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Managing diabetes requires careful attention to diet, exercise, monitoring blood sugar glucose, and consuming prescribed medication when required. For many, diabetic food delivery services offer a practical solution, providing balanced, ready-to-eat meals tailored to support blood sugar control.
What Foods Are Good for Diabetes?
A diabetes-friendly diet emphasises foods that contain good fats and protein but are low in carbs, or minimally processed foods. Incorporating the following foods can be beneficial:
- Non-Starchy Vegetables: Broccoli, spinach, and peppers are low in carbohydrates and rich in nutrients.
- Lean Proteins: Chicken, turkey, and tofu support muscle health without spiking blood sugar.
- Healthy Fats: Avocados, olive oil, and nuts contribute to satiety and heart health.
- Fruits: Berries and citrus fruits offer vitamins and fibers with a lower glycemic impact.
What Foods Are Bad for Diabetes?
Certain foods can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and should be limited:
- Refined Carbohydrates: White bread, pastries, and sugary cereals can lead to blood sugar surges.
- Sugary Beverages: Sodas and sweetened drinks contribute to increased blood sugar levels.
- High-Fat Processed Meats: Bacon and sausages may affect insulin sensitivity.
Meal Types Offered by Diabetic Food Delivery Services
Diabetic food delivery services typically offer a range of meal options to suit different dietary preferences and diabetes management needs. These can include:
- Low-Carb Meal Delivery: These meals are designed to minimise carbohydrate intake, which is essential for blood sugar control.
- Diabetic-Friendly Meal Kits: These provide all the ingredients you need to prepare diabetes-friendly meals at home, offering flexibility and convenience. If you’re looking to boost your nutrition, consider adding the best protein supplement to your diet—this guide can help you choose the right one for your needs.
- Medically Tailored Meals: Meals specifically designed by dietitians to meet the health needs of individuals with diabetes, ensuring proper portion sizes and nutrient balance.
- Ready-to-Eat Meals: Pre-prepared, chef-driven meals that only need to be reheated, providing ultimate convenience for those with busy lifestyles. You can also take ready-to-chew sugar-free hard candies for a quick, diabetes-friendly treat on the go.
Some Diabetic Meal Delivery Options
The cost of diabetic meal delivery varies depending on the service, meal options, and the number of meals you choose. On average, prices range from $10.00 to $15.00 per meal (including delivery charges), with some services offering discounts for larger meal plans or bulk orders. However
Mom’s Meals:
A food delivery service designed by professional chefs and dietitians. Under General Wellness, Heart Friendly, Diabetes Friendly, Renal Friendly, Protein+, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Lower Sodium, and Pureed Moms Meals offers a range of 60+ meals to choose from. The meals you receive are frozen and stored in a customer-designed cooler to keep your meals fresh during transit. Currently, the smallest program ‘lunches & dinners’ 5-day plan costs $79.99, as per which the per-meal cost incurred is $7.50 (this is a discounted price).
Pros:
- Ditching Unemployment: Mom’s Meals has some third-party vendors providing the same quality as Mom’s Meals.
- Medically Tailored: Using quality ingredients, your meals are prepared in USDA-approved kitchens designed by registered dietitians and professional chefs.
- Customer Service: This brand claims to provide one of the best customer experiences.
- Catering Insurance: Serving people with Medicaid coverage and Medicare Advantage plans (plans offering home-delivered meal benefits).
- Minutes to Merry: Frozen meals require 5 minutes or less to be served.
Cons:
- Lesser Options: While Mom’s meal offers 60+ meals to choose from, the variety of meal choices is still less than some competitor diabetic food delivery companies.
- Unable to Check Eligibility: Although allowing people to claim meals through insurance, the company is unable to identify your eligibility. Thus, you to check your eligibility at your own and then ask your insurance to submit an authorisation on your behalf.
Did you know?
Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) monitor your blood glucose levels 24/7 without needing to prick fingers, and the latest ones are even compatible with the automatic insulin delivery (AID) systems. Get a free benefits check with CGM Monitors now.
BistroMD
A popular food delivery service designed by registered dietitians. Under Signature, Gluten Free, Heart Healthy, Keto Flex, Diabetic, Menopause, and Vegan categories, Bistromd offers a range of 150+ meals to choose from. The meals you receive are frozen and stored in an insulated box with dry ice. Currently, the smallest program ‘lunches & dinners’ 5-day plan costs $74.95, as per which the per-meal cost incurred is $7.50 (this is a discounted price).
Pros:
- Extensive Range: Variety of foods to choose from.
