The Diabetes Prevention Program Diet

The DPP Diet and Coaching for Prediabetes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, have developed a program with diet and lifestyle changes that has been shown among prediabetes patients to reduce the risk of developing diabetes by over 50%. This program is the Diabetes Prevention Program, or DPP.

Each DPP program includes a year-long lifestyle change curriculum delivered via lessons put together by the CDC. Lesson topics include nutrition, physical activity, managing stress, and fitting your healthy choices into your and your family's lifestyle.

You can find an in-person DPP program to attend, or see whether you are eligible for a digital program. Lark Health Coach, for example, is a CDC DPP program that delivers the program via your smartphone, on your time. Lark also helps with tracking weight, food, and exercise, and customizes the program according to preferences such as low-carb, gluten-free, or vegan.

Lark's prediabetes diet recommendations are consistent with the DPP and include recommendations based off evidence from diets such as the DASH diet and Mediterranean patterns. Your Lark coach, for example, might suggest:

• Choosing fruit instead of dessert.
• Steaming, baking, or grilling instead of frying.
• Using olive oil instead of butter or shortening.
• Trying plant-based proteins or fish sometimes instead of red meat.
• Enjoying your meals and having them in a pleasant environment.

Balanced DPP Healthy Diet for Prediabetes

Foods to Emphasize

• Vegetables
• Fish and shellfish
• Plant-based proteins, such as beans, peas, lentils, tofu, and nuts
• Whole grains and whole-grain products
• Healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado
• Fresh fruit
• Spices and herbs
• (In Moderation)
• Starchy vegetables (e.g., peas, winter squash, corn, and sweet potatoes)
• Lean animal proteins, such as skinless poultry and eggs.
• Reduced-fat dairy products, such as low-fat cheese and fat-free cottage cheese and plain yogurt.
• Water and other low-calorie, hydrating beverages such as decaffeinated green tea.

Pros

• Has been shown to lower insulin resistance and blood glucose levels (A1c) among individuals with diabetes and prediabetes.
• Based on eating patterns shown to have health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, improving cholesterol levels, and
• Can aid in weight loss due to:
• Reminding you to weigh in.
• Calorie reduction by swapping low-calorie foods such as lean proteins and vegetables, and having smaller portions
• Swapping empty calories for high-fiber choices such as fruit and whole grains.
• Simplifies your diet with reminders, tracking, and suggestions for small changes.
• Better potential for long-term success due to allowances for special occasions and cravings.

Foods to Limit or Avoid

• Processed meats
• Fried foods
• Fatty red meat and poultry with skin
• Solid fats (e.g., lard and butter)
• Refined grains (e.g., white bread, pasta, rice, and crackers, and refined cereals)
• Sweets (e.g., candy, cake, ice cream, pie, pastries, and cookies)
• Sugar-sweetened beverages, (e.g., soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and sugar-sweetened coffee and tea beverages)
• Alcoholic beverages and mixed drinks
• Sugar-sweetened foods, such as flavored yogurt and oatmeal, and sugary condiments
• Dried fruit and fruit juice

Cons

• Is less focused on counting calories and grams of carbohydrate, fat, and protein grams – some people prefer to count.
• Is not a prescriptive meal plan, so users must decide what to eat rather than expecting to be told what to have at each meal and snack (but you can use the meal plan on this page as a model!).

Sample Diet Plans for Prediabetes

The prediabetes diet plans below are designed to help you lose weight, improve your blood sugar control and overall health, and be easy to follow. Each plan has about 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day. If you need more, you can add in one or more of the healthy snack options listed below the menus. There is are one-week menus for a low-carb ketogenic diet and for a balanced, DPP-based prediabetes diet, and snacks listed for both types of diets.

Be sure to:

• Drink plenty of water.
• Check with your doctor before starting the plan.
• Modify the plan to meet your dietary needs and preferences.

Balanced DPP Prediabetes Menu

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Balanced DPP Recipes

Oatmeal Pancakes

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

1 cup of rolled or quick-cooking oats

3/4 cup warm milk

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1 egg

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Let the oats soak in the milk for 20 minutes. Blend in the other ingredients. Pour in spoonfuls onto a heated griddle with cooking spray, and turn over when edges bubble. Serve warm.

Quinoa Salad

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

2 cups quinoa cooked in low-sodium broth

1/2 onion, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 cup low-sodium canned black or kidney beans

1 tablespoon of lime juice

4 ounces of cheddar or jack cheese

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 cup of mango or kiwi in pieces

Directions

Combine all ingredients and let sit together until time to serve.

Shepherd's Pie

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 lb. peeled and cooked sweet potato

1/4 milk

Dash nutmeg

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 diced onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 lb. ready to use textured vegetable protein (TVP) or soy crumbles)

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

12 oz. thawed frozen peas and carrots

Directions

Blend the sweet potato with milk, nutmeg, and cheese. Separately, cook the onions and garlic in a pan with the olive. Mix in the TVP, broth, and vegetables, and spread on a pan. Top with the sweet potato mixture, and bake at 425 degrees until set, about 20 minutes.

Balanced DPP Snacks

Any of the Low-Carb Snacks, plus any of the following…

1 cup raw vegetables, such as broccoli or cauliflower florets, bell pepper strips, or celery, carrot, or cucumber sticks, plus 2 tablespoons of hummus.

1 diced apple or pear in 1/2 cup cottage cheese, cinnamon optional.

 1/2 cup fat-free refried beans with 1/2 oz. cheese melted on top, optional salsa and/or diced tomatoes

3 cups of air-popped popcorn plus 1 string cheese stick

1 cup of watermelon mixed with 1 oz. of feta cheese and mint leaves

1/2 can tuna with 1 oz. whole-grain crackers

1/2 whole-grain pita with 3 oz. cooked chicken breast, mustard, and lettuce and tomatoes.

1 cup of edamame in the pods

1 packet plain instant oatmeal made with almond milk, plus 1/2 cup berries

Foods to Choose: nutrients for prediabetesExamplesNon-Starchy Vegetables: fiber, potassium, low-calorie

Fresh lettuce and salad greens; tomatoes; celery; cucumbers; onions; snow peas; mushrooms; broccoli; spinach; brussels sprout; eggplant; zucchini; bell peppers…etc.!; frozen vegetables (no salt added)

Seafood: protein, healthy fats, potassium

Salmon; shrimp; tuna; crab; clams; mackerel; herring; tilapia; pollock

Legumes: * fiber, protein, potassium

Split and black-eyed peas; lentils; beans such as kidney, black, garbanzo, and pinto beans; soybeans and soy products, such as tofu, edamame, and soy milk; meat substitutes

Whole Grains:* fiber

Whole-grain bread, cereal, and pasta; oatmeal; brown rice; whole-grain barley, farro, and quinoa; air-popped popcorn

Starchy Vegetables: * fiber, potassium

Sweet potatoes; potatoes; winter squash; green peas; corn; pumpkin

Plant-based fats/oils: healthy fats, fiber (except oil), protein (in peanuts, nuts, and seeds)

Olive oil; avocado; natural peanut and nut butters; peanuts; nuts; seeds; flaxseed; vegetable oils

Reduced-fat dairy: protein, calcium, potassium, vitamin D

Plain yogurt; skim milk; fat-free cottage cheese; low-fat cheese

Fruit: * fiber, potassium

Peaches; cantaloupe; berries; apples; pears; oranges; tangerines; watermelon; frozen fruit (no sugar added)

Hydrating beverages: water, low-calorie

Water; decaffeinated black coffee and unsweetened tea without cream; water with mint, lime, lemon, or cucumber