Diabetes & Vegetarian Diets: Tips & Meal Options [Plus, Download a Free Meal Plan Chart]

Food has an important role in the management of diabetes. It can have positive effects, such as providing your body with vital nutrients and energy, as well as negative effects, like causing your blood sugar to rise.

Choosing a vegetarian diet — eliminating meat of all kinds — may have natural health benefits when it comes to blood sugar management. A study published by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) on diabetes and vegetarian diets found that maintaining a vegetarian diet was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and lower BMI when compared to a non-vegetarian diet.

Although a vegetarian diet has many potential health benefits, there are vegetarian diet diabetes risk factors to be aware of, including not getting enough of certain nutrients like protein or consuming too many carbs. Your healthcare team can work with you to ensure you are eating balanced meals and that your entire diabetes management plan is appropriate for a vegetarian diet.

This article covers considerations for people with diabetes and vegetarian diets, including:

• Benefits of a vegetarian diet for diabetes
• Concerns about a vegetarian diet
• Vegetarian diet tips
• How a vegetarian diet is different for each type of diabetes

Benefits of a vegetarian diet for diabetes

Following a vegetarian diet for diabetes has heart health benefits including lowering total cholesterol and LDL levels, lowering blood pressure, and helping to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Also, eating a healthy diet that is rich in essential nutrients and low in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and sodium — combined with daily exercise — can lead to better blood sugar management, according to the ADA.

Since a vegetarian diet consists largely of grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and sometimes eggs or dairy products, it has the potential to naturally increase your intake of important nutrients and lower your intake of those linked to chronic disease. Below are some details around these benefits:

Consume more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables

The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that people who stick to a vegetarian diet show a higher intake of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These foods contain fiber and antioxidants that are beneficial to slowing the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream and improving diabetes management.

Better weight control

A vegetarian diet can consist of high amounts of plant-based foods, which are lower in calories and higher in fiber. When appropriate portions of plant-based foods are substituted for foods that have higher calorie counts, the overall intake of calories in a day lessens, which can help with weight control.

According to Johns Hopkins University, studies have shown a clear connection between obesity and type 2 diabetes. For those who have pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, losing weight can help improve blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of serious health complications related to diabetes.

Less intake of saturated fat

Food that comes from animal sources naturally contains saturated fat. This includes beef, pork, poultry with skin, butter, cheese, and other dairy products. While some vegetarian diets may incorporate dairy products like cheese or eggs, replacing meat with plant-based protein sources can help with diabetes management and heart health. Some alternative protein sources include:

• Beans
• Nuts
• Legumes
• Cashew cheese

Concerns about a vegetarian diet for people with diabetes

For those with diabetes, switching to a vegetarian diet is not quite as simple as eliminating meat from your meals. The foods that replace meat can sometimes have negative effects on blood sugar management. A change in diet may also require adjustments to your entire diabetes management plan, especially for those taking medication or insulin.

Considerations when switching to a vegetarian diet include:

• Consuming too much carbohydrate, including starches and sugars
• Lack of nutrients – specifically protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin B12
• Eating more processed foods
• Increased chances of low blood sugar for those taking medication or insulin

Foods like pasta, bread, and potatoes are considered vegetarian but contain carbohydrate. Since your body converts carbohydrate to sugar, which is absorbed into your blood and raises blood sugar levels, these foods should be counted as carbohydrate foods according to your diabetes treatment plan.

Many foods that fit a vegetarian diet are heavily processed. It is best to avoid processed foods because they provide little nutritional value and tend to be high in carbohydrate. They are typically digested quickly, which can pose challenges for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. A few examples of processed foods are:

• White breads, rice, and pasta
• Cookies and crackers
• Boxed meals

Since vegetarian foods can lack certain nutrients that are contained in meats, carefully planning  your vegetarian diet is crucial in order to avoid nutrient deficiencies. For example, people who take the medication Metformin for diabetes may have lower vitamin B12 levels, and since there are no plant sources of the vitamin, they may require a supplement.

If you have diabetes, it’s important to consult with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)  prior to starting a vegetarian diet. An RDN will make sure your new food choices can provide necessary nutrients without unintended adverse effects on your blood sugar and overall health. Your RDN and healthcare team can work closely with you for food shopping and meal planning tips in order to create a balanced vegetarian diet for diabetes. They will also monitor lab values, blood sugar levels, and carbohydrate intake, since a sudden change in diet can lead to a sudden need for your medication and/or insulin to be adjusted.

Vegetarian diet tips for diabetes

People of all ages who have been diagnosed with diabetes, including pregnant women, can safely follow a vegetarian diet by partnering with their healthcare team and RDN. It is crucial to meet with a dietitian before making changes in your eating habits to ensure that you will be eating a balanced diet, and any medication and/or insulin you are taking is adjusted as needed to help prevent a hypoglycemic event. A dietitian can instruct you on your carbohydrate goal for each meal and snack, to help you avoid high or low blood sugars.

In general, people starting a vegetarian diet will want to be mindful to:

• Track carbohydrate amounts consumed at each meal and snack, and distribute them evenly throughout the day.
• Consume a consistent amount of carbohydrate, plus a serving of lean protein and healthy fat at each meal.
• Eat a wide variety of foods to help meet nutritional needs.
• Look up the carbohydrate content of foods, including plant-based proteins such as hummus or edamame, in the Choose Your Foods: Food Lists for Diabetes book from the ADA.
• Monitor blood sugar closely when starting a vegetarian diet for diabetes, so that medications and/or insulin can be adjusted accordingly.
• Note carbohydrate intake and blood sugar levels in a mobile app or printable logbook.

