Diabetes plan
The diabetes meal plan is built for steadier blood sugar and weight loss in the long run.
Tap a date to see what to eat on your meal plan. Days with a green dot have a meal plan. Dates with an orange dot have a shopping list for the week ahead. You can eat less than what is listed but not more.
If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea, read the note below before you start.
September 2026
October 2026
Sunday, September 13
Beef steak
Breakfast
- CHEESE OMELET: 2 eggs (3.5 oz / 100 g) · 1 slice cheddar (1 oz / 28 g) · 1 teaspoon butter (0.2 oz / 5 g)
- 2 slices whole wheat bread (2.3 oz / 64 g)
- 1 cup raspberries (4 oz / 112 g)
- OPTIONAL: 1-2 cups black coffee (8-16 fl oz / 240-475 mL)
Lunch
- BLACK BEAN SALAD: ½ cup black beans (4.6 oz / 130 g) · Two handfuls romaine (3.3 oz / 94 g) · 1 tomato (4 oz / 112 g) · 1 tsp olive oil (0.2 fl oz / 5 mL)
Snack
- 1 cup strawberries (5.1 oz / 144 g) · 12 almonds (0.5 oz / 14 g)
Dinner
- 1 grilled beef steak (~8 oz / 225 g)
- 1½ cups steam cooked or air fried cauliflower (6.6 oz / 186 g)
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (6.9 oz / 196 g)
Shopping list — week 5
You need to spend $177.96 for everything you need from Monday, September 14 through Sunday, September 20. Amounts are for one person and include condiments. The prices are from the Walmart Supercenter in Kearny, NJ, and are expected to be similar at other Walmart stores in New Jersey. They will vary somewhat in other US states.
Meat, fish & eggs
- 3 chicken breasts (about 10 oz, 8 oz and 8 oz)$3.63Freshness Guaranteed, ~1.63 lb @ $2.23/lb
- 2 beef steaks (about 8 oz each)$13.44Top Sirloin, Choice Angus @ $13.44/lb
- 1 salmon fillet (about 8 oz)$8.11Marketside skin-on Atlantic, smallest fillet
- 8 oz shrimp, cooked weight (buy about 10 oz raw)$6.76Great Value raw P&D, 12 oz bag
- 1 can tuna$0.96Great Value chunk light, 5 oz
- 8 eggs$1.47Great Value large white, 12 ct
Subtotal$34.37
Dairy
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt$5.97Chobani Non-Fat Plain, 32 oz tub
- 8 string cheese sticks$3.28Great Value mozzarella, 12 ct
- 2 slices cheddar$1.67Great Value deli-style, 8 oz
- 2 cups whole milk$1.58Tuscan, 32 fl oz
- 2 scoops whey protein powder$19.87Equate whey protein powder
- Butter (you will use 1 tsp)$3.06Great Value sweet cream salted, 16 oz
Subtotal$35.43
Beans & lentils
- 2 cans lentil soup (you will use 3 cups)$5.36Progresso Protein Mediterranean-style, 19 oz × 2
- 1 can black beans (you will use ½ cup)$0.92Great Value black beans, 15 oz
Subtotal$6.28
Fruit
- 1 cup blueberries$2.871 pint
- 3 cups strawberries$2.571 lb container
- 4 bananas$0.80$0.20 each
- 1 cup raspberries$2.936 oz container
Subtotal$9.17
Vegetables & salad
- 4 green bell peppers$3.44$0.86 each
- 1 onion$1.30Yellow, each
- 2 carrots$2.44Whole carrots, 2 lb bag
- 2 zucchini$1.52$0.76 each
- 2 cups broccoli$1.721 crown
- 1½ cups cauliflower$2.47Marketside florets, 12 oz
- 1 bunch asparagus$3.271 bunch
- 1 bunch scallions$1.061 bunch
- 1 tomato$0.29Roma, each
- 1 pack romaine hearts$3.83Hearts, 3 ct
- 1 head iceberg lettuce$2.281 head
- 2 bags arugula (you will use about 6 oz)$5.925 oz × 2
- 1 sweet potato$1.24Fresh whole sweet potato, each
Subtotal$30.78
Bread & grains
- 1 box Wasa crispbreads (you will use 17)$3.97Wasa Multi Grain
- 1 small loaf whole wheat bread (you will use 4 slices)$1.97Great Value, 20 oz
- 1 pack whole wheat tortillas (you will use 1)$4.88Mission whole wheat
- ¾ cup dry brown rice$0.88Great Value
- 3 protein granola bars$3.47Nature Valley Protein Chewy
- 1 box saltine crackers (you will use 18)$1.88Great Value, 16 oz, 4 ct
Subtotal$17.05
Pantry & condiments
- 1 bag almonds (you will use 48)$7.24Great Value whole natural, 14 oz
- Ground flaxseed$3.54Great Value organic
- Olive oil$20.47Atlas organic cold-pressed Moroccan EVOO, 500 mL
- Balsamic vinegar$4.78Great Value, Modena, 16.9 oz
- Mayonnaise$2.97Great Value, 30 fl oz
- Coffee (optional)$5.88Great Value classic roast
Subtotal$44.88
Total without condiments$133.08
Total with condiments$177.96
If you take a diabetes medication from a sulfonylurea group (like glipizide, glyburide, glimepiride) or insulin, READ THIS FIRST
Eating less than usual can drop your blood sugar too low when you are on insulin or a sulfonylurea such as glipizide, glimepiride, glyburide, or a meglitinide such as repaglinide, nateglinide, or even other diabetes medicines. Your doses may need adjustment before you start dieting, or most likely along the way, especially when you lose weight. Speak to the physician or other health care provider who prescribes them for a dose change in your medications.
How this plan is built
- Fruit is never served on its own. Every fruit meal and snack carries protein or fat alongside it — yogurt, cheese or almonds — which slows the rise in blood sugar.
- Whole fruit rather than juice, whole grains rather than white bread, and sweet potato rather than white potato.
- No long gaps. Every day has a real breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner, so you do not arrive at dinner overly hungry.
The meal plan is based on a 1,510 calorie average over two weeks. The calorie amount of each day is not identical but attempts to catch the target average.