7-Day Diabetes-Friendly Meal Plan with 30-Minute Dinners

Meal Plan at a Glance
Breakfast/ A.M. snack	Lunch/ P.M. snack	Dinner/ Evening snack
Egg scramble/ Cottage cheese bowl	Green salad/ Energy balls	Salmon & chickpea salad
Toasted oat bowl/ Apple & nut butter	Chopped salad/ Energy balls	Stir fry/ Roasted chickpeas
Toasted oat bowl/ Cottage cheese jar	Chopped salad/ Energy balls	Lentil bowl/ Roasted chickpeas
Egg scramble/ Cottage cheese jar	Chopped salad/ Energy balls	Chicken & veggies/ Pistachios
Overnight oats/ Cottage cheese bowl	Chopped salad/ Energy balls	Tuna bowls/ Roasted chickpeas
Overnight oats/ Apple & nut butter	Tuna & chickpea salad/ Energy balls	Pork & rice bowl/ Cottage cheese jar
Overnight oats/ Cottage cheese jar	Green salad/ Energy balls	Chicken & avocado salad

Day 1

Breakfast (339 calories, 41g carbs)

A.M. Snack (170 calories, 14g carbs)

Lunch (418 calories, 36g carbs)

P.M. Snack (237 calories, 30g carbs)

Dinner (637 calories, 43g carbs)

Daily Totals: 1,801 calories, 90g fat, 14g saturated fat, 107g protein, 164g carbohydrate, 37g fiber, 1,688mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit P.M. snack and omit the baguette at dinner.

Make it 2,000 calories: Omit kefir at the P.M. snack and add 1 serving Banana–Peanut Butter Yogurt Parfait as an evening snack.

Day 2

Breakfast (429 calories, 40g carbs)

• 1 cup nonfat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt
• 1 medium peach, diced
• 1 serving Cinnamon-Toasted Oats 
• 2 Tbsp. chopped nuts, such as walnuts

A.M. Snack (242 calories, 30g carbs)

• 1 medium apple
• 1 ½ Tbsp. almond butter

Lunch (381 calories, 44g carbs)

P.M. Snack (237 calories, 30g carbs)

Dinner (392 calories, 35g carbs)

Evening Snack (100 calories, 17g carbs)

Daily Totals: 1,781 calories, 66g fat, 9g saturated fat, 120g protein, 196g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 1,459mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Reduce to 1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts at breakfast and omit A.M. snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Increase to ¼ cup chopped walnuts at breakfast, increase to 2 Tbsp. almond butter at the A.M. snack, increase to 1 cup kefir at the P.M. snack and add 1 medium orange to the evening snack.

Day 3

Breakfast (429 calories, 40g carbs)

• 1 cup nonfat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt
• 1 medium peach, diced
• 1 serving Cinnamon-Toasted Oats 
• 2 Tbsp. chopped nuts, such as walnuts

A.M. Snack (195 calories, 14g carbs)

Lunch (379 calories, 44g carbs)

P.M. Snack (237 calories, 30g carbs)

Dinner (437 calories, 43g carbs)

Evening Snack (100 calories, 17g carbs)

Daily Totals: 1,777 calories, 58g fat, 10g saturated fat, 122g protein, 188g carbohydrate, 32g fiber, 1,842mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit walnuts at breakfast and omit A.M. snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 Tbsp. almond butter to have with the apple at lunch.

Day 4

Breakfast (339 calories, 41g carbs)

A.M. Snack (195 calories, 14g carbs)

Lunch (379 calories, 44g carbs)

P.M. Snack (237 calories, 30g carbs)

Dinner (459 calories, 36g carbs)

Evening Snack (176 calories, 9g carbs)

• ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted shelled pistachios

Daily Totals: 1,785 calories, 71g fat, 14g saturated fat, 119g protein, 174g carbohydrate, 32g fiber, 1,957mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 serving Cottage Cheese Snack Jar with Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Bell Peppers and omit evening snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 Tbsp. almond butter to have with the apple at lunch.

