Close
Photo:Photographer: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Photographer: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
While breakfast earns the title as “most important” meal of the day, lunch tends to be the forgotten meal. It can be easy to overlook, especially when busy schedules or work deadlines make it difficult to squeeze in the time to eat. However, when your goal is to keep your blood sugar levels in check, skipping lunch can spell trouble and lead to “hangry” snacking all afternoon. In this article, we’ll review what to look for in a blood-sugar-friendly lunch and the best overall choice from a registered dietitian.
18 Diabetes-Friendly Lunches That Are Cheap & Delicious
What to Look For in a Blood-Sugar-Friendly Lunch
Loaded with Vegetables
Eating more vegetables can also lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One study that included over 14,000 Swedish men found that those who ate less than two servings of vegetables per day had a 62% higher risk of developing diabetes than those who consumed more than two servings daily.
Features Whole Grains
It’s OK to eat carbs, even if you are trying to manage your blood sugars. The key is choosing the blood-sugar-friendly carbs, sincenot all carbs are created equal. For example, high-fiber carbohydrate foods like whole grains can actually lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Data collected from over 200,000 people found that those who regularly ate whole grains had a 29% lower risk of type 2 diabetes versus those who rarely ate them.
Low in Saturated and Trans Fat
When trying to lower your blood sugars, carbs are probably top of mind. However, it’s worth keeping tabs on the types of fats in your diet even though they don’t directly impact blood sugars. Heart disease and stroke, common comorbidities with diabetes, are associated with diets containing a lot of saturated fat. The American Diabetes Association recommends including eating more unsaturated fats like olive oil and avocado to reduce heart disease risk.
The 5 Best Healthy Fats to Eat If You Have Diabetes, According to a Dietitian
The Best Lunch for Lower Blood Sugar Levels
When you’re looking for a satisfying lunch option that will keep your blood sugar levels in check, try thisChickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. This meal-prep-friendly, vegetarian grain bowl covers all the bases with nonstarchy veggies, whole grains and minimal saturated fat. Here are a few more reasons why this lunch earned our No. 1 pick for lower blood sugar levels.
High in Fiber
Enjoy this grain bowl for lunch and you’ll be more than a quarter of the way to reaching the recommended fiber target for the day. (One serving packs 8 grams of fiber.)Fiberslows down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, keeping you feeling full for longer and stabilizing blood sugar levels. Research associates higher overall dietary fiber intake with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Packed with Antioxidants
Oxidative stress and inflammation are two key players in a person’s risk for developing chronic diseases like diabetes. Plant-based foods are rich in antioxidants, which help tamp down inflammation. These grain bowls feature a variety of antioxidant-rich foods like cumin, chickpeas, quinoa and parsley. One bowl provides 23% of your daily needs for vitamin A and 11% of your vitamin C needs, two vitamins that have antioxidant effects.
Rich in Unsaturated Fats
The Bottom Line
Some days, finding the time to fit a healthy lunch into your busy schedule isn’t easy. However, skipping lunch isn’t going to do you any favors either, especially if you are trying to manage your blood sugars. We love thisChickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Saucebecause it’s not only delicious but offers the right balance of nutrients needed to stabilize your blood sugars and keep you feeling energized through the day. One recipe makes four servings, so you can prep once and have enough lunches to cover most of the week ahead.
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States, 2019.Ahmed A, Lager A, Fredlund P, Elinder LS.Consumption of fruit and vegetables and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a 4-year longitudinal study among Swedish adults.Journal of Nutritional Science. 2020;9:e14. doi:10.1017/jns.2020.7Hu Y, Ding M, Sampson L, Willett W C, Manson J E, Wang M et al.Intake of whole grain foods and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective cohort studiesBMJ2020; 370 :m2206 doi:10.1136/bmj.m2206Marshall S, Petocz P, Duve E, et al.The effect of replacing refined grains with whole grains on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with GRADE clinical recommendation.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020;120(11):1859-1883.e31. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.06.021American Diabetes Association.Fats.Kimura Y, Yoshida D, Hirakawa Y, et al.Dietary fiber intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in a general Japanese population: The Hisayama Study.J Diabetes Investig. 2021;12(4):527-536. doi:10.1111/jdi.13377Martínez-González MA, Sayón-Orea C, Bullón-Vela V, et al.Effect of olive oil consumption on cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clin Nutr. 2022;41(12):2659-2682. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2022.10.001
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States, 2019.Ahmed A, Lager A, Fredlund P, Elinder LS.Consumption of fruit and vegetables and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a 4-year longitudinal study among Swedish adults.Journal of Nutritional Science. 2020;9:e14. doi:10.1017/jns.2020.7Hu Y, Ding M, Sampson L, Willett W C, Manson J E, Wang M et al.Intake of whole grain foods and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective cohort studiesBMJ2020; 370 :m2206 doi:10.1136/bmj.m2206Marshall S, Petocz P, Duve E, et al.The effect of replacing refined grains with whole grains on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with GRADE clinical recommendation.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020;120(11):1859-1883.e31. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.06.021American Diabetes Association.Fats.Kimura Y, Yoshida D, Hirakawa Y, et al.Dietary fiber intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in a general Japanese population: The Hisayama Study.J Diabetes Investig. 2021;12(4):527-536. doi:10.1111/jdi.13377Martínez-González MA, Sayón-Orea C, Bullón-Vela V, et al.Effect of olive oil consumption on cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clin Nutr. 2022;41(12):2659-2682. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2022.10.001
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States, 2019.Ahmed A, Lager A, Fredlund P, Elinder LS.Consumption of fruit and vegetables and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a 4-year longitudinal study among Swedish adults.Journal of Nutritional Science. 2020;9:e14. doi:10.1017/jns.2020.7Hu Y, Ding M, Sampson L, Willett W C, Manson J E, Wang M et al.Intake of whole grain foods and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective cohort studiesBMJ2020; 370 :m2206 doi:10.1136/bmj.m2206Marshall S, Petocz P, Duve E, et al.The effect of replacing refined grains with whole grains on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with GRADE clinical recommendation.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020;120(11):1859-1883.e31. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.06.021American Diabetes Association.Fats.Kimura Y, Yoshida D, Hirakawa Y, et al.Dietary fiber intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in a general Japanese population: The Hisayama Study.J Diabetes Investig. 2021;12(4):527-536. doi:10.1111/jdi.13377Martínez-González MA, Sayón-Orea C, Bullón-Vela V, et al.Effect of olive oil consumption on cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clin Nutr. 2022;41(12):2659-2682. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2022.10.001
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States, 2019.
Ahmed A, Lager A, Fredlund P, Elinder LS.Consumption of fruit and vegetables and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a 4-year longitudinal study among Swedish adults.Journal of Nutritional Science. 2020;9:e14. doi:10.1017/jns.2020.7
Hu Y, Ding M, Sampson L, Willett W C, Manson J E, Wang M et al.Intake of whole grain foods and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective cohort studiesBMJ2020; 370 :m2206 doi:10.1136/bmj.m2206
Marshall S, Petocz P, Duve E, et al.The effect of replacing refined grains with whole grains on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with GRADE clinical recommendation.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020;120(11):1859-1883.e31. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.06.021
American Diabetes Association.Fats.
Kimura Y, Yoshida D, Hirakawa Y, et al.Dietary fiber intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in a general Japanese population: The Hisayama Study.J Diabetes Investig. 2021;12(4):527-536. doi:10.1111/jdi.13377
Martínez-González MA, Sayón-Orea C, Bullón-Vela V, et al.Effect of olive oil consumption on cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clin Nutr. 2022;41(12):2659-2682. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2022.10.001
