Food and nutrition

What can you eat with type 1 diabetes?

There’s nothing you aren’t ‘allowed’ to eat if you have type 1. Different foods affect your blood glucose in different ways, mainly by how quickly they release carbohydrate and sugar into your blood stream. It’s not always about what you eat but understanding how much insulin you need to keep your blood glucose levels within your target range after you’ve eaten.

This means you need to know how much carbohydrate is in your food and drink. This is called carb counting.

Your Diabetes Healthcare Team will tell you how much insulin to take per gram of carbohydrate, so you can then work out how much insulin to take. This is called your insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio.

How does what I eat affect my type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is not caused by an unhealthy diet, or anything to do with food – it is an autoimmune condition that happens for reasons we don’t yet fully understand, which is why our immunology research is so important.

In some cases type 2 diabetes can be put into remission through lifestyle changes, but this is not the case for type 1, which has no cure (which is why we carry out research).

What you eat won’t change your type 1, but the choices you make may lead to more stable blood glucose and reduce the risk of complications like heart disease.

How can well-balanced nutrition help you manage type 1?

The main goal of managing type 1 is to keep your blood glucose levels as much in the target range as possible.

If you eat something that has a lot of sugar that’s absorbed very quickly into your blood (like sweets) it can cause your blood glucose to spike, making it harder to manage. If you eat something that releases sugar more slowly into your bloodstream (like fruit and vegetables) your blood glucose levels will rise more steadily.

That makes it easier for you to work out how much insulin to take, and when.

If you can keep your blood glucose levels more stable, your type 1 diabetes will be easier to manage.

Can you eat sugar if you have type 1 diabetes?

You don’t need to cut out sugar when you have type 1. In fact, you should always keep something with a high sugar content on you (like jelly babies, fruit juice or glucose tablets) in case you need to raise your blood glucose levels or treat a hypo.

You need to be aware of the effect sugary food has on your blood glucose levels and whether it impacts your type 1 management.

If you have any concerns, speak to your Diabetes Healthcare Team.

Should you avoid fat if you have type 1 diabetes?

Fat can affect how insulin and glucose are absorbed, so it’s good to avoid eating too much of it. For example, chocolate is not recommended for treating hypos because the fat in chocolate slows down the absorption of sugar, when you need it quickly.

Having type 1 can cause complications like heart disease. Eating fat regularly can raise your cholesterol and further increase your risk of heart disease so it’s recommended not to eat too much too often.

If you’re concerned about complications, speak to your Diabetes Healthcare Team.

Can you still eat out if you have type 1 diabetes?

Yes. There’s no reason why you should stop enjoying the social aspect of food. Find out more about how to manage your blood glucose and insulin around meals out and what to do if you’re drinking alcohol.

Can I get help with food, nutrition and carb counting?

It’s really important to get help when you need it, whether you’re newly diagnosed, or you’ve been living with type 1 for some time and need a refresher.

There are courses like DAFNE and BERTIE Diabetes that help you learn how to carb count and manage type 1 around your lifestyle, as well as many online resources to help you self-learn. Find out more about type 1 courses and education.