Prediabetes Diet Plan

Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugars are higher than normal, and it can progress to Type 2 diabetes if you don't improve your diet and physical activity. Getting diagnosed with prediabetes can feel overwhelming and may leave you with many questions, like "What changes should I make?" and "Where do I start?"

In this easy plan, we take care of the nutrition for you by mapping out seven days of delicious meals and snacks that will help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Because weight loss may play a role in lowering blood sugars and preventing diabetes, we capped this plan at 1,200 calories per day to promote a healthy weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week.

Looking for a different calorie level? See this same plan at 1,500 and 2,000 calories.

To keep you feeling full on fewer calories and to keep your blood sugars in check, each day has at least 30 grams of fiber from whole grains, legumes and fresh produce. Fiber helps to slow down digestion, which is why you'll feel fuller when eating more of it. At the same time, slower digestion means the glucose from food will reach your bloodstream at a more gradual pace.

We also included plenty of lean protein from chicken, turkey and fish, and a balanced amount of carbohydrates at all meals and snacks to help keep blood sugars stable.

Regular physical activity is another important lifestyle change that can help lower your blood sugars and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. There's not one perfect way to exercise but including 30 minutes of walking most days—or at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week or 75 minutes of more vigorous activity per week—can have a big impact. And remember, any amount of physical activity is better than no amount—even if it's just two minutes, which has been shown to have benefits to your blood sugar.

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals

A little meal prep at the beginning of the week can go a long way to make the week ahead easier.

1. Prepare Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce to have for lunch on Days 2, 3, 4 and 5.
2. Prepare 2 servings of Apple-Cinnamon Overnight Oats to have for breakfast on Days 2 and 3.
3. Prepare Peanut Butter-Oat Energy Balls to have for snacks throughout the week.

Day 1

Prediabetes Health Tip: In the Cucumber Turkey Sub Sandwich, we substitute a cucumber for the sub roll for a veggie-packed twist on a classic sandwich. It's a great way to enjoy a lower-carb sandwich and, as a bonus, it also saves on calories. It's totally fine to have bread when you have prediabetes, but the rolls for subs tend to have more carbs than what's recommended for a single meal. When you're really craving a sub, go for a smaller 4-inch sub and load up the rest of your plate with veggies to help balance things out and keep your blood sugar levels from spiking too high.

Breakfast (304 calories)

• 1 serving Berry-Kefir Smoothie

A.M. Snack (64 calories)

• 1 cup raspberries

Lunch (353 calories)

• 1 serving Cucumber Turkey Sub Sandwich
• 1 plum

P.M. Snack (62 calories)

• 1 cup blackberries

Dinner (415 calories)

• 1 serving Salmon with Curried Yogurt & Cucumber Salad
• 3/4 cup Basic Quinoa

Daily Totals: 1,198 calories, 82 g protein, 136 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 43 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 833 mg sodium

Day 2

Prediabetes Health Tip: Managing prediabetes and preventing diabetes is all about lifestyle changes and developing healthy habits. If you're not already consistently engaging in regular exercise, starting a walking routine is often more sustainable than trying to go all-out at the gym—and is a good way to ease into more vigorous workouts. Walking with your family after dinner or during your lunch break is a great way to start. Try to build up to 30 minutes or more a day of physical activity. Moving your body as much as you can helps lower sugars and prevent diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Breakfast (215 calories)

• 1 serving Apple-Cinnamon Overnight Oats

A.M. Snack (46 calories)

• 3/4 cup blackberries

Lunch (422 calories)

• 1 serving Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (73 calories)

• 1 serving Peanut Butter-Oat Energy Balls

Dinner (452 calories)

• 1 serving Green Veggie Bowl with Chicken & Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Meal-Prep Tip: Hard-boil 1 egg to have as a snack tomorrow.

Daily Totals: 1,209 calories, 58 g protein, 153 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 44 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 1,394 mg sodium

Day 3

Prediabetes Health Tip: You'll see raspberries as snacks quite a bit in this healthy plan. Here's why: Berries, like raspberries and blackberries, are higher in fiber than most fruits. Fiber helps keep us full and is digested slowly, which helps keep blood sugar stable. Because it's so filling, it's more likely to ward off overeating and late-night hunger pangs.

