Meal Planning & Exercise Tips for Insulin Resistance

Every day your body uses a hormone called insulin to turn your meals into energy. Sometimes this process can be interrupted and cause insulin resistance, leading to elevated glucose levels and potentially prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.

Below is an overview of insulin resistance, how certain lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and weight can affect your health, and healthy meal plan tips for an insulin resistance diet.

What is insulin resistance?

Insulin resistance, also known as impaired insulin sensitivity, occurs when your cells have difficulty responding to insulin.

If your cells develop an impaired response to insulin, your body may try to compensate by making more insulin. If your pancreas is able to make enough extra insulin to help glucose enter your cells, glucose levels may stay in check.

However, if your pancreas is unable to make enough insulin to keep up with demand, then it can lead to prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Check out our post on insulin resistance to learn more about the causes and symptoms.

How does exercise and weight affect insulin resistance?

The good news is that even when diagnosed with insulin resistance, you can take steps to prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes. Research from the Diabetes Prevention Program showed that intensive lifestyle intervention that led to weight loss reduced the incidence of type 2 diabetes for overweight and obese adults with impaired glucose tolerance by 58% over three years.

Many other studies found that people who continued with the lifestyle changes were able to delay a type 2 diabetes diagnosis even longer if they continued following their new lifestyle.

Regular Exercise

Energy balance is not only about calories (or energy in), it also includes exercise (or energy out). Regular exercise helps improve insulin sensitivity by moving glucose (sugar) into your muscles where it is used for energy. Try combining both aerobic “huff and puff” type exercise with resistance exercise like resistance bands or weights for the most effectiveness.

The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of exercise per week for adults. You don’t need to “shred” or “burn” your body to improve your health — just put on comfortable shoes and walk down to the end of your block after dinner.

Starting with a small change — like walking for 15 minutes after each meal — can improve blood sugar levels and will also add up quickly to 45 minutes of exercise per day, or 315 minutes per week! If you’re new to exercise, it’s always a good idea to check with your healthcare provider before starting an exercise regimen.

Healthy Weight

Working towards and maintaining a healthy weight by increasing your activity levels and following an insulin resistance diet is an effective way to prevent or improve insulin resistance. Every small change helps! A weight loss of 7-10% your current body weight can help prevent pre-diabetes from developing into type 2 diabetes. So, if you weigh 250 lbs., even a 17 lb. weight loss can make a difference.

Don’t be afraid to seek the assistance of a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who can:

• Create a meal plan to improve your insulin resistance.
• Take the mystery out of how to shop and eat heathier.
• Assist you in meeting your individual goals.

Most insurance plans cover nutrition visits with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, including Medicare. For more information, check with your insurer or visit Eat Right to find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist near you.

Download a free tip sheet with 24 insulin resistance diet snack ideas >

Which diet is best for people diagnosed with insulin resistance?

When it comes to diets for insulin resistance, prediabetes, or even diabetes, a quick fix or one-size-fits-all approach, unfortunately, does not exist.

There may be benefits to a variety of insulin resistance diet approaches — including Mediterranean, vegetarian or vegan, low fat, low carb, and very low carb (keto) — but there is no singular diet defined at this time for people with prediabetes or diabetes.

What we do know based on current research in the field of nutrition as it relates to prediabetes or diabetes is summed up in the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) recently released report. Here’s what the experts recommend:

• Choose a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods.
• Minimize the amount of highly processed foods containing added sugars, salt, and artificial trans fats as much as possible.
• Choose non-starchy vegetables in place of starchy vegetables or refined grains.
• Eat more fiber, especially from vegetables, fruit, beans, and intact whole grains.
• Reduce the number of calories coming from carbohydrates to the extent that is appropriate for you.
• Strive to achieve and maintain a weight loss of 7-10% if you’re overweight or obese.

Understanding the glycemic impact of foods

When you eat, food is broken down by your body into a usable form of energy called glucose. With insulin resistance, your body has a harder time processing the amount of glucose from meals, leading to higher blood glucose levels. To complicate things further, some foods break down into glucose more rapidly and at a higher level than others.

The measurement of how fast food affects blood glucose is referred to as the glycemic index. Foods associated with a higher glycemic index tend to raise blood sugar faster compared to less processed whole foods with a lower glycemic index.

High glycemic index foods include:

• Sugar-sweetened beverages
• Sweets (candy, cookies, cakes)
• White potatoes and potato chips
• Refined “white” grains (white rice, white pasta, white bread)
• Dried fruit and fruit juice

There is, however, some controversy around how helpful paying attention to glycemic index is since most people eat mixed meals — i.e. you might have a high glycemic index food like a baked potato along with lower glycemic foods like baked chicken, or steamed broccoli. The portion size, preparation, and amount of fiber and fat in the other foods consumed at the meal also affect the overall impact on blood sugar levels.

