Looking to improve your blood sugar?
The Mediterranean diet can help.
Left to right: Robby Lozano, Jen Causey, and Ali Redmond.
Photo:Left to right: Robby Lozano, Jen Causey, and Ali Redmond. EatingWell design.
Opting for fiber-rich carbs and incorporating plenty of nonstarchy vegetables and protein can help support healthy blood sugar levels.
While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do.
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 14 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds as an evening snack.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
Make it 1,500 calories:Omit peanut butter at P.M. snack and omit raspberries at evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 14 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to evening snack.
Day 3
P.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Omit peanut butter at P.M. snack and omit evening snack.
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 14 cup unsalted dry-roasted shelled pistachios to lunch and increase to 2 Tbsp.
natural peanut butter at P.M. snack.
Day 4
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Change A.M. snack to 1 clementine and omit peanut butter at P.M. snack.
Ali Redmond
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 14 cup unsalted dry-roasted shelled pistachios to lunch.
Day 5
Breakfast (492 calories, 37g carbs)
P.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Omit kefir at breakfast and almonds at P.M. snack.
Day 6
Breakfast (417 calories, 38g carbs)
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Change A.M. snack to 12 cup blackberries and omit evening snack.
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
peanut butter at P.M. snack.
Day 7
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Omit pistachios at A.M. snack and omit evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 14 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to lunch.
Make it 1,500 calories:Omit strawberries at breakfast, peanut butter at A.M. snack and clementine at lunch.
Make it 1,500 calories:Reduce to 1 Tbsp.
peanut butter at A.M. snack and omit evening snack.
Day 10
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Omit edamame at A.M. snack and omit evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories:Increase to 1 cup yogurt and add 3 Tbsp.
chopped walnuts at evening snack.
Day 12
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Omit peanut butter at A.M. snack and omit evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories:Increase to 2 Tbsp.
natural peanut butter at A.M. snack and increase to 3 Tbsp.
sliced almonds at P.M. snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Omit blueberries at breakfast and omit evening snack.
Day 14
A.M.
Snack (208 calories, 24g carbs)
P.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Omit kefir at P.M. snack and omit evening snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Omit peanut butter at A.M. snack and change P.M. snack to 1 medium peach.
Day 16
Breakfast (369 calories, 19g carbs)
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Reduce to 2 Tbsp.
chopped walnuts at breakfast and omit almonds at A.M. snack.
Day 17
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Change A.M. snack to 1 medium orange.
Make it 1,500 calories:Change A.M. snack to 14 cup blueberries.
Make it 1,500 calories:Change A.M. snack to 1 clementine.
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 medium apple with 1 Tbsp.
natural peanut butter as an evening snack.
Day 20
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Omit almonds at A.M. snack and omit orange at lunch.
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 servingCucumber-Dill Ricotta Snack Jaras an evening snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Reduce to 2 Tbsp.
chopped walnuts at breakfast and change A.M. snack to 14 cup blueberries.
Day 23
Breakfast (310 calories, 35g carbs)
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Change A.M. snack to 12 cup blueberries and omit evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 2 Tbsp.
natural peanut butter to the banana at breakfast.
Day 24
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Omit banana at breakfast and omit evening snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Reduce to 1 Tbsp.
peanut butter at P.M. snack and omit evening snack.
Day 27
A.M. Make it 1,500 calories:Omit kefir at breakfast and omit almonds at P.M. snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Omit peanut butter at P.M. snack and change evening snack to 1 clementine.
Make it 1,500 calories:Omit almonds at A.M. snack and reduce to 1 Tbsp.
peanut butter at P.M. snack.
Make it 1,500 calories:Omit yogurt at A.M. snack and omit evening snack.
Most breakfast and lunch options are approximately 400 calories, so a swap should work for most people.
If youre closely monitoring calories or other nutrients, you may want to adjust a snack or two.
We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans.
It emphasizes cooking more meals at home and sharing meals with others.
Mediterranean Diet Foods to Focus On:
Can the Mediterranean Diet Improve Blood Sugar?
2024;10(1):59. doi:10.1186/s40795-024-00836-y
Oh R, Gilani B, Uppaluri KR.Low-Carbohydrate Diet.
StatPearls Publishing; 2023.
2020;3(11):e2025466.
