Paleo diet meal plan for diabetics
Recently the Paleo diet has become extremely popular because of its possible beneficial effects on our health.
What is the Paleo diet?
The paleo diet is a way of eating that should mimic the menu of paleolithic era people, that’s why it’s commonly even referred to as the Cavemen diet.
It is a diet consisting of what the earliest people ate, which means excluding processed, artificial foods, grains, and fast food – most of the things we come across in modern western diets.
Essentially, the foods that are included in the diet are a hunter-gatherer’s choices: fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean meats.
This results in a diet that is relatively high in fat, moderate in animal protein, and low to moderate in carbohydrates.
The strict paleo diet is free of grains and legumes, including wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, brown rice, soy, beans, pinto beans).
In addition, all vegetable oils, sugars and dairy products are excluded.
Is the Paleo diet good for diabetes?
The paleo diet is generally low in carbohydrates, which can potentially lead to better glycemic control.
In addition, some small preliminary studies have shown that the paleo diet can reduce the incidence of hypoglycemia, reduce the need for insulin, and can lead to more significant drops in glycated hemoglobin levels.
Since the Paleo diet eliminates all types of refined sugar from your diet, it is easier to avoid the spikes in blood glucose levels and the fatigue that comes with dropping sugar levels.
This ties paleo with other restrictive diets: complex rules and a narrow list of permitted foods lead to a host of problems.
Such a diet is difficult to follow, it is expensive (especially in the case of organic products) and leads to “dietary isolation” from society: it may turn out that a person invited to lunch and dinner can never find anything on the menu to eat.
But we suggest following a printable 7-day meal plan which will make it easier and more effective to follow the paleo diet.
Day 1
Breakfast
2 boiled eggs – 160 calories
Half avocado – 149 calories
Half medium-sized Cucumber – 6 Calories
2 kale leaves – 23 calories
338 calories
Snack
5 Almonds – 39 calories
Lunch
Fruit salad
1 cup – 100 calories
5 grapes – 17 calories
5 Blueberry – 5 calories
5 Strawberry – 29 calories
1 thin slice of Pineapple – 28 calories
Half kiwi – 21 calories
Dinner
200 grams of chicken breast roasted in olive oil Leafy greens – Kale, Lettuce, Spinach, Parsley
354 calories
Snack
1 whole Zucchini chopped, roasted
33 calories
Total Calories: 864 calories
Day 2
Breakfast
1 Boiled Broccoli and half cauliflower salad with 1 cup of peas and 1 carrot chopped
239 calories
Snack
half Mango 101 calories
Lunch
100 gram Smoked salmon with radish, asparagus, 1 tablespoon ginger, 5 spears of asparagus, 1 tablespoon lime juice
152 calories
Dinner
200-gram beef heat-pressured with 1 stalk chopped celery and green onion, 5 cherry tomatoes
316 calories
Snack
10 pecans – 100 calories
Total Calories: 908 calories
Day 3
Breakfast
Tuna with veggies 100-gram Tuna 130 2 Green onions – 10 Half Avocado, sliced – 150 Sesame seeds – 1 tablespoon – 45 calories Red cabbage – 5 leaves – 32 calories
367 calories
Snack
2 slices Cantaloupe – 106
Lunch
15 Mushrooms roasted with 1 chopped zucchini and 2 chopped garlic 10 cherry tomato 122 calories Dinner 1 Lobster with 2 bell peppers in olive oil, with lemon juice, and parsley.
298 calories
Snack
6 Cashews – 54 calories
Total Calories: 947 calories
Day 4
Breakfast
Chia seed pudding (made with water) with sliced banana
305 calories
Snack
10 pistachio nuts – 54 calories
Lunch
1 cup chicken salad (224 gram) – 508 calories, 200-gram Roasted chicken, celery, onion, pepper, salt.
