Managing blood sugar

Published 27 September 2026.

Food choices make a real difference to blood sugar, and small changes add up. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, use this alongside advice from your care team.

Carbs raise blood sugar most

Carbohydrates in food raise blood sugar. How fast depends on the food and what you eat with it: juice raises it faster than whole fruit, and eating carbs with protein, fat or fiber slows the rise [1].

The plate method

A simple way to balance a meal without counting: fill half the plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with protein and a quarter with carb foods [1].

Counting carbs

Keeping track of carbs at each meal can help manage blood sugar. Eating about the same amount of carbs at each meal helps too [1]. Your doctor or a registered dietitian can tell you how many grams to aim for [1].

Every recipe here shows total carbs, fiber and net carbs per serving in the nutrition facts.

Practical tips

• Pair carbs with protein. Rice with chicken, not rice alone.
• Eat your fiber. Fiber slows the rise in blood sugar [1]. Aim for 25 g a day (women) or 38 g (men); see Fiber.
• Choose whole fruit over juice [1].
• Cut back on added sugars and refined grains such as white bread and pasta [1].
• Use the low-carb recipes as a base and add a measured portion of carbs if your plan includes them.

Important

If you take insulin or medication that lowers blood sugar, changing how many carbs you eat can change what dose you need [1]. Talk to your care team before making big changes.

General information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, check changes with your doctor.