Skip to main content
Logo for WebMD
Logo for WebMD
  • Coronavirus Update
  • Check Your Symptoms
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Dentist
  • Connect to Care
  • Find Lowest Drug Prices
  • Health
    A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Common Conditions
    • ADD/ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Arthritis
    • Cancer
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Lung Disease
    • Orthopedics
    • Pain Management
    • Sexual Conditions
    • Skin Problems
    • Sleep Disorders
    • View All
    Resources
    • Symptom Checker
    • WebMD Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Newsletters
    • Questions & Answers
    • Insurance Guide
    • Find a Doctor
    • Children's Conditions A-Z
    • Surgeries and Procedures A-Z
    • Featured Topics
    • woman experiencing chest discomfort Symptom Checker COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • photo of migraine Slideshow Get Help for Migraine Relief
  • Drugs &
    Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Find & Review
    • Drugs
    • Supplements
    Drug Basics & Safety
    • Commonly Abused Drugs
    • Taking Meds When Pregnant
    Tools
    • Manage Your Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Interactions
    • Drug Comparison Tool
    • Featured Topics
    • assorted vitamins Slideshow Vitamins You Need as You Age
    • berry and yogurt on spoon Slideshow Supplements for Better Digestion
  • Living
    Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Diet, Food & Fitness
    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Weight Loss & Obesity
    • Food & Recipes
    • Fitness & Exercise
    Beauty & Balance
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Health & Balance
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Oral Care
    Living Well
    • Women's Health
    • Men's Health
    • Aging Well
    • Healthy Sleep
    • Healthy Teens
    • Featured Topics
    • grocery cart Article Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes
    • walking sneakers Quiz Do You Know the Benefits of Walking?
  • Family &
    Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    All About Pregnancy
    • Getting Pregnant
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • View All
    Parenting Guide
    • Newborn & Baby
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Vaccines
    • Raising Fit Kids
    • View All
    Pet Care Essentials
    • Healthy Cats
    • Healthy Dogs
    • View All
    • Featured Topics
    • apple slices and peanut butter Slideshow Smart Snacks When You're Pregnant
    • photo of dogs kissing Slideshow Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats
  • News &
    Experts
    News & Experts
    News & Experts
    Health News
    • Coronavirus News & Updates
    • COVID-19 Vaccines -- Latest Updates Here
    • COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts
    • Social Distancing, Quarantine Explained
    Experts & Community
    • WebMD Blogs
    • News Center
    • Featured Topics
    • photo of coronavirus cell WebMD News Get the Latest COVID-19 News Here
    • photo of person typing Newsletters Sign Up to Receive Our Free Coroanvirus Newsletter
  • Mobile Apps
  • Subscriptions
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • My Profile
    • My Tools
    • My WebMD Pages
    • My Account
    • Sign Out

    Diabetes Health Center

    • General Diabetes
    • Type 1 Diabetes
    • Type 2 Diabetes
    • Gestational Diabetes
    • News
    • Reference
    • Slideshows
    • Quizzes
    • Videos
    • Questions & Answers
    • Medications
    • Find an Endocrinologist

    Diabetes Guide

    • Overview & Types
    • Symptoms & Diagnosis
    • Treatments & Care
    • Living & Managing
    • Related Conditions

    Related to Diabetes

    • Blood Glucose Tracker
    • Blood Sugar Control
    • Diabetic Neuropathy
    • Eye Problems Assessment
    • Heart Disease
    • Insulin
    • Insulinoma
    • Living Healthy
    • Metabolic Syndrome
    • Oral Care
    • Prediabetes
    • More Related Topics
    • Diabetes
    • Videos

    How Diabetes Can Affect Your Eyes

    Eat Smart on the Cheap With Diabetes

    Video Transcript

    MICHAEL SMITH: When you have diabetes one of the best things you can do to help manage your condition and your blood sugar is to eat healthy. So here are some ways to actually do that and not spend a lot of money at the grocery store.

    One of the foods that you really want to focus on when you have diabetes and you're trying to eat healthy is lean protein. While certainly lean meats do that, there are a lot of other options too. Great choices are cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, tofu. Even eggs are really great ways to get your protein in.

    Protein is really good for several reasons. It's going to help you stay full. And it's going to help you build muscle when you're exercising.

    When you're starting to eat healthy you might be concerned that the food is going to be bland and you're just not going to like it. But one of the best ways to spice it up is with those herbs and spices. And you know, spices and herbs are one of your best sources of anti-oxidants.

    You may have heard of those low carb specialty foods. They can be a really good option to help you manage your carb intake. But be cautious. There may be some hidden fat and hidden calories. And in fact, they might actually not be better for you than the regular fresh food. Get used to reading those labels, and make sure you know what you're eating.

    When you're trying to eat healthy one of the best ways that you can save money is to buy your produce, your fruits and vegetables, in season. And a great place to get that fresh produce is your local farmer's market. It's going to be less expensive, and tends to be much fresher.

    When you're shopping look out for specials. You can buy more and save even more. For example, in the summer when those berries are a lower price, buy them when they're two for one, put them in the freezer. That chicken when it's a lower price per pound, wonderful option. Freeze it. And you can pull it out at any point for that fresh dinner.

