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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)
Beans, baked, canned, with pork Legumes 20 g Use caution about 150 g Beans, baked, home prepared Legumes 21.6 g Needs care about 185 g Beans, black turtle, mature seeds, canned Legumes 16.6 g Lower impact about 240 g Beans, black turtle, mature seeds, raw Legumes 63.3 g Use caution about 47 g Beans, black, mature seeds, canned, low sodium Legumes 16.6 g Lower impact about 240 g Beans, black, mature seeds, raw Legumes 62.4 g Use caution about 48 g Beans, kidney, all types, mature seeds, canned Legumes 14.5 g Lower impact about 256 g Beans, kidney, all types, mature seeds, raw Legumes 60 g Use caution about 50 g Beans, kidney, california red, mature seeds, raw Legumes 59.8 g Use caution about 50 g Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, raw Legumes 61.3 g Use caution about 49 g Beef & Cheese Seasoned Beef, Cheddar Cheese, Bell Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers & Onions In A Crispy Crust Taco Bites, Beef & Cheese (Old El Paso) Eggs, Milk & Dairy 33.7 g Needs care about 89 g Beef burger (bun) (gluten-free) Meat, Poultry & Fish 14.9 g Needs care about 201 g Beef burger brioche bun Meat, Poultry & Fish 27 g Use caution about 111 g Beef burger potato bun Meat, Poultry & Fish 16.7 g Needs care about 180 g Beef shawarma sandwich (large, sammoun bread) Meat, Poultry & Fish 17.6 g Use caution about 170 g Beef shawarma sandwich (medium, saj bread) Meat, Poultry & Fish 17.8 g Use caution about 169 g Beer (regular) Beverages 3.6 g Needs care about 356 g Ben & Jerry's, Ice Cream, Keep Caramel And Cookie On (Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc.) Sweets & Sweeteners 32.7 g Needs care about 80 g Berry smoothie (ayran) Beverages 6.7 g Needs care about 344 g Bint Al Sahn Sweets & Sweeteners 26.4 g Needs care about 91 g Black Cherry Probiotic Yogurt (Activia) Eggs, Milk & Dairy 15 g Needs care about 200 g Blueberries, dried, