How To Eat Pizza When You Have Diabetes?
Diabetes is a health issue that is often associated with a dramatic change in one’s diet. That’s not a surprise, as plenty of products are able to affect blood sugar levels significantly and change a person’s well-being negatively. And, as pizza is mainly associated with junk food, people may think they will have to cut it out entirely from the ratio. However, if you are a pizza lover who worries that your favorite meal won’t be available anymore, we have some good news for you. With some slight regulations, it is possible to enjoy pizza and keep glucose in the blood at an average level; and today’s article is dedicated to this topic.
Continue reading to find out how exactly dishes like pizza can affect people with diabetes, how to control blood sugar levels, as well as the most popular and delicious recipes for you to try at home. If you can’t eat something – there is always an alternative, and we are glad to present you with some of those. Let’s start!
Can Diabetics Eat Pizza? How to Manage Your Insulin When You Eat?
As pizza contains a high level of carbohydrates, it, of course, can raise blood sugar levels significantly. However, this process may be slowed down if those are consumed along with other nutrients (like fat, fiber, and protein).
On a side note: Please, remember about the “delayed spike” phenomenon. Yes, fats take longer to be digested, so glucose levels don’t rise instantly and may even drop a little. However, a person may notice a large blood sugar spike after a few hours.
In order to manage blood sugars while eating pizza, it is recommended to administer your daily dose 10-15 minutes before you start eating. In this way, it is easier to avoid a blood sugar spike and enjoy your meal without any worries. To make sure you use the suitable scheme for diabetes control, it is always better to discuss it with a doctor to create an individual plan and calculate all the nuances. Moreover, a pre-meal insulin dosage should also be prescribed by a medical professional, as doing it is a crucial step for a successful treatment. Not to mention that the amount of the remedy cannot be changed by a person without a doctor’s appointment; all alterations are only allowed after a careful examination because without it, there are chances of problematic side effects and poor-quality blood sugar control. If you want to save money on insulin, we recommend buying insulin online.
3 Helpful Tips to Make a Healthy Pizza for Diabetics
In case you are worried about the question, “Can a diabetic eat pizza?” we are here to calm you down – a pizza recipe can be adjusted to one’s needs and be safe for individuals with diabetes mellitus. The most common and helpful pieces of advice regarding pizza are cutting off salt, saturated fat, red or processed meat, and some other products. So, how does it change a traditional pizza recipe?
#1. Make Your Own Pizza (As Well As Pizza Crust)
If you don’t want to order pizza and prefer to cook it at home instead, it gives you a chance to select all the components and be sure that nothing will affect blood glucose greatly. First of all, we recommend checking all the ingredients via a specially designed app to see whether the amount of sugar is not too high. You can try OneTouch Reveal, MySugr, Glucose Buddy, or any other app created for this purpose.
Afterward, you should work on the trickiest part of pizza – the crust. Instead of traditional dough, it’s possible to use whole-wheat pizza crust; some creative individuals buy tortilla wrap, brown it on the pan with a little bit of olive oil, and put sauce and all the toppings afterward. Using a vegetable-made base, like broccoli or cauliflower crust, is also possible.
#2. Select a Pizza Sause
In frozen pizza, sauces usually contain a high level of added sugar, so it is important to check all the options and try to find a low-sugar or no-sugar one. However, making your own creamy sauces at home is quite easy, so we recommend giving it a go and imagining yourself being a famous Italian chef.
Put a little bit of olive oil on a pan and fry some garlic and passata (a type of tomato sauce) until it thickens. Afterward, add your herbs (basil, oregano, etc.) and onion to give it a little bit of spice. In case you think there’s not enough sweetness, you may also add a teaspoon or two of a sweetener (for example, stevia).
#3. Consider All the Ingredients
Correctly picked toppings are crucial for not only the taste of a pizza but for a cook’s well-being as well. Some of the healthiest low-carb toppings are onions, olives, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, garlic, green bell peppers, artichokes, tomatoes, and others. And even if you prefer plain, regular pizza, there is still a possibility to get all your needed vitamins from the sauce; if cooked with the right ingredients, it is full of Vitamins A, B6, C, as well as Niacin, Copper, and Riboflavin.
And, of course, if you are not a big fan of vegetarian pizza, lean meat will be a perfect addition to the balanced diet and delicious pizza. Moreover, they are a source of healthy proteins, which are also important in anyone’s diet.
More About Pizza And Diabetes
When trying to add pizza to a diabetic diet, a person should remember a few crucial things. Below, we are going to discuss three key points that usually cause the most confusion in those who have just started adding unusual (we may even call them exotic) meals to their ratio.
How Much Pizza Am I Allowed to Eat?
If you live with diabetes, eat pizza after answering a few simple yet essential questions:
- Are you really hungry? It is important to satisfy your hunger and don’t skip meals;
- How many carbohydrates are optimal for the body not to cause any negative reactions? To know this, it is crucial to talk with a doctor and pay attention to the way the organism reacts to various meal proportions;
- How many carbohydrates are allowed based on the prescribed medications? Sometimes, there can be limitations per meal;
- How filling is the dish of yours? If it’s a thin-crust pizza with minimum ingredients, obviously, you’ll want to eat more than just one slice. Make sure you are not hungry after the meal.
Balance Macronutrients
Pizza is an excellent meal rich in all important macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. However, for those with diabetes, it is crucial to maintain a healthy amount of everything and choose a blood sugar-friendly option. How is it possible?
- Pick crust that contains plenty of fiber and protein;
- Select topping with fiber and lean protein;
- Choose sauce with a minimal amount of sugar and fat;
- Don’t add too much cheese, as it’s not the healthiest option for a diabetic.
Don’t Limit Yourself
Don’t let others decide what and how much you should eat; only you know your body well enough to set certain limits on it. Don’t let others judge you and tell you what you should or shouldn’t do/eat/drink. The only person whose recommendations you should listen to is your doctor.
Pizza And Diabetes Type 1
Different types of diabetes include various rules when it comes to consuming pizza (or any other meal, to be quite honest). That’s why we think it’s a good idea to discuss the most helpful recommendations from medical specialists based on the type of disease. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
Divide Remedy Into a Few Parts
You should split the recommended amount of insulin into 2-3 portions and administer them at different intervals. Of course, it should be decided together with a doctor, but here are all the available options:
- Pre-eating (is given 10-15 minutes before the meal);
- The one that has to be taken during the course (while eating pizza);
- Used immediately after finishing the meal;
- Delayed bolus (usually used after an hour or two).
Divide Injections And Calculate the Time
When managing pizza and diabetes, there is a chance you’ll need to divide an average dose into a few portions to administer them at certain time intervals. Let’s say 5 units are required to manage blood glucose properly; in this way, three options will be available:
- 2 units are administered 15 minutes before the meal, 1 unit right after finishing, and the last 2 units after an hour;
- 1 unit is injected 30 minutes before eating, 2 units are needed during the meal, and the last 2 units are administered 2 hours after the meal;
- 3 units are given during the meal; the last 2 are administered two hours after finishing eating.
There are plenty of variations, and the right one is typically chosen based on one’s individual needs.
Pizza And Diabetes Type 2
Regarding the second type of diabetes, there should be fewer worries about shots while consuming a delicious meal. However, some recommendations should still be followed in order to have a stable blood sugar level.
Are you interested in What Is the Relationship Between Diabetes, Insulin, and Potassium? Then you should read the article and understand what the difference is.
Keep Track of Your Calories
It is possible to eat a delicious pizza just by cutting back on carbs on your previous meal. Just calculate a daily intake of carbs and fats to know the best proportion.
Move Around More
Before eating your pizza, just go on a 30-minute jog before taking your meal. If there isn’t enough time to do it, an evening walk after dinner would be a good idea. We’d also recommend eating a lot of greens along with pizza.
Pizza And Gestational Diabetes
Pizza is a very popular craving among mothers-to-be out there, and even though gestational diabetes is an issue that may lead to different negative symptoms, there’s still no need to cut down on it completely. Choose a whole-grain crust, think about healthy toppings, and make sure to discuss all the cravings and cooking plans with a gynecologist and a doctor to select the most nutritious options.
To Sum Up: About Pizza And Diabetes
Even though people with diabetes should pay attention to numerous restrictions when it comes to healthy diet planning, it doesn’t mean they should refuse everything they like. Pizza can be healthy and nutritious, especially if you cook one at home. We highly recommend discussing this nuance with a doctor to find out which ingredients can be safely consumed; go ahead and improve your cooking skills. It’s never too late to become a chef!