- Calculated by Dietitians: No need to count – Bistromd’s registered dietitians are available to do the counting and design your meals every week.
- Pick Preferences: Ability to add preferences, so your meals do not include what you don’t like.
- Every Week Customisation: Ability to customise the menu every week, and you even receive a reminder for customisation.
- Satisfying You in Minutes: 5 minutes or less heating is required, and your meal is ready.
Cons:
- Minimum Order Requirement: 5 5-day lunch and dinner plan, containing 10 meals, is the minimum one can order.
- Heating Required: Although the meals are just as you want, they are ultimately in frozen form, and some individuals just do not prefer frozen foods.
- Costs: May cost more than the meals prepared at home.
Sunbasket
Working in a bit different style and falling among the top food delivery services, Sunbasket offers a menu difficult to ignore, covering everything from Mediterranean to Vegetarian. Under Paleo, Carb Conscious, Gluten-Free Friendly, Diabetes Friendly, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Mediterranean, Keto-Friendly, Sunbasket offers a wide range of meal options to choose from. This company offers pre-made meals just like Bistro, or the meal kits (diabetic meal kits for people who require it) with pre-portioned ingredients and easy step-by-step recipes so you can prepare the meals with ease and enjoy your meal in minutes.
On top, giving you the option to choose as less as 3 dinners per week for 2 persons. Meals ordered are received cold-packed at your door. If you’re managing blood sugar during pregnancy, check out this gestational diabetes meal plan for additional support and ideas.
Pros:
- Huge Variety: Sunbasket has a variety of chef-prepared and dietitian-approved meals.
- Easy on the Pocket: With meals starting at $4.28 / serving, FREE shipping, and amazing discounts on the first 4 deliveries,s Sunbasket appears as a super economical option.
- Healthy Ingredients: With a focus on healthy ingredients, this company perhaps has a strong focus towards staying organic, e.g., housemade spices and sauces.
- Pre-Made Meals: These meals only require little heating and are ready to be served.
Cons:
- Not All Meals Are Pre-Made: Unlike competitors, Sunbasket does not send all the meals fully prepared, instead this company offers some pre-made meals requiring heating only and some meal kits with pre-portioned ingredients and step wise recipes, allowing you to prepare your meals in minutes, however requiring some kitchen time which may not be suitable for everyone.
- Web Navigation Needs Improvement: Website navigation may seem a little bit confusing in the beginning.
While these services can be more expensive than cooking at home, the convenience, portion control, and dietary customisation they provide can help prevent health issues and save time in the long run.
Pros of Diabetic Food Delivery
- Convenience: Ready-to-eat or easy-to-prepare meals save time and effort in meal planning and cooking.
- Health Benefits: Meals are tailored to support blood sugar control and overall health, reducing the risk of complications.
- Customisation: Many services offer customisation options for different dietary needs, such as low-carb, gluten-free, and high-protein diets.
- Portion Control: Pre-portioned meals help prevent overeating and ensure that the right amount of food is consumed.
Cons of Diabetic Food Delivery
- Limited Variety: Depending on the service, you may find the menu options limited or repetitive.
- Availability: Some services may not be available in all areas, particularly rural or remote locations.
- Cost: Meal delivery services can be more expensive than cooking at home.
- Shelf Life: Pre-prepared meals typically have a limited shelf life and need to be consumed within a specific period.
Diabetes-Friendliness of Meal Delivery Services
When considering a diabetic meal delivery service, it’s important to look for options that cater to your specific health needs. The best diabetic-friendly meal delivery services ensure that meals are:
- Low in Sugar: They provide meals with minimal added sugars, which is crucial for blood sugar control.
Balanced in Carbs, Protein, and Fats: A proper balance of macronutrients helps prevent blood sugar spikes and maintain overall health. - Rich in Fibers: Fibers help regulate blood sugar and improve digestion, so meals should include fibre-rich foods like whole grains and vegetables.
- Portion-Controlled: Managing portion sizes helps prevent overeating and ensures you are consuming the right amount of calories.
Managing diabetes requires a multi-dimensional approach. While meal delivery services make it easier to eat right, regular workouts (at least a daily 30-minute walk) and glucose monitoring play a key role in maintaining optimal blood sugar levels.
Conclusion
Whether looking to get in a better shape, eat heart-healthy food, enjoy diabetic-friendly meal delivery, low-carb meal delivery, or stick to any other diet plan, getting medically tailored meals has become easier than ever. While its easy to consume calculated and preferred meals, its recommended to always ask your healthcare expert before you make any changes to your diet or take any medical action.
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