South Indian Diabetic Diet Plan

The South Indian geographical region has a high incidence of diabetes. People having diabetes need to be more cautious with their diet plan especially south Indians because rice is the staple food for them. So, it is important to have a personal meal plan that can help South Indians  to control their calories intake with right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

By planning your diet in a proper way, you can not only keep the blood sugar levels under control but also enjoy different varieties of South Indian regional flavors.

Traditional diet plan for South Indians with diabetes type 2

Healthy foods – diabetic diet options for South Indians:

Below is another table which holds a list of healthy foods for diabetics which are recommended to use regularly (on the left side column). This data should be quite helpful.

This section below also has the list of unhealthy things which should be preferred less often (on the right side column).

Yes, the below diabetic diet options are for all South Indians.

 Tips on food habits for South Indian diabetics:

• Don’t wash rice several times before cooking
• Avoid excess portions of white rice and if possible replace it with brown rice which is rich in fibre content and hence helps in controlling blood sugar.
• You can also replace rice with a variety of grains such as cracked wheat, oats, barley, quinoa, ragi, and other millets.
• Use minimum amount of oil while cooking and it is healthy to use oils like olive, canola or peanut oils, as they are high in monounsaturated fats.
• Replace starchy vegetables like potato, green plantain with green vegetables.
• Use fat free, skim or 1% milk instead of whole milk.
• Avoid deep fried snacks and prefer dry roasted and baked foods which are made with less or no oil.
• Prefer lean cuts of animal protein like meat and poultry and also make sure that you are taking only appropriate portion sizes. Limit the consumption of eggs to 3 per week and prefer egg whites to yolks.
• Limit taking high salty foods like pickles, chutneys, papadams, etc. And for diabetics with high blood pressure it is better to avoid those things.
• Desserts must be made only with the recommended quantities of fresh fruits. Artificially sweetened low fat desserts or desserts with minimal amount of real sugars may be used but in control.
• Drink plenty of water – at least 6-8 cups a day.
• Learn to read the nutrition labels of the packaged foods and take them according to the recommended intake.

Tips for party planning for South Indian Diabetics:

These tips tell you how to take a controlled diet in a party or any other social gathering which includes food.

• Even before leaving to the party take some light snack or a bowl of soup so that you feel less hungry at the party.
• At the party, try to avoid fried snacks. Also use small plates and fill them with healthy snacks along with appetizers.
• Prefer drinks like lemon juice and avoid sodas and alcohol
• While having the main course try to fill your place with ½ salads and green vegetables, ¼ with rice, ¼ with chicken, fish or other protein foods.
• In desserts try to choose fruits.

Source: The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI)

* Though the diet plans are specially designed for diabetes patients by the expert group, we suggest you to check with your physician before practicing this diet, as the diet plans may vary based on the individual’s medical conditions.

* Since audience is Indian for various Indian dish names considering as common noun and no capitalization.

* South Indian cuisine is based on the food habits of the people of 5 states – Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry (previously called Pondicherry).  While each south Indian state and region has unique dishes, there are also quite a few common dishes as well as the preference for eating rice.

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Diet plans for other Indian geographical regions:
Diabetic Diet Plan for People of Odisha and West Bengal (East India)
North Indian Diabetic Diet Plan
Diabetic Diet Plan for People of Maharashtra and Gujarat (West India)
Diabetic Diet Plan for People of Maharashtra
Diabetic Diet Plan for People of Gujarat