Specific recommendations provided by your dietitian will take into consideration your age, type of diabetes, calorie needs, lifestyle, and more. You may also discuss different types of vegetarian diets for diabetes.

No matter which type of vegetarian diet you prefer, most meal plans will include the three aspects highlighted below.

1. Balance carbohydrate intake

Sometimes when people with diabetes start a vegetarian diet, they replace meat with extra carbohydrate foods, resulting in too much at a meal. This can lead to high post-meal blood sugars and weight gain.

Balancing carbohydrate choices to include high fiber options can be helpful in reducing the impact on blood sugar levels. Not only does fiber help maintain stable blood sugar, it can also keep you feeling full longer, and aid in digestion.

Examples of high fiber carbohydrate swaps for a vegetarian diet for diabetes include:

• Whole grain bread (3 grams or more per slice) instead of white bread
• Brown rice instead of white rice
• Chickpea pasta instead of refined pasta
• Bran cereal instead of cornflakes
• Oatmeal instead of grits
• Popcorn (low fat) instead of pretzels
• Baked beans instead of potato chips

2. Incorporate plant-based protein foods into your vegetarian diet

Dietary protein needs for people with diabetes can be met through vegetarian and vegan meal plans. A general goal is to eat a minimum of 4-6 ounces of protein food each day.

Although protein foods are not usually counted into your carbohydrate “budget,” some plant-based proteins also contain carbohydrate. For example, when eating beans for protein, a ½ cup serving also counts as a carbohydrate choice (15 grams).

You can find protein in plant-based foods such as:

Legumes

Legumes such as black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, and split peas are excellent, affordable sources of plant protein. They are also an excellent source of soluble fiber, which has many health benefits. A diet rich in legumes can improve blood sugar control and reduce blood lipids, helping prevent heart attack and stroke.

Soy

Soy products are heart healthy and are available in many forms including soy milk, meat substitutes, soy beans and soy bean burgers, soy-based yogurt and cheese, tofu, soy nut butters, and more.

Meat substitutes

Meat substitutes can add variety to a vegetarian diet for diabetes but are not necessary for a balanced diet. Options like plant-based veggie burgers, chicken patties, sausage, and more are available in both the fresh and frozen sections of the supermarket and at some restaurants. Some meat substitutes contain carbohydrate, so it will be important to read the label to count them into your meal plan accordingly.

Nuts and nut butters

Nut-based products such as Nuttin Ordinary cashew cheese can provide new and interesting protein-rich food choices to your vegetarian diet for diabetes.

3. Add healthy fats to your meals

When following a vegetarian diet for diabetes, you will be swapping out saturated fat found in animal products for heart healthy fats found in plant foods. It’s important to add healthy fats to your diet because your body can’t produce two essential fatty acids on its own: omega 3 and omega 6, which provide good health and disease prevention. Adding healthy fats to your meals — such as avocado, olives or olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and plant-based margarines and mayonnaise — helps you to:

• Feel full longer, which helps with weight management
• Reduce your risk of heart disease
• Maintain healthy cell membranes and aid in cellular development
• Maintain a healthy blood pressure
• Keep your hair, skin, and nails healthy

Once you have met with your RDN and healthcare team to establish a vegetarian diet plan and carbohydrate goals, consider different ways to build a balanced meal. To help you get started, we’ve created a vegetarian meal planner.

Download our diabetes vegetarian meal planner for meal building tips >

How is a vegetarian diet different for each type of diabetes?

A vegetarian diet is approached a little differently based on the type of diabetes that you have. Your dietitian and healthcare team will take into consideration the type of diabetes that you have been diagnosed with and guide you in how to follow a vegetarian diet while keeping your blood sugar under control.

Some considerations for each type of diabetes include:

Type 1 diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes use insulin, and the insulin need may decrease suddenly once the diet starts. Therefore, it is important to carefully monitor blood sugars when making a diet change. Children and teens with diabetes who follow a vegetarian diet should be monitored by watching their growth curve to ensure they are getting enough calories to support growth and development. If needed, you can increase added fats and proteins to provide additional calories.

Type 2 diabetes

Some people with type 2 diabetes have a goal to lose weight, and a vegetarian diet can help with that. As people change their diet and lose weight, medication doses may need to be decreased, and it is crucial to keep a close eye on blood sugar levels so that medications can be adjusted.

Gestational diabetes

It is important for pregnant women with diabetes to work closely with their dietitian when following a vegetarian diet. This will help ensure that enough protein, calories, and other nutrients are consumed for adequate growth and development of the baby, and good overall health for mom. Some women with gestational diabetes who choose to follow a vegetarian diet for religious or other reasons will need to take insulin during the pregnancy. This is because many plant-based proteins contain carbohydrate, and pregnancy hormones make managing blood sugar more difficult than usual.

Prediabetes

People with prediabetes who decide to follow a vegetarian diet may experience the added benefit of weight loss and improved blood sugar control, helping to keep their pre-diabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes. It is important to meet with a dietitian to get a carbohydrate target for each meal and snack so that you consume a balanced vegetarian diet and avoid excess carbohydrate intake.

A vegetarian diet can have many benefits to a person with diabetes, including better blood sugar control and reduced risk of serious health complications. Getting the vital nutrients your body needs and choosing foods that are appropriate for your personal diabetes care plan are key to a healthy vegetarian diet. Therefore, it is important to work with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist prior to making dietary changes. With some dedication, nutrition awareness from a healthcare professional, and healthy food choices, a vegetarian diet may help you achieve better blood sugar control.