The Best 7-Day Diabetes Meal Plan

This healthy 1,200-calorie weight-loss meal plan for diabetes makes it easy to balance your blood sugar.

Victoria Seaver, M.S., R.D.
Updated December 13, 2019
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Eating healthy with diabetes is easy and delicious with this 7-day diabetes diet plan. The simple meals and snacks that makes this plan so simple and realistic to follow feature the best foods for diabetes, like complex carbohydrates (think whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables), lean protein and healthy fats. The carbohydrates are balanced throughout each day with each meal containing 2-3 carb servings (30-45 grams of carbohydrates) and each snack containing around 1 carb serving (15 grams of carbohydrates). To help keep your blood sugar from spiking too high too quickly, we limited refined carbohydrates (like white bread, white pasta and white rice) and have also cut down on saturated fats and sodium, which can negatively impact your health if you eat too much.

Related: Healthy Diabetes Recipes

What we definitely didn't skimp on is flavor. The meals and snacks in this diet plan feature fresh ingredients and plenty of herbs and spices that add flavor without adding extra sodium. Eating with diabetes doesn't need to be difficult—choose a variety of nutritious foods, as we do in this diet meal plan, and add in daily exercise for a healthy and sustainable approach to managing diabetes

See all our our healthy meal plans for diabetes and don't miss our collection of delicious diabetes-friendly recipes.

7-Day Diabetes Diet Plan

See what a healthy diabetes meal plan looks like at 1,200 calories per day.

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:

  1. Prep the Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls and store in an air-tight container (To buy: amazon.com, $25.99 for 5) to have as a ready-made lunch on Days 2 through 5. (See the step-by-step guide for meal prepping this recipe plus two more diabetes-friendly recipes!)
  2. Make 5 servings of the Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats and store in leak-proof cotainers (To buy: amazon.com, $20 for 6) to have as grab-and-go breakfasts on Days 2 through 6.
  3. Start the Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup early enough on Day 1 so that it's ready by dinner time.

Related: The Best 30-Day Diabetes Diet Plan

Day 1

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Breakfast (281 calories, 33 g carbohydrates)

A.M. Snack (66 calories, 3 g carbohydrates)

  • 20 pistachios

Lunch (325 calories, 40 g carbohydrates)

If you'll be taking this sandwich to go, store in a reusable silicone bag (To buy: amazon.com, $12 for 1).

P.M. Snack (95 calories, 25 g carbohydrates)

  • 1 medium apple, sliced and sprinkled with cinnamon

Dinner (428 calories, 47 g carbohydrates)

  • 2 cups Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup topped with 2 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 slice whole-wheat bread, toasted and drizzled with 2 tsp. olive oil

Make Ahead Tip: Save 2 cups each of the Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup and store in an airtight container (To buy: amazon.com, $7.19 for 1) for Day 6 and 7.

Daily Total: 1,195 calories, 54 g protein, 148 g carbohydrates, 37 g fiber, 49 g sugar, 49 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,924 mg sodium

Day 2

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Breakfast (276 calories, 43 g carbohydrates)

A.M. Snack (77 calories, 20 g carbohydrates)

  • 15 cherries

Lunch (344 calories, 47 g carbohydrates)

P.M. Snack (95 calories, 25 g carbohydrates)

  • 1 medium apple, sliced and sprinkled with cinnamon

Dinner (411 calories, 41 g carbohydrates)

Daily Total: 1,204 calories, 37 g protein, 176 g carbohydrates, 40 g fiber, 61 g sugar, 45 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 1,638 mg sodium

Day 3

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Breakfast (276 calories, 43 g carbohydrates)

A.M. Snack (30 calories, 8 g carbohydrates)

  • 1 medium plum

Lunch (344 calories, 47 g carbohydrates)

P.M. Snack (62 calories, 15 g carbohydrates)

  • 1 medium orange

Dinner (483 calories, 53 g carbohydrates)

  • 1 1/3 cups Chicken Sausage & Peppers
  • 1/2 cup cooked brown rice tossed with 1/2 tsp. each olive oil and no-salt-added Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups mixed greens topped with 2 Tbsp. Italian vinaigrette dressing*

*When buying premade salad dressings, look for one made without added sugars. And, choose one made with olive oil or canola oil.

Make Ahead Tip: Cook an extra 1/2 cup of brown rice to have for dinner on Day 7. You can substitute brown rice for the farro in the dinner recipe for Day 4. If you choose to do so, cook an extra 2 cups of rice tonight to save yourself time tomorrow.

Daily Total: 1,195 calories, 45 g protein, 166 g carbohydrates, 35 g fiber, 54 g sugar, 44 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,678 mg sodium

Day 4

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Breakfast (276 calories, 43 g carbohydrates)

A.M. Snack (77 calories, 20 g carbohydrates)

  • 15 cherries

Lunch (344 calories, 47 g carbohydrates)

P.M. Snack (62 calories, 15 g carbohydrates)

  • 1 medium orange

Dinner (450 calories, 41 g carbohydrates)

*Don't have farro? You can substitute another whole grain you have on hand, like brown rice.

Daily Total: 1,209 calories, 58 g protein, 166 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 60 g sugar, 40 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 1,422 mg sodium

Day 5

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Breakfast (276 calories, 43 g carbohydrates)

A.M. Snack (30 calories, 8 g carbohydrates)

  • 1 plum

Lunch (344 calories, 47 g carbohydrates)

P.M. Snack (103 calories, 26 g carbohydrates)

  • 20 cherries

Dinner (457 calories, 36 g carbohydrates)

Daily Total: 1,211 calories, 54 g protein, 160 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 63 g sugar, 44 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,635 mg sodium

Day 6

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Breakfast (276 calories, 43 g carbohydrates)

A.M. Snack (129 calories, 33 g carbohydrates)

  • 25 cherries

Lunch (275 calories, 36 g carbohydrates)

P.M. Snack (62 calories, 15 g carbohydrates)

  • 1 medium orange

Dinner (464 calories, 53 g carbohydrates)

Daily Total: 1,206 calories, 59 g protein, 180 g carbohydrates, 33 g total fiber, 87 g sugar, 35 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 2,288 mg sodium

Day 7

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Make Ahead Tip: Tonight's dinner is a slow-cooker recipe. Make sure you start it early enough in the day that it will be ready in time for dinner.

Breakfast (349 calories, 59 g carbohydrates)

A.M. Snack (62 calories, 15 g carbohydrates)

  • 1 medium orange

Lunch (254 calories, 35 g carbohydrates)

P.M. Snack (95 calories, 25 g carbohydrates)

  • 1 medium apple

Dinner (444 calories, 48 g carbohydrates)

Daily Total: 1,203 calories, 59 g protein, 183 g carbohydrates, 29 g fiber, 77 g sugar, 31 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 1,775 mg sodium

You Did It!

Congratulations on finishing this weekly meal plan for diabetes. Whether you made every single meal in this plan or simply used it as a guide for healthy eating, we hope you found it inspirational, exciting and informational. Don't miss our other healthy meal plans for diabetes and collection of delicious diabetes-friendly recipes.

Watch: What Does a 1-Day Diabetes Meal Plan Look Like?

Don't Miss!

The Best 30-Day Diabetes Diet Plan

3-Day Diabetes Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories

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3-Day Diabetes Meal Plan: 1,500 Calories

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