    And don't forget to hydrate. Water is always your best source. If you want to mix it up a little bit, that's totally fine. But really your go to source of fluid should be water.

    To save money plan ahead. Americans throw away 40% of the food that they purchase. And when you go to the grocery store, make a list, and stick to it. And don't go to the store hungry. That's a sure fire way to purchase foods that aren't good for you or your diabetes.

    To save time and money prep ahead. The night before chop up those veggies or marinate that chicken, so that the next night when you come home and you are too tired to really fix something, it's halfway done, and you can stick to that healthy dinner.

    Lean protein, in-season produce, planning ahead. These and the other tips I mentioned are great ways to manage your diabetes, eat healthy, and keep your wallet and taste buds happy.

    Related Videos

    Editor's Picks

    • woman with cup of coffee

      Video

      The Truth About Coffee
    • tongue scraper and tongue

      Video

      5 Ways to Beat Bad Breath
    • couple having sex in bed

      Video

      Why Orgasms Feel Good

    Latest Videos

    Top Picks

    • How to Start Exercising With Diabetes
    • Diabetes Management in 10 Minutes
    • Images of Diabetic Retinopathy and Other Vision Problems
    • Is Your Type 2 Diabetes Under Control?
    • Why Am I Always Hungry?
    • Best and Worst Foods for Diabetes

    further reading

    • Best and Worst Meals When Dining With Diabetes
    • Diabetes Restaurant Guide: Tips on What to Order
    • Dieting With Diabetes: 9 Dos and Don'ts to Lose Weight
    • What Should You Eat if You Have Diabetes?
    • Eating Well with Type 2 Diabetes
    • Diabetes and the Risk of Fad Diets
    • Can You Drink Alcohol if You Have Diabetes?
    • Diabetes Diet Topics

    Today on WebMD

    katie dearman

    Getting Past the Guilt of Type 2

    See how one patient learned to manage her weight and diet.

    woman shopping

    Managing Your Diabetes

    Are your 'good' habits doing harm?

    happy healthy man in gym

    3 Types of Exercise

    How they help diabetes.

    mother and daughter hugging

    Type 2 Diabetes

    Are you at risk?

    Recommended for You

    food diary Video

    Small Steps to Manage Your Blood Sugar

    healthy food Slideshow

    Best Diets for Diabetes

    woman hoola hooping Slideshow

    Best Exercises for Diabetes

    woman walking dog Video

    How to Start Exercising With Type 2

    Prediabetes How to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Article

    Prediabetes: 7 Steps to Take Now

    type 2 diabetes Slideshow

    Type 2 Diabetes: What Is It?

    person walking across hot coals Slideshow

    Tips for Dealing With Nerve Pain

    feet Slideshow

    What Your Feet Say About Your Health

    Tools & Resources

    • Surprising Habits to Break for Diabetes
    • Is Your Diabetes Under Control?
    • 10-Minute Diabetes Tips
    • Diabetes: How to Count Carbs
    • Diabetes Diet Dos and Don'ts
    • Video: Type 1 Diabetes Myths

    Health Solutions

    • Penis Curved When Erect
    • Could I have CAD?
    • Treat Bent Fingers
    • Long-Term Acute Care
    • Enlarged Prostate Facts
    • Cancer Detection
    • Rethink MS Treatment
    • Is My Penis Normal?
    • Risk of a Future DVT/PE
    • Discover hATTR Symptoms
    • Weight-Loss Surgery
    • Healthy Weight Loss
    • Bent Finger Causes
    • AFib-Related Strokes
    • Preventing Infection
    • Missing Teeth?

    More from WebMD

    • Finding the Care You Need for MS
    • New Hope for Narcolepsy
    • Eat Better in the New Year
    • Psoriatic Arthritis and Your Sleep
    • What Psoriasis Feels Like
    • First Psoriatic Arthritis Flare
    • Talking to Your Doctor About RA
    • Start a Home Fitness Program
    • Avoiding Crohn’s Flares
    • Common Psoriasis Triggers
    • Relief for Blocked Hair Follicles
    • Types of B-Cell Therapy for MS
    • Tackling Pain of Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Why Prostate Cancer Spreads
    • When Ulcerative Colitis Flares
    • Where Breast Cancer Spreads
    • Logo for WebMD
      • Visit WebMD on Facebook
      • Visit WebMD on Twitter
      • Visit WebMD on Pinterest
    • Policies

      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • Editorial Policy
      • Advertising Policy
      • Correction Policy
      • Terms of Use

      About

      • Contact Us
      • About WebMD
      • Careers
      • Newsletter
      • Corporate
      • WebMD Health Services
      • Site Map
      • Accessibility
    • WebMD Network

      • Medscape
      • Medscape Reference
      • MedicineNet
      • eMedicineHealth
      • RxList
      • OnHealth
      • WebMDRx
      • First Aid
      • WebMD Magazine
      • WebMD Health Record
      • Dictionary
      • Physician Directory
    • Our Apps

      • WebMD Mobile
      • WebMD App
      • Pregnancy
      • Baby
      • Allergy
      • Medscape

      For Advertisers

      • Advertise with Us
      • Advertising Policy

    © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

    WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

    See additional information.