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Eating healthy fordiabetesdoesn’t have to break the bank. In this budget-friendly diabetes plan, we map out a week of meals and recipes with both your blood sugars and wallet in mind. You’ll findrecipesusing plenty of pantry staples and affordable ingredients to get the most out of your grocery list. Speaking of grocery shopping—we included a printable list in this plan and aimed to keep the final total for the week around $100, not including pantry staples.
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.
Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You
Because weight loss can improve your blood sugars if you’re overweight, we set the calorie level at 1,500 calories per day, which is a level where most people will lose weight. This 1,500-calorie meal plan has modifications for 2,000 calories to support those with differentcalorie needs. While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWe no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions
We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Get the Printable Shopping List Here!
Tips for Eating on a Budget:
Learn More:12 Secrets to Spending Less at the Grocery Store
How to Lower Your Blood Sugars:
Read More:Complete List of Foods to Eat When You Have Diabetes—and What to Limit
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:
Day 1
Breakfast (294 calories, 21g carbohydrate)
A.M. Snack (95 calories, 25g carbohydrate)
Lunch (360 calories, 30g carbohydrate)
P.M. Snack (241 calories, 16g carbohydrate)
Dinner (522 calories, 26g carbohydrate)
Daily Totals:1,512 calories, 63g protein, 118g carbohydrates, 31g fiber, 92g fat, 925mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 3 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to the A.M. snack and add 1 servingEverything Bagel Avocado Toastto lunch.
Day 2
A.M. Snack (131 calories, 35g carbohydrate)
Lunch (393 calories, 32g carbohydrate)
P.M. Snack (268 calories, 21g carbohydrate)
Dinner (415 calories, 33g carbohydrate)
Daily Totals:1,500 calories, 76g protein, 142g carbohydrates, 36g fiber, 73g fat, 1,555mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 30 almonds to the A.M. snack and add 1 servingGuacamole Chopped Saladto dinner.
Day 3
Breakfast (315 calories, 26g carbohydrate)
P.M. Snack (200 calories, 18g carbohydrate)
Dinner (456 calories, 34g carbohydrate)
Daily Totals:1,494 calories, 93g protein, 145g carbohydrates, 31g fiber, 62g fat, 1,429mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to the A.M. snack and add 1 whole avocado, sliced, to dinner.
Day 4
P.M. Snack (206 calories, 7g carbohydrate)
Dinner (472 calories, 85g carbohydrate)
Diabetes Tip:Don’t let the higher carbohydrate count of this dinner scare you. It packs in 22 grams of fiber and 21 grams of protein—two important factors that help reduce a food’s impact on your blood sugars.
Daily Totals:1,479 calories, 86g protein, 176g carbohydrate, 40g fiber, 53g fat, 1,135mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 2½ Tbsp. natural peanut butter to the A.M. snack and add 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner.
Day 5
Breakfast (294 calories, 21 g carbohydrate)
1 servingApple & Peanut Butter Toast
A.M. Snack (115 calories, 31g carbohydrate)
Dinner (469 calories, 43g carbohydrate)
Meal-Prep Tip:Reserve 2 servings of theEasy Chicken Enchilada Casseroleto have for lunch on Days 6 and 7.
Daily Totals:1,478 calories, 71g protein, 134g carbohydrate, 31g fiber, 76g fat, 1,725mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to the A.M. snack and add 1 whole avocado, sliced, to dinner.
Day 6
Lunch (365 calories, 21g carbohydrate)
P.M. Snack (291 calories, 29g carbohydrate)
Dinner (399 calories, 34g carbohydrate)
Daily Totals:1,500 calories, 69g protein, 163g carbohydrates, 37g fiber, 71g fat, 1,282mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 30 almonds to the A.M. snack and add 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner.
Day 7
1 medium apple
Dinner (478 calories, 29g carbohydrate)
Daily Totals:1,500 calories, 67g protein, 136g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 80g fat, 1,538mg sodium
To Make It 2,000 Calories:Add 20 almonds to the A.M. snack and add 1 whole avocado, sliced, to dinner.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
