Awareness of carbohydrates

Due to carbs being the food group that impacts blood glucose levels the most, it is important for people at risk of (or living with) diabetes to have an awareness of the carbohydrate content and limit the amount of these  foods they are eating.

Carbs can impact blood glucose, insulin levels and excess weight gain, and contribute to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or affecting the management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Please note for images on this page: one droplet of blood glucose icon represents 5g of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrate content in common foods

Sweet and starchy carbohydrates in food and drinks breakdown into glucose and can increase your blood sugar level.

This image demonstrates some commonly eaten carbohydrates within the BAME community. It shows that it is not just sweet foods that increases blood sugar level, but starchy foods such as chapati, plantain and injera breakdown into glucose and have an impact on your blood sugar levels.

Reducing carb content

You can reduce your carb intake through:

Reducing carb portion size
Increasing intake of vegetables that grow above the ground: eat as much as you can spinach, lady fingers, aubergines,
Increasing protein: chicken, eggs, fish (particularly oily fish like salmon and mackerel).
Increasing healthy fats: olive oil, Sesame seed oil, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, avocados,
Increasing dairy: like using full-fat options like Greek yoghurt, paneer, lassi, labaan
Eating lots of vegetables with protein and healthy fats leaving you feeling properly full in a way that lasts.

Scroll through the images on the right to see examples of how to reduce your carb intake.