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Foods to Avoid With Diabetes (Especially When Blood Sugar Is High)
These foods are rated unsafe at the poorly-controlled level — they tend to drive a rapid, pronounced rise in glucose. That does not always mean "never", but they call for real caution, smaller portions or a better-controlled starting point. Where the source flags a food as not recommended in any amount, we say so plainly.
Introduction Matching Foods Why This Matters Related Topics & Categories
Introduction
These foods are rated unsafe at the poorly-controlled level — they tend to drive a rapid, pronounced rise in glucose. That does not always mean "never", but they call for real caution, smaller portions or a better-controlled starting point. Where the source flags a food as not recommended in any amount, we say so plainly.
Matching Foods
857 foods currently match this topic, sorted to help you scan quickly.
Food Category Carbs / 100 g Safety Portion (well-controlled)
3-in-1 Instant Coffee Beverages 9 g Lower impact about 33 g Akkawi cheese fatayer (large) Grains & Starches 34.5 g Use caution about 87 g Akkawi cheese fatayer (medium) Grains & Starches 34.3 g Needs care about 87 g Al-Amin Ayesh tahini halva Sweets & Sweeteners 50.5 g Lower impact about 40 g Al-Nakhlah tahini halva Sweets & Sweeteners 51 g Lower impact about 40 g Alexandrian Ful Legumes 17.6 g Needs care about 227 g Almond Bar (Snickers) Grains & Starches 64.1 g Lower impact about 39 g AMP Energy Drink Beverages 12.1 g Needs care about 155 g Andrea's, gluten free soft dinner roll Grains & Starches 40.2 g Needs care about 62 g Apple Fruits 14 g Lower impact about 180 g Apple + kiwi juice Beverages 10.8 g Needs care about 185 g Apple juice Beverages 11.3 g Needs care about 177 g Apple juice (canned) Beverages 11.5 g Use caution about 174 g Apple juice (fresh) Beverages 11.3 g Use caution about 177 g Apple pie Sweets & Sweeteners 45 g Use caution about 53 g APPLEBEE'S, chicken tenders platter Meat, Poultry & Fish 18 g Needs care about 167 g APPLEBEE'S, french fries Grains & Starches 39.5 g Use caution about 63 g Arabic bread large Grains & Starches 55 g Needs care about 45 g Arabic bread medium Grains & Starches 55 g Needs care about 45 g Arabic bread small Grains & Starches 55 g Lower impact about 35 g Artificial Blueberry Muffin Mix, dry Sweets & Sweeteners 77.5 g Needs care about 31 g Bagel Grains & Starches 54 g Use caution about 46 g Baguette Grains & Starches 57 g Use caution about 44 g Baked cabbage and meat tray Meat, Poultry & Fish 5.2 g Lower impact about 550 g Baked cheese sambousek (large) Grains & Starches 30.1 g Lower impact about 80 g Baked eggplant and meat tray Meat, Poultry & Fish 6.5 g Needs care about 462 g Baked meat sambousek (large) Meat, Poultry & Fish 28.9 g Lower impact about 85 g Baked potato and meat tray Meat, Poultry & Fish 10.9 g Use caution about 275 g Baklava no syrup Sweets & Sweeteners 33.6 g Needs care about 71 g Baklava with syrup Sweets & Sweeteners 46 g Use caution about 52 g Banana (fully ripe) Fruits — Lower impact about 101 g Banana (half-ripe) Fruits — Lower impact about 176 g Banana (ripe) Fruits 23 g Lower impact about 120 g Banana (unripe) Fruits 20 g Lower impact about 120 g Banana PB smoothie Beverages 12.8 g Use caution about 180 g Banana smoothie (ayran) Beverages 11.1 g Use caution about 208 g Banana smoothie (milk) Beverages 12.2 g Use caution about 189 g Banana smoothie (water) Beverages 16.1 g Use caution about 143 g Barazek Sweets & Sweeteners 36.7 g Lower impact about 60 g Barhi Dates (yellow, fresh) Fruits 33 g Lower impact about 169 g Barilla pasta (gluten-free, cooked) Grains & Starches 27 g Lower impact about 100 g Barley Bread Grains & Starches 45 g Lower impact about 60 g Basbousa no syrup Sweets & Sweeteners 45 g Use caution about 53 g Basbousa with syrup Sweets & Sweeteners 53.8 g Use caution about 45 g Basmati Rice Grains & Starches 28.2 g Needs care about 215 g Basmati Rice (cooled & reheated) Grains & Starches 28.2 g Needs care about 215 g Basmati rice cooked (side) Grains & Starches 23 g Use caution about 130 g Beans, baked, canned, no salt added Legumes 20.5 g Needs care about 195 g Beans, baked, canned, with beef Legumes 16.9 g Needs care about 178 g Beans, baked, canned, with franks Legumes 15.4 g Lower impact about 259 g
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Why This Matters
After a meal, carbohydrate is broken down to glucose and absorbed into the blood; insulin then helps move it into cells. Foods that release glucose slowly produce a smaller, steadier rise. HbA1c reflects your average blood sugar over roughly the past three months. It is the anchor for the three control levels used throughout this site.
Turn food decisions into confident ones with Flona
Flona is your daily companion for insulin decisions — basal, rapid-acting, mixed or meal-based — and for estimating carbs at a glance. It is guidance to support you day to day, not a replacement for advice from your physician or diabetes care team.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Ratings and portions are estimates derived from nutritional composition, not measurements of your own glucose response; individual responses vary. If you take insulin, confirm carbohydrate amounts against a nutrition label before dosing. Always follow the guidance of your own physician or diabetes care team.
How these ratings are produced: our safety estimate is derived from each food's nutritional composition — carbohydrate content, fibre, food category and physical form (liquid or solid) — combined with established diabetes nutrition principles and a realistic serving size. They are estimates for planning, not measurements of your own response and not a prescription. Individual responses vary considerably, so always follow your own clinician's advice.
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