bread, cereals, pasta, and rice).
– Limit refined grains and products made with refined grains (such as cakes, chips, cookies, and crackers), which can be high in added sugars, saturated fat, and/or sodium and are common sources of excess calories.
– Start your day with a bowl of whole grain breakfast cereal (such as bran or oatmeal) that is high in dietary fiber and low in added sugars. Top your cereal with fruit for sweetness and even more fiber!
– Choose fruit (fresh, frozen, dried, or canned in 100% fruit juice) as snacks, salads, or desserts.
– Keep raw, cut-up vegetables handy for quick snacks — choose colorful dark green, orange, and red vegetables, such as broccoli florets, carrots, and red peppers.
– Add beans (such as garbanzo, kidney, or pinto), lentils, or peas to salads, soups, and side dishes — or serve them as a main dish.
– Try unsalted nuts and seeds in place of some meats and poultry.
Constance Brown-Riggs, is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, national speaker and author of the Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World, a convenient guide to help people with diabetes enjoy all the flavors of the world while still following a healthy meal plan. Follow Constance on social media @eatingsoulfully