If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, one of the fastest ways to improve your blood sugar readings is to eliminate the worst foods for diabetics from your daily routine. Not all of these are obvious — some are marketed as health foods.
Here are the biggest offenders, organized by category, with the specific reason each one is problematic.
Sugary Drinks
This is the single most impactful category to eliminate. Liquid sugar enters your bloodstream faster than almost anything else because there is no fiber, fat, or protein to slow digestion.
- Regular soda: A 12 oz can of Coca-Cola has 39g of sugar and a glycemic index of about 63. It spikes blood sugar within 15-20 minutes.
- Fruit juice: A 12 oz glass of orange juice has roughly 33g of sugar. Despite the vitamin C, the glycemic impact is nearly identical to soda because the fiber has been removed.
- Sweet tea and sweetened coffee drinks: A 16 oz Starbucks Caramel Macchiato has 33g of sugar. Sweet tea from fast food chains typically has 22-36g of sugar per 16 oz.
- Sports drinks: Gatorade has 36g of sugar per 20 oz bottle with a GI of 78 — higher than white bread.
Refined Grains and Starches
Refined grains have been stripped of their fiber and bran, leaving mostly starch that converts quickly to glucose.
- White bread: GI of 75. Two slices deliver about 26g of carbs with less than 1g of fiber.
- White rice: GI of 73. A one-cup serving has roughly 45g of carbs, and restaurant portions are often two to three cups.
- Instant oatmeal (flavored packets): GI of 79 with 12-16g of added sugar per packet, compared to plain rolled oats at GI 55 with no added sugar.
"Healthy" Worst Foods for Diabetics
These are the items that surprise people because they seem like smart choices.
- Flavored yogurt: A single container of Yoplait Original has 19g of sugar — nearly as much as a candy bar. Plain Greek yogurt has about 6g of naturally occurring sugar and three times the protein.
- Granola: Most granola has 12-17g of sugar per 1/3 cup serving, plus 25-30g of total carbs. The serving size is deceptively small — most people pour twice that.
- Smoothie bowls: A medium acai bowl can have 60-90g of sugar from the acai base, banana, honey, and granola toppings. That is more sugar than two cans of soda.
- Dried fruit: Removing water concentrates the sugar. One cup of grapes has about 23g of sugar, but one cup of raisins has roughly 86g.
- Rice cakes: Plain rice cakes have a GI of 82 — one of the highest of any food. They are essentially pure refined starch with nothing to buffer the spike.
Fried Foods
Deep-fried foods are problematic for two reasons. The breading adds refined carbs (a medium order of fries has 44-66g of carbs depending on the chain), and fried foods tend to increase insulin resistance over time. A single glazed doughnut has about 22g of sugar and 31g of total carbs with a GI around 76.
Processed Snacks
- Pretzels: GI of 83, with about 23g of carbs per ounce and almost no fat, fiber, or protein to slow the spike.
- Candy and chocolate bars: A Snickers bar has 33g of sugar and 35g of total carbs. Even "fun size" versions have 18g of sugar.
What to Do About It
Start with the highest-impact change: cut sugary drinks. Replace soda and juice with water, sparkling water, or unsweetened tea. This single swap can lower fasting blood sugar noticeably within weeks.
For a practical guide to what to eat instead, see our foods to avoid with diabetes guide, which pairs each item with a better alternative. And for positive meal inspiration, check out our diabetic friendly meals guide.
Spot the Worst Offenders Automatically
Next time you're eating out, DinePick can flag these high-sugar and high-carb items on any menu instantly — join the waitlist to try it first.