Breakfast (215 calories)

• 1 serving Apple-Cinnamon Overnight Oats

A.M. Snack (73 calories)

• 1 serving Peanut Butter-Oat Energy Balls

Lunch (422 calories)

• 1 serving Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (125 calories)

• 3/4 cup raspberries
• 1 hard-boiled egg

Dinner (376 calories)

• 1 serving Sheet-Pan Maple-Mustard Pork Chops & Carrots

Daily Totals: 1,212 calories, 54 g protein, 133 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 53 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,548 mg sodium

Day 4

Prediabetes Health Tip: Because it rarely has symptoms, prediabetes can be difficult to diagnose. If you're overweight, had gestational diabetes in pregnancy or if you have family members with diabetes or prediabetes, then you're at increased risk for high blood sugar and should discuss this with your health care practitioner. And just remember, prediabetes doesn't always lead to Type 2 diabetes—taking some simple steps can set you on a different path toward a healthier you.

Breakfast (304 calories)

• 1 serving Berry-Kefir Smoothie

A.M. Snack (30 calories)

• 1 plum

Lunch (422 calories)

• 1 serving Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (28 calories)

• 1/3 cup blueberries

Dinner (429 calories)

• 1 serving Chicken & Kale Taco Salad with Jalapeño-Avocado Ranch

Meal-Prep Tips:

1. You'll use cooked shredded chicken in tonight's dinner. Try preparing our Best Poached Chicken to use tonight and reserve 1 cup to use for lunch on Days 6 and 7. If you don't have time to poach chicken, rotisserie chicken works great as well.
2. Prepare 2 servings of Apple-Cinnamon Overnight Oats to have for breakfast on Days 5 and 6.

Daily Totals: 1,214 calories, 60 g protein, 144 g carbohydrates, 32 g fiber, 50 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,214 mg sodium

Day 5

Prediabetes Health Tip: It can be difficult to find the time to make a healthy breakfast during busy mornings, but eating healthy, balanced meals for breakfast is a strategy to help keep blood sugars more level. When we skip breakfast, we often overeat at lunch or make less healthy food choices because we let ourselves get too hungry. Overnight oats are a great solution. They lend themselves to many flavor combinations, take minimal time to prepare and are portable. If oatmeal isn't your thing, there are plenty of other tasty make-ahead breakfast recipes to try, like baked muffin tin eggs, smoothie freezer packs and veggie-packed breakfasts.

Breakfast (215 calories)

• 1 serving Apple-Cinnamon Overnight Oats

A.M. Snack (28 calories)

• 1/3 cup blueberries

Lunch (422 calories)

• 1 serving Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (147 calories)

• 2 servings Peanut Butter-Oat Energy Balls

Dinner (401 calories)

• 1 serving Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew

Daily Totals: 1,213 calories, 57 g protein, 159 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 43 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 1,693 mg sodium

Day 6

Prediabetes Health Tip: One of the quickest ways to drastically reduce the added sugar in your diet is to limit sugar-sweetened drinks, like soda, juice, sports drinks and sweet tea. Even drinks with natural sugar, like 100% fruit juice, still spike blood sugar so consider limiting them. Instead, try sticking to water, seltzer and unsweetened tea as much as possible to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. If you regularly drink sweetened beverages, changing to low-sugar or diet options first can make the shift to no-sugar-added drinks a little easier.

Breakfast (215 calories)

• 1 serving Apple-Cinnamon Overnight Oats

A.M. Snack (147 calories)

• 2 servings Peanut Butter-Oat Energy Balls

Lunch (303 calories)

• 1 serving Curried Chicken Apple Wraps
• 1 medium peach

Meal-Prep Tip: Prepare the full recipe of Curried Chicken Apple Wraps and save half the chicken salad for lunch tomorrow.

P.M. Snack (108 calories)

• 1/2 cup blackberries
• 10 unsalted dry-roasted almonds

Dinner (429 calories)

• 1 serving Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls

Daily Totals: 1,202 calories, 73 g protein, 131 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 50 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 1,203 mg sodium

Day 7

Prediabetes Health Tip: Trying to change everything at once can feel overwhelming. Any time you're trying to make healthy changes, focus on one or two habits to change first. Once that feels manageable, add another habit to work on. Starting with small changes and building on them is more realistic. Lifestyle changes—as opposed to strict diets and outrageous gym routines—tend to be more effective and sustainable for most people.

Breakfast (271 calories)

• 1 serving Avocado-Egg Toast

A.M. Snack (105 calories)

• 1 medium banana

Lunch (303 calories)

• 1 serving Curried Chicken Apple Wraps
• 1 medium peach

P.M. Snack (135 calories)

• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 serving Peanut Butter-Oat Energy Balls

Dinner (395 calories)

• 1 serving Grilled Skirt Steak with Corn-Tomato Relish
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 2 Tbsp. Citrus-Lime Vinaigrette

Serve the Grilled Skirt Steak over mixed greens dressed in Citrus-Lime Vinaigrette.

Daily Totals: 1,209 calories, 73 g protein, 112 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 60 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 1,142 mg sodium