a prediabetes diet is essentially a healthy diet consisting of varied fruits, vegetables, and wholegrain breads and cereals

If you’ve been told you have prediabetes, it’s normal to wonder: “Do I need a special diabetes diet?” The good news is that you don’t need expensive products or complicated rules. A prediabetes-friendly way of eating is simply a healthy, sustainable pattern that improves insulin resistance and supports gradual weight loss where needed.

This guide explains how to build meals, spread your carbohydrates, manage portion sizes, and choose fats and fibre in a way that supports better blood glucose levels.

Why Diet Matters in Prediabetes

Food choices directly affect blood glucose, insulin levels, weight, and long-term risk of complications. Even small changes — like swapping sugary drinks for water, or adding an extra serving of vegetables — can shift your average glucose and insulin levels in the right direction.

Consistent eating patterns can:

Reduce big spikes and crashes in blood glucose
Support weight loss or weight maintenance
Improve energy, concentration, and mood

To understand how prediabetes fits into the bigger picture of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, see: What is insulin resistance?

Eat Regular Meals and Spread Carbohydrates

Skipping meals often leads to overeating later, poor food choices, and wide swings in blood glucose. For most people with prediabetes it helps to:

Eat regular meals (e.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner) and optional small snacks
Spread carbohydrates throughout the day rather than having a very large load in one sitting
Include some protein and healthy fats in each meal to help you feel full

If your doctor or dietitian has given you a carbohydrate allowance, you can divide this across your meals. For more detail, see: Carbohydrates and diabetes and How to reduce carbs in your diet.

Portion Size and Weight Management

Portion sizes have grown over the years, and this is closely linked to weight gain and rising rates of prediabetes. You don’t have to go hungry, but you may need to retrain what a “normal portion” looks like.

Practical tips:

Use a slightly smaller plate
Fill half your plate with vegetables or salad
Serve a modest portion of carbohydrate (e.g. rice, pasta, potato) and avoid second helpings
Batch-cook and portion out leftovers to avoid picking at the pot
Turn off screens while eating — distracted eating leads to larger portions

Evidence suggests that structured portion control can improve blood glucose and support weight loss in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Choosing Healthier Fats

All fats are high in energy, but the type of fat you choose also affects cholesterol and heart disease risk.

Limit saturated fats – found in fatty meats, butter, cream, coconut oil, pastries, and many take-away foods
Choose unsaturated fats – such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado

People with prediabetes have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, so improving fat quality is just as important as managing carbs.

Fibre, Wholegrains, and Low-GI Choices

Fibre helps slow down digestion and makes glucose rise more gradually. Aim to include:

Wholegrain breads, cereals, and pastas
Oats, barley, and bran
Beans, lentils, and chickpeas
Plenty of vegetables and whole fruits (rather than juices)

Fibre also helps with weight management and bowel health. You can learn more about low-carbohydrate and low-GI patterns here: Low carbohydrate foods

Alcohol and Weight Gain

Alcohol is high in kilojoules/calories and can disrupt sleep and appetite. For many people with prediabetes, reducing alcohol intake makes weight loss easier and improves glucose control.

Try to:

Limit alcohol to within recommended guidelines
Have several alcohol-free days each week
Avoid binge drinking

For more on this topic: Alcohol and weight gain (video)

Putting It All Together

You don’t need to change everything at once. Choose one or two realistic goals, such as:

Adding an extra serve of vegetables to dinner
Swapping sugary drinks for water
Using a smaller plate at main meals

Over time, these small shifts can lead to meaningful drops in blood glucose and weight.

Helpful next reads:

Take the Next Step

If you’d like structured guidance, recipes, and evidence-based strategies to prevent diabetes, you can join the free online session:

Join the Prediabetes & Insulin Resistance Masterclass →

To get practical meal ideas and portion guides by email: Click here to receive prediabetes diet tips in your inbox.

Prediabetes Diet: What Should I Eat?