Dinner
100-gram Pork with asparagus and 2 tomato sauce (squeezed and boiled tomato) 299 calories Snack 10 strawberries – 58 calories
Total Calories: 1224 calories
Day 5
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs with spinach and half a cup of boiled peas 257 calories
Snack
10 raspberries – 10 calories
Lunch
200-gram Smoked Salmon with 1 chopped cucumber and 5 cherry tomatoes, 1 avocado sliced, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 638 calories
Dinner
1 bowl of Vegetable soup (482 grams) carrot, broccoli, asparagus, kale, cauliflower 160 calories Snack 3 apricots – 45 calories
Total Calories: 1080
Day 6
Breakfast
Veggie salad 1 bowl – 1 carrot, 10 cherry tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 cucumber, 2 bell peppers, lettuce, and parsley, with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
140 Calories
Snack
1 green apple 95 calories
Half-cup Pumpkin seeds – 142
237 calories
Lunch
10 Roasted mushrooms with 1 cup of mashed potatoes,
chopped tomato, and parsley
294 calories
Dinner
15 Shrimp with 1 teaspoon of lime juice in parsley,
1 boiled, chopped beet,
5 kale leaves,
Boiled broccoli,
10 asparagus,
172 calories
Snack
1 cup of cranberries 51 calories
Total Calories: 894 calories
Day 7
Breakfast
1 whole Grapefruit 103 calories
Snack
10 olives – 40 calories
Lunch
Crab salad – 1 cup (247 grams) 390 calories
Crab with peppers, cucumber, lettuce, parsley, mashed celery
Dinner
3 Roasted Chicken wings with 1 cup of peas,
3 green onions with broccoli and carrot
438 calories
Snack
10 pistachio – 40 calories
Total Calories: 1011 calories
| Meals | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 boiled eggs - 160 calories Half avocado - 149 calories Half medium-sized Cucumber - 6 Calories 2 kale leaves - 23 calories 338 | 1 Boiled Broccoli and half cauliflower salad with 1 cups of peas and 1 carrot chopped 239 Calories | Tuna with veggies 100 gram Tuna 130 2 Green onions - 10 Half Avocado, sliced - 150 Sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon - 45 calories Red cabbage - 5 leaves - 32 calories 367 calories | Chia seed pudding (made with water or almond milk) with sliced banana 305 calories | Scrambled eggs with spinach and half cup boiled peas 257 calories | Veggie salad 1 bowl - 1 carrot, 10 cherry tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 cucumber, 2 bell peppers, lettuce , parsley, with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 140 calories | 1 whole Grapefruit 103 calories |
| Snack | 5 Almonds - 39 calories | half Mango 101 calories | 2 slices Cantaloupe - 106 | 10 pistachio nuts - 54 calories | 10 raspberries - 10 calories | 1 green apple 95 calories Half-cup Pumpkin seeds - 142 237 calories | 10 olives - 40 calories |
| Lunch | Fruit salad - 1 cup - 100 calories 5 grapes - 17 5 Blueberry - 5 5 Strawberry - 29 1 thin slice of Pineapple - 28 calories Half kiwi - 21 calories | 100 gram Smoked salmon with radish, asparagus, 1 tablespoon ginger, 5 spears of asparagus, 1 tablespoon lime juice 152 | 15 Mushrooms roasted with 1 chopped zucchini and 2 chopped garlics 10 cherry tomatoes 122 calories | 1 cup chicken salad (224 gram) - 508 calories 200 gram Roasted chicken, celery, onion, pepper, salt. | 200 gram Smoked Salmon with 1 chopped cucumber and 5 cherry tomatoes, 1 avocado sliced, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 638 calories | 10 Roasted mushrooms with 1 cup of mashed potatoes, chopped tomato, and parsley 294 calories | Crab salad - 1 cup (247 grams) 390 calories Crab with peppers, cucumber, lettuce, parsley, mashed celery |
| Dinner | 200 grams of chicken breast roasted in olive oil Leafy greens - Kale, Lettuce, Spinach, Parsley 354 calories | 200 gram beef heat-pressured with 1 stalk chopped celery and green onion, 5 cherry tomatoes 316 calories | 1 Lobster with 2 bell peppers in olive oil, with lemon juice, and parsley. 298 calories | 100 gram Pork with asparagus and 2 tomato sauce (squeezed and boiled tomato) 299 calories | 1 bowl of Vegetable soup (482 grams) carrot, broccoli, asparagus, kale, cauliflower 160 calories | 15 Shrimps with 1 teaspoon of lime juice in parsley, with 1 boiled,chopped beet, 5 kale leaves, boiled broccoli, 10 asparagus 172 calories | 3 Roasted Chicken wings with 1 cup of peas, 3 green onions with broccoli and carrot 438 calories |
| Snack | 1 whole Zucchini chopped, roasted 33 calories | 10 pecans - 100 calories | 6 Cashews - 54 calories | 10 strawberries - 58 calories | 3 apricots - 45 calories | 1 cup of cranberries 51 calories | 10 pistachio - 40 calories |
| Total Calories of the day | 864 calories | 908 calories | 947 calories | 1224 calories | 1080 calories | 894 calories | 1011 calories |
Tips
- People with diabetes should always check with their doctor to see if changing their diet to paleo is a safe option.
- Make sure always to control your blood sugar readings and modify portions accordingly
- Although Paleo diets and this meal plan mostly contain low GI, low carbohydrate foods. If your blood sugar levels are considerably high, try to avoid fruits, since they are a rich source of sugar.
- In case you’re using insulin, make sure to alter doses according to the meals
- Don’t skip meals, a regular well-scheduled meal plan is extremely important for diabetic diets.
In conclusion
A Paleo diet can be pretty hard to follow since the list of products included in the meal plan is pretty sparse, but all you need to do is plan a meal consisting mostly of plant-based foods and meats.
A large number of fresh plant foods will provide the body with fiber and healthy immunity, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which are extremely important for diabetics.
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