Hello Fresh Diabetes Meal Options

Yes, people with diabetes can eat ready-made meals. For those with a busy schedule, ready-made meal services offer meals that help sustain their dietary needs and support healthy weight loss. 

Luckily, many meal delivery companies, like Sunbasket, BistroMD, or Freshly, have launched meal plans with low-carb options.

Keep in mind; it’s necessary to choose meals that align with your doctor’s customized meal plan. For example, if your doctor recommends seafood options that tie into a low-carb diet, opt for meal kit delivery services that provide these offerings.

Multiple diets are recommended for those with diabetes; this includes the DASH plan, the Mediterranean diet, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free diet. Below is a quick summary for those unfamiliar with each diet.

• DASH plan – this diet option limits salt, portions, sweets, red meat, and sweet drinks in favor of meals with minerals like calcium and magnesium.
• Mediterranean diet – Those who pursue this diet will mainly consume meat with a higher healthy fat intake, vegetables, and fats from vegetable sources.
• Paleo diet – This diet’s basis is around the food items eaten by early ancestors, including meat, nuts, berries, and healthy fat from vegetables.
• Vegan plant-based diet- Those consuming a vegan diet avoid animal products, including meat and dairy.
• Vegetarian diet- This diet is similar to eating vegan fare, though vegetarians consume dairy.
• Gluten-free diet- This option is pretty straightforward, with dieters avoiding gluten-based products, including sauces, bread, and grains that have gluten in them.

While these diet plan options are all quite different, the main takeaway is that they can be adjusted to the individual’s needs to simultaneously maintain healthy blood sugar levels and fit other dietary needs.

It’s essential to ensure meals contain a good amount of fiber, lean protein, a variety of produce, fats from vegetables, low-fat dairy, and carbs that are less processed.

It’s good to note which types of foods to avoid, including highly processed grains, sweet foods, dairy with high-fat content, refined flour-based foods, fast food, fried foods, and foods that contain more than a 20 in terms of glycemic load.

Each of the above diets includes its version of food items corresponding to the do and don’t eat list. Consuming the right foods for your body, an exercise plan, and your doctor’s guidance will yield the best results.

As of 2019, Blue Apron offers meal delivery plans that incorporate some diabetic-friendly meals. Blue Apron has partnered with the American Diabetes Association to create healthy recipes for this diet needs.

The meal choices include healthy grains, lean meats, and vegetable-based healthy fats like peanuts and olive oil. These meals are geared toward those with diabetes are updated weekly, ensuring new meal options are available for purchase.

To opt for this meal option, customers can choose the Signature style of meals and then manually select their meals for delivery. It’s important to note that  most Signature meals are not aimed at people with diabetes, so ensure you look through the notes for each before selecting the dishes.

Like many meal kit delivery services, Blue Apron offers an option for those on a low-carb diet. These meals work well for carb-conscious people and those following a Weight Watchers diet. The carb-conscious recipes provide a balanced approach to carb consumption by replacing refined carbs sourced from white rice, white flour, or cane sugar with high-fiber foods like vegetables and whole grains. The carb-conscious recipes offer a max of 42g net carbs per serving, 

While these meals provide lower carbs than some other meal choices, they are not explicitly designed for those with diabetes. Therefore, please check the ingredients of the meals to ensure they align with your specific dietary needs before purchasing.