Day 5

Breakfast (331 calories, 37g carbs)

A.M. Snack (170 calories, 14g carbs)

Lunch (379 calories, 44g carbs)

P.M. Snack (237 calories, 30g carbs)

Dinner (578 calories, 39g carbs)

Evening Snack (100 calories, 17g carbs)

Daily Totals: 1,797 calories, 73g fat, 10g saturated fat, 117g protein, 181g carbohydrate, 32g fiber, 1,752mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit A.M. snack and evening snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 Tbsp. almond butter to have with the apple at lunch.

Day 6

Breakfast (331 calories, 37g carbs)

A.M. Snack (242 calories, 30g carbs)

• 1 medium apple
• 1 ½ Tbsp. almond butter

Lunch (463 calories, 38g carbs)

P.M. Snack (237 calories, 30g carbs)

Dinner (429 calories, 49g carbs)

Evening Snack (101 calories, 7g carbs)

Daily Totals: 1,804 calories, 77g fat, 13g saturated fat, 99g protein, 191g carbohydrate, 32g fiber, 1,517mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit A.M. snack and omit kefir at the P.M. snack.

Make it 2,000 calories: Increase to 2 Tbsp. almond butter at the A.M. snack and add 1 serving Simple Cabbage Salad to dinner.

Day 7

Breakfast (331 calories, 37g carbs)

A.M. Snack (195 calories, 14g carbs)

Lunch (418 calories, 36g carbs)

P.M. Snack (237 calories, 30g carbs)

Dinner (606 calories, 45g carbs)

Daily Totals: 1,788 calories, 85g fat, 14g saturated fat, 104g protein, 162g carbohydrate, 38g fiber, 1,466mg sodium.

Make it 1,500 calories: Omit A.M. snack and omit the orange at lunch.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds as an evening snack.

Health Benefits of this Diabetes-Friendly Meal Plan

• Moderately-Low in Carbohydrates: If you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, you may think you need to drastically cut back on carbohydrates. However, that’s often not necessary or sustainable for most people. This plan is set at a moderately-low level of carbohydrates, with about 40% of the day’s calories coming from carbs instead of the 45 to 65% of total calories from carbs recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To help support stable blood sugar levels, we spread the total carbohydrates out fairly evenly between the days meals and snacks. Carb sources in this plan include fiber-rich whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. For many people with diabetes, reducing total carbohydrates slightly and increasing fiber and protein intake can help support healthy blood sugar levels. Individual carbohydrate needs can vary based on factors like age, sex, body size and activity level, so consider reaching out to a healthcare provider, registered dietitian or a certified diabetes educator for more individualized guidance.
• High-Fiber: Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that’s not broken down by the body like other carbohydrate sources, which means it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. Research shows that people with type 2 diabetes who eat more fiber have lower fasting blood sugar levels and a reduced hemoglobin A1C. In addition to its blood sugar benefits, eating a high-fiber diet is linked to improved heart health, lower body weight and a healthier gut. Each day has at least 32 grams of fiber in this 7-day plan. 
• Heart-Healthy: Because people with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease than people without diabetes, we created this meal plan with both heart health and healthy blood sugar levels in mind.7 To help support heart health, we capped saturated fat at 14 grams a day, which is a type of fat that may raise LDL cholesterol, and capped sodium at 2,300 milligrams per day, in accordance with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• High-Protein: Each day includes at least 99 grams of filling protein. Because protein is the building block of our cells, it plays a role in every function of the body. For people looking to keep their blood sugar in check, protein is particularly important. Previous research compared the impact of eating a carbohydrate source alone versus a carbohydrate paired with a protein. They found that the carbohydrate and protein combination resulted in significantly lower blood sugars 60 minutes post-consumption than the carbohydrate consumed alone. Pairing carbohydrate-rich foods with a good protein source can be a helpful strategy to promote better blood sugar levels.