypoglycemia

    Hypoglycemia usually develops only in diabetic patients receiving insulin therapy or other hypoglycemic drugs.

  • Lesson 8-11.

    Complications

    Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of serious complications in the eyes, heart, kidneys and legs.

• Other topics in this section:

Treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus

• Type 1 diabetes mellitus

  In a concise and informative way, you will learn what insulin is and how it works, whether you can play sports and drink alcohol in type 1 diabetes, what types of insulin exist, how to prevent complications and manage your health yourself

  • Lesson 1. About Diabetes

    Types of diabetes, symptoms of the disease, methods of diagnosis and basic principles of therapy

  • Lesson 2.

    Self-control

    How to determine the level of sugar in the blood and urine, as well as the level of acetone in the urine at home? What other indicators need to be monitored?

  • Lesson 3. Proper nutrition for diabetes

    How to control the amount of carbohydrates, what are bread units and glycemic index?

  • Lesson 4. Physical activity

    Going in for sports with diabetes is not only possible, but also necessary. It is only necessary to follow a number of rules and recommendations

  • Lesson 5.

    Insulin therapy

    Types of drugs, mechanism of action, multiple injection regimen, technique and means of administering insulin

  • Lesson 6. Hypoglycemia

    Causes, symptoms, first measures and treatment. How to prevent hypoglycemia?

  • Lesson 7-10. Complications

    Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of serious complications of the eyes, kidneys, legs and acute complications of DKA.

  • Testing

    We offer you to take a test to assess your knowledge about type 1 diabetes.