When youre tight on time, convenience foods can help keep you nourished to promote stable blood sugars.
Eating Well/Ali Redmond
You probably dont have time to cook every meal from scratch.
Most of us live such fast-paced lifestyles that prepackaged foods are not just convenient, they are a necessity.
Photo:Eating Well/Ali Redmond
Crunchy Chickpeas
Legumes are some of the best foodsfor overall health, including blood sugar management.
Scheidt especially likesBiena Chickpea Snacks.
Grab a handful to have on their own or add them to salads and grain bowls.
Roasted Edamame
Another easy-to-eat, delicious legume isroasted edamame.
Each serving has 11 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and only 3 grams of carbs.
Canned Beans
Canned beansare yet another convenient legume for healthy blood sugars.
Canned beans can be added directly to salads or heated and seasoned to taste.
One brand of canned beans Weiss likes isEden Foods.
The beans are also packaged in cans free fromBPA, BPS and phthalates, says Weiss.
She recommends adding beans to soups, stews, salads, dips and stir-fry recipes.
For greater blood sugar benefits, pair these chips with asource of proteinlike cheese, hummus or bean dip.
Salad Kits
Making salads easy to toss together can help you eat more greens.
In addition to salad kits,frozen veggiesare a great prepackaged option.
I enjoy adding frozen microwaveable veggies to any meal for some added fiber, says Mesa.
Look for options in the frozen section that can be microwaved and are free from added sugars.
Ideally, the only ingredient will be the veggie itself.
Then, season it to your liking or add it to a dish like pasta or rice and beans.
Studies show that pairing carbs with protein leads to significantly lower post-meal blood sugar levels than eating carbs alone.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.National Diabetes Statistics Report.
2024;15(5):1001-1010. doi:10.4239/wjd.v15.i5.1001