Foods to avoid:

Choosing less processed, whole grain, high-fiber foods and avoiding sweets and processed foods can help improve insulin resistance, especially when partnered with exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

Following the general guidelines below for an insulin resistance diet can help you choose lower glycemic index foods without having to pay attention to individual numbers.

7 meal planning tips for an insulin resistance diet

Here are some general insulin resistance meal plan guidelines to help you get started with healthier eating habits to improve insulin resistance.

1. Fill up on vegetables

Fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables that are cooked, raw, fresh, frozen, or canned. When buying canned vegetables, choose no-added salt versions or drain the liquid.

Examples of non-starchy vegetables include:

• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Green beans
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Kale
• Mushrooms
• Okra
• Onions
• Peapods
• Peppers (all varieties)
• Spinach
• Summer squash
• Tomatoes

You can make a big, crunchy salad or pack baby carrots and sliced red peppers in your lunch to increase veggie intake.

2. Focus on fiber-filled whole grains, beans and legumes

When choosing foods containing carbohydrates, choose those that are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and low in fat.

Choose high-fiber versions of grains such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, bulgur, popcorn, and breads and cereals with greater than three grams of fiber per serving. This includes beans, peas and lentils, and whole intact grains. Avoid high-fat carbohydrate foods such as biscuits, donuts, and high-fat snack crackers.

Aim for a quarter of your plate at meals to include healthy carbohydrate foods. Here’s what that translates to in portion sizes:

• Whole wheat bread: 1-2 slices
• Whole wheat pasta: 1 cup (cooked)
• Brown rice: 1 cup (cooked)
• Beans, peas, corn: 1 cup
• Oatmeal: 1 cup (cooked)
• Dry cereal: 1-1 ½ cups

If you consume a large amount of carbohydrates during a meal or snack, blood insulin levels may spike, making blood sugar and weight management more difficult. Once you and your nutritionist understand your calorie needs and activity levels, a specific amount of carbohydrates per meal can be recommended.

3. Choose lean sources of protein

Protein helps to stabilize blood sugar and a lean source of protein should be included with meals and snacks. Choose foods that are baked, broiled or grilled, and avoid deep-fried foods since they can raise blood sugar faster.

Incorporate lean protein foods, into your snacks and meals including:

• Fish
• Chicken
• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Turkey or ground turkey breast
• Low-fat deli meats such as sliced chicken, turkey or ham
• Tuna
• Low-fat cheese
• Lean cuts of pork

One quarter of your plate should include a protein food at meal times. A general portion size of protein equals 3 oz of meat, poultry, fish, or 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese.

4. Eat modest amounts of fruit

Whole, fresh fruit is a great, high fiber choice, but canned or frozen fruit can also be a healthy and budget friendly choice.

Avoid fruits canned in heavy syrup, due to the higher sugar content. The freezer section at your supermarket may also offer frozen fruit options at a better value, which are great to sprinkle on top of oatmeal, cottage cheese, or salads.

The serving size for fresh fruit will vary depending on the fruit. For example, 1 cup of strawberries, 12 cherries, or 3 oz of grapes all have a similar amount of carbohydrates.

Since fruit juice tends to raise blood sugar quickly and dried fruit brings a more concentrated source of sugar, these items can be included in a healthy meal plan but at much smaller portions — around 4 oz of juice or 2 tablespoons of dried fruit.

5. Be dairy savvy

Dairy foods like milk and yogurt contain carbohydrates, so although they are a good source of calcium and vitamin D, they can raise your blood sugar.

Some people drink large glasses of milk, not realizing the impact on their blood sugar. If you have been diagnosed with insulin resistance or prediabetes and love milk, limit your portion to an eight-ounce serving. If yogurt is a staple for breakfast or snack time, look for those that are around 100 calories per container with limited added sugars.

6. Select heart-healthy fats

Avoid saturated fats and choose heart healthy fats like olive oil. It may be helpful to utilize all fats in moderation since even olive oil brings 45 calorie per teaspoon. For those working on a diet specific to weight management, extra calories can sneak in even with healthy fats. Portion out nuts into 100 calorie servings, use 1/4 of an avocado instead of a whole one, and add 1-2 teaspoons of oil when cooking.

7. Boost your fiber intake

Include plenty of non-starchy vegetables in your eating pattern and add a small serving of fruit to each meal. Fiber is found in plant foods, so look for the fiber content on food labels for cereals, breads, flatbreads, tortillas, and other packaged plant foods. Compare brands to find the options that are highest in fiber.

The most important thing to consider when choosing foods to incorporate into an insulin resistance diet is to aim for balance, variety, and moderation. You don’t want to get stuck in a rut, and it doesn’t work to try to eat foods that you don’t like.

Your goal should be to adopt an eating pattern that is sustainable and that you can stick with long-term, while still incorporating foods you enjoy. There are lots of helpful apps to assist in tracking diet and nutrition levels. If you need further support in making dietary changes, talk with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist to receive further personalized meal plan advice and tips.