Best Milk Options For Diabetic People

Best Milk Options For Diabetic People

Do you have diabetes? Are you looking for the best milk option for diabetics? Should diabetics drink milk? We have included everything that you need to know about milk and diabetes.

The best milk for diabetics depends on their daily diet plan, carbohydrate intake, and flavors they like. Milk contains calcium and protein, which is extremely good for the body; however, it also contains sugar, carbohydrates, and saturated fats.  If you have diabetes, you should know that not every milk is good for your health. 

Diabetic people are unable to produce insulin effectively. It is a hormone that regulates blood sugar level, and when insulin is not working properly, people can experience sudden blood sugar level spikes. 

There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Managing the sugar intake is essential in any kind of diabetes. Diabetic people may also experience high triglycerides or cholesterol in the blood, which is why it is important to keep a check on carbohydrates, saturated fats, and trans fat consumption in your diet.

People with diabetes are also prone to getting bone fractures. A diet rich in calcium can keep your bones stronger and healthy, and one way to consume calcium is by drinking milk. Adding milk to your diet will take a bit of thinking and planning. Creating a customized meal plan is a good start for diabetic people.

 But is milk good for diabetics? The answer depends on your everyday diet plan. Let’s learn the benefits of personalized meal plans for diabetic people.

How Meal Plans Help A diabetic?

According to the American Diabetes Association, various meal plans can be used to control blood sugar levels under control and maximize your nutrition intake.

Popular plan tips:

  • Carb Counting- setting a number for carb intake in every meal
  • Plate method- using portion control to limit starch and protein intake and increase the consumption of non-starchy vegetables.
  • Glycemic index- choose and pick foods based on the nutritional value and their effect on blood sugar levels.

No matter which method you plan to follow, start with 45-60 grams of carbohydrates in each meal, including the milk. 

You can find the nutrition facts on the milk container, including daily percentages of nutrients and vitamins in every serving. The package label also includes the amount of:

  • Sugar
  • Fat 
  • Carbohydrates

A diabetic person should also check the least amount of sugar consumption in every serving and should try to consume sugar-free milk only. If possible, drink milk with fewer amounts of trans fat and saturated fats. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fat can be good for health if eaten in moderation.

Read More: Best Superfoods To Control Diabetes

Nutrition In Different Varieties of Milk:

Choosing the best milk for diabetics depends on its nutrition content. You can find many different milk varieties in grocery stores, including Cow’s milk with different fat content, flax, soy, rice, and almond milk.

Check out the nutritional information of some common milk options found on the market. Each has a serving size of 1 cup:

Whole Milk

  • Fat: 8 gm
  • Calories: 8gm
  • Fiber: 0 gm
  • Calcium: 276 gm
  • Protein: 8 gm

Flax milk (unsweetened, without protein)

  • Calories: 24
  • Protein: 0 g
  • Carbohydrate: 1.02 g
  • Fat: 2.50 g
  • Fiber: 0 g (depends on brand)
  • Calcium: 300 mg

Rice milk (sugar-free)

  • Calories: 113
  • Protein: 0.67 g
  • Carbohydrate: 22 g
  • Fat: 2.33 g
  • Fiber: 0.7 g
  • Calcium: 283 mg

There are only a few best milk options for diabetic people, and this nutritional content shows a stark difference between different types of milk.

Warning:  milk containing sugar content is high in carbohydrates.

Some healthy milk alternatives for Diabetics

Unsweetened vanilla almond milk – if you have thought whether almond milk is good for diabetics or not, then assure you that it is completely safe, as long as it is sugar-free. You will love the creamy and nutty taste in your smoothies or breakfast cereal.

Unsweetened coconut milk – Creamy coconut milk will bring back the taste of tropics and be the perfect companion for the coffee. Coconut milk has higher fat content than any other milk.

Unsweetened soy milk – want to try a delicious meal replacement? Then add sugar-free soy milk to your smoothie or oatmeal.

Final Words:

Regardless of which milk you choose, monitoring the blood sugar and moderate sugar consumption and carbohydrates is the key to staying healthy.

Always make sure to check food labels for the nutritional information and the number of carbohydrates in each serving.

Some other foods that contain carbohydrates are:

  • bread
  • beans
  • starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, peas, and corn
  • pasta
  • yogurt
  • milk
  • sweets
  • fruits
  • fruit juices

If you forget to incorporate milk when counting carbohydrates, it can lead to a spike in blood sugar levels. Therefore, it is critical to pay proper attention to your diet. The calcium and protein found in the milk are good for your bones, so avoid skipping milk.

Shubhrata

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