People with diabetes can choose a vegetarian diet, but they should avoid the following three common traps:
Trap 1: The Sweet Trap of Processed Vegetarian Foods
Processed products such as vegetarian meat, vegetarian ham, and vegetarian snacks often contain high levels of sugar, salt, and fat. These ingredients can cause a rapid rise in blood glucose and increase the risk of unstable fluctuations. Long-term consumption of such foods reduces insulin sensitivity, making blood glucose more difficult to control over time.
Trap 2: The Trap of Heavy-Flavor Seasonings
A light diet is recommended for people with diabetes, with strict limits on cooking oil, salt, sugar, and alcohol. Excessive fat and salt not only raise the risk of obesity and high blood pressure but also disrupt blood glucose stability. Alcohol interferes with normal eating and medication, damages pancreatic and liver function, and causes abnormal glucose fluctuations.
Trap 3: Overeating Staple Foods to “Fill Up”
A vegetarian diet does not mean unlimited staple foods. Staple foods must be portion-controlled, and low-glycemic index (GI) whole grains and mixed beans should be prioritized (accounting for more than one-third of total staples). Low-GI foods stay longer in the intestine and release glucose slowly, significantly smoothing postprandial blood glucose fluctuations, making them ideal for glucose management.