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Meal Prep Tips
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Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugars are higher than normal, and it can progress to type 2 diabetes. Family history aside, if there is room for you to modify your lifestyle, this can be a great start to potentially reverse it. Getting diagnosed with prediabetes can feel overwhelming and may leave you with many questions, like “What changes should I make?” and “Where do I start?”
In this 7-day meal plan, we designed meals and snacks to help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels with your prediabetes. Because weight loss may play a role in lowering blood sugars and preventing diabetes, we capped this plan at 1,200 calories per day to promote ahealthy weight lossof 1 to 2 pounds per week.
Looking for a different calorie level?See this same plan at1,500and2,000 calories.
To keep you feeling full on fewer calories and to keep your blood sugars in check, each day has at least 30 grams of fiber from whole grains, legumes and fresh produce.Fiber helps to slow down digestion, which is why you’ll feel fuller when eating more of it. At the same time, slower digestion means the glucose from food will reach your bloodstream at a more gradual pace.
We also included plenty of lean protein from chicken, turkey and fish, and abalanced amount of carbohydratesat all meals and snacks to help keep blood sugars stable.
Regular physical activity is another important lifestyle change that can help lower your blood sugars and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. There’s not one perfect way to exercise, but including 30 minutes of walking most days—or at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week or 75 minutes of more vigorous activity per week—can have a big impact. And remember, any amount of physical activity is better than no amount—even if it’s just three minutes,which has been shown to have benefits to your blood sugar.
How We Create Meal PlansRegistered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
How We Create Meal Plans
Registered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals
A little meal prep at the beginning of the week can go a long way to make the week ahead easier.
Prediabetes Health Tip:In theCucumber Turkey Sub Sandwich, we substitute a cucumber for the sub roll for a veggie-packed twist on a classic sandwich. It’s a great way to enjoy a lower-carb sandwich and, as a bonus, it also saves on calories. It’s totally fine to have bread when you have prediabetes, but the rolls for subs tend to have more carbs than what’s recommended for a single meal. When you’re really craving a sub, go for a smaller 4-inch sub and load up the rest of your plate with veggies to help balance things out and keep your blood sugar levels from spiking too high.
Breakfast (304 calories)
A.M. Snack (64 calories)
Lunch (353 calories)
P.M. Snack (62 calories)
Dinner (415 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,198 calories, 82 g protein, 136 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 43 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 833 mg sodium
Breakfast (215 calories)
A.M. Snack (46 calories)
Lunch (422 calories)
P.M. Snack (73 calories)
Dinner (452 calories)
Meal-Prep Tip:Hard-boil 1 egg to have as a snack tomorrow.
Daily Totals: 1,209 calories, 58 g protein, 153 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 44 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 1,394 mg sodium
Prediabetes Health Tip:You’ll see raspberries as snacks quite a bit in this healthy plan. Here’s why: Berries, like raspberries and blackberries, are higher in fiber than most fruits. Fiber helps keep us full and is digested slowly, which helps keep blood sugar stable. Because fiber is so filling, it’s more likely to ward off overeating and late-night hunger pangs.
A.M. Snack (73 calories)
P.M. Snack (125 calories)
Dinner (376 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,212 calories, 54 g protein, 133 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 53 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,548 mg sodium
Prediabetes Health Tip:Because it rarely has symptoms, prediabetes can be difficult to diagnose. If you’re overweight, had gestational diabetes in pregnancy or if you have family members with diabetes or prediabetes, then you’re at increased risk for high blood sugar and should discuss this with your health care practitioner. And just remember, prediabetes doesn’t always lead to type 2 diabetes—taking some simple stepscan set you on a different path toward a healthier you.
A.M. Snack (30 calories)
P.M. Snack (28 calories)
Dinner (429 calories)
Meal-Prep Tips:
Daily Totals: 1,214 calories, 60 g protein, 144 g carbohydrates, 32 g fiber, 50 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,214 mg sodium
Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Prediabetes Health Tip:It can be difficult to find the time to make a healthy breakfast during busy mornings, but eating healthy, balanced meals for breakfast is a strategy that will support stable blood sugars throughout the day. When we skip breakfast, we often overeat at lunch or make less healthy food choices because we let ourselves get too hungry.Overnight oatsare a great solution. They lend themselves to many flavor combinations, take minimal time to prepare and are portable. If oatmeal isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other tastymake-ahead breakfast recipesto try, likebaked muffin tin eggs,smoothie freezer packsandveggie-packed breakfasts.
A.M. Snack (28 calories)
P.M. Snack (147 calories)
Dinner (401 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,213 calories, 57 g protein, 159 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 43 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 1,693 mg sodium
Prediabetes Health Tip:One of the quickest ways to drastically reduce the added sugar in your diet is to limit sugar-sweetened drinks, like soda, juice, sports drinks and sweet tea. Even drinks with natural sugar, like 100% fruit juice, still spike blood sugar so consider limiting them. Instead, try sticking to water, seltzer and unsweetened tea as much as possible to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. If you regularly drink sweetened beverages, changing tolower-sugar optionscan make the shift to no-added-sugar drinks a little easier.
A.M. Snack (147 calories)
Lunch (303 calories)
Meal-Prep Tip:Prepare the full recipe ofCurried Chicken Apple Wrapsand save half the chicken salad for lunch tomorrow.
P.M. Snack (108 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,202 calories, 73 g protein, 131 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 50 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 1,203 mg sodium
Prediabetes Health Tip:Trying to change everything at once can feel overwhelming. Any time you’re trying to make healthy changes, focus on one or two habits to change first. Once that feels manageable, add another habit to work on. Starting with small changes and building on them is more realistic.Lifestyle changes—as opposed to strict diets and outrageous gym routines—tend to be more effective and sustainable for most people.
Breakfast (271 calories)
A.M. Snack (105 calories)
P.M. Snack (135 calories)
Dinner (395 calories)
Serve the Grilled Skirt Steak over mixed greens dressed in Citrus-Lime Vinaigrette.
Daily Totals: 1,209 calories, 73 g protein, 112 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 60 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 1,142 mg sodium
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