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There are several common beliefs associated with the right diet plan for a diabetic person. Trouble is, not all are true. There are some who believe that all vegetables and fruits are ideal to keep blood sugar levels under control which even help in weight loss, while others maintain that maida (all purpose flour) and rava, being derivatives of wheat, are safe food items. Some even avoid rice, but eat rice flakes instead.
Eating right is essential for any person with diabetes melitus, because certain choices of food can significantly reduce sugar levels.

Any food item high on fibre content is the best choice. For example, wholewheat, broken wheat and atta are better choices than maida, rava, sevia, noodles, pasta, etc. Since the skin of wholewheat is difficult to digest, the body has to work harder to digest it, bringing the blood sugar levels down. Similarly, wholewheat or atta chappati, wholewheat bread and wheat puttu are better than rice, idli, rice puttu and rice flakes (aval), which are made of fibee-less polished rice. Ragi puttu, ragi dosa, ragi porridge, oats porridge and cornflakes are better food options for a diabetic than rice items.

As for a vegetarian diet – vegetables and fruits, diabetics should pick those that are high on fiber and low on starch. For instance, all greens, cabbage, cauliflower, okra, beans, brinjal, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, kovaika and peas are ideal. Potato and tapioca are best avoided. Among fruits, mosambi, orange, apple, pear and pomegranate are safe choices. Bananas, though, are high in their sugar content and should be avoided. Even the small  banana is high in sugar content.

Milk products including curd can also be part of the diet as long as the milk is skimmed before use. When eating non-vegetarian foods like fish and chicken, try and avoid the gravy as that can contain a lot of fat that is harmful for diabetics.

Diet control can go a long way in helping manage diabetes. Control over the disease, however, involves a combination of medication, exercise and diet management. Remember, if the blood-sugar level is not maintained, over time the condition can be debilitating, causing problems like heart and kidney disease and gangrene of the feet, among others.

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