Protein first, carbs second

Packing a diabetic-friendly lunch comes down to one rule: protein first, carbs second.

Start with a protein, add a pile of non-starchy vegetables, and treat carbs like a side dish, not the main event. For most adults that looks like 4–6 oz of protein, 1–2 cups of vegetables, and roughly 30–45g of carbs per meal. Adjust to what your body actually tolerates.

Reliable proteins: grilled chicken, hardboiled eggs, canned tuna, Greek yogurt, tofu, chickpeas. Reliable carbs: quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat bread, sweet potato, a single piece of fruit. And don’t skip the fat — a little avocado, olive oil, or nuts slows down the blood sugar spike.

Don’t overthink this. If you can see all three parts in the box, it’s balanced. Skip the juice, skip the white bread, keep the fruit to one serving, and you’re done.

Your 3pm blood sugar will thank you.