What foods should diabetics avoid?

Sugar-sweetened drinks, fruit juice, sweets, refined white flour products, and deep-fried foods are the main ones to minimise. Rather than banning categories, focus on portion size, carbohydrate quality, and pairing carbohydrates with protein, fat, and fibre.

Outright avoidance is rarely necessary except for sugary drinks and juices, which raise glucose fastest with no compensating benefit.

Practical adjustments for Indian meals: reduce rice portion and add dal, sabzi and curd; switch part of the wheat to millets; eat vegetables or salad before the carbohydrate.