One of the most common mistakes that elderly people diagnosed with diabetes make, is switching to a diet comprising raw vegetables & fruits, cereals, sandwiches, and other food items, which they consider being less harmful than the regular Indian diet. However, that is not true. It is not about the type of food but the amount in which it is consumed. Here is the best Indian diet chart for elderly diabetic patients that will let you eat the food you love without affecting your health.

A quick word of caution: The diet chart listed below is a generalized one and only for reference. Patients must get in touch with their Doctor / Nutritionist to get an ideal Indian diet chart for diabetic patients that ought to be followed.

1. Early Morning
When following an ideal diabetic diet comprising Indian food, start your day with a glass of lukewarm water. This will help to flush out all the toxins present in your body. You can also have a teaspoon of soaked methi (fenugreek) seeds to help control your blood sugar levels.

2. Breakfast
As the name says, you break your overnight fast after last night's dinner. This makes breakfast an important meal of the day. An ideal breakfast in a diabetes food chart for Indians includes: -

• A cup of coffee/tea/buttermilk
• A bowl of savoury dalia with vegetables./muesli
• Or Wheat flakes with milk
• Or Vegetable moong dal chila
• Or Vegetable oats/upma
• Or 2 slices of whole wheat bread + egg white omelette and veggies

3. Mid-Morning
Diabetes patients are advised to eat after every few hours to avoid a long gap between meals. Hence, once done with breakfast, give a 2 hours gap and then take this next small meal which comprises of:

• A cup of green tea with a handful of roasted chana
• Or A whole fruit (pear, apple, orange, papaya, guava)

4. Lunch
A good wholesome lunch in an Indian diet chart for diabetic patients is the one that makes you feel full until the next meal. After all, you feel good when you eat well.

• 1 big bowl of seasonal vegetables, 1 bowl of dal/kale (black) chane/sprouts/ chicken/fish, with 2-3 rotis and salad
• Or 1 big bowl of vegetable oats with curd
• Or 1 bowl of salad (cucumber/tomato) with half a bowl of brown rice, 1 bowl of vegetables and 1 bowl of dal/sprouts/ chicken/fish

5. Evening Snacks
Yes, snacks! As previously mentioned, an Indian diabetic diet chart which lets you snack healthy is the best one. Your evening snack should be scheduled between 4-5 pm and comprise of:-

• 1 whole fruit (apple/guava/pear/orange/papaya)
• Or A handful of roasted/boiled chana
• Or Puffed rice with cucumber, tomato, green peas, onion and coriander
• Or Khakhra
• Or Buttermilk (no sugar or salt)
• Or Sandwich (avoid butter, cheese or mayonnaise)

6. Dinner
Now is the time to discuss the dinner within an Indian diabetic diet plan. Breaking the common myth, diabetes is all about eating right and not eating less. Hence, its diet plan includes every meal. Here is what you can have at dinner:

• 1 bowl of Saag-mustard greens/Spinach/Bathua /green soya/green chana/soya chunks/chicken/fish and 1 bowl of seasonal vegetables with 2-3 Rotis, sprouts, and salad.
• Or 1 big bowl of vegetable oats with soup.
• Or 1 bowl of salad with multigrain roti and 1 bowl of dal/sprouts/ chicken/fish.

Do please avoid all starchy food items like potatoes, white rice, Kabuli chana, Arbi, Jimmikand etc. You can eat all of the vegetables of your choice. The greater the variety the better.

7. Bedtime
Yes, one needs to eat even before hitting the bed. Because then it will be a good 7-8 hours gap until your morning breakfast. Apart from a warm glass of toned milk with haldi or saffron (immunity boosting and conducive to restful sleep), this tiny meal from your food chart for diabetes patients in India is a mix of nuts, be it walnuts, almonds or any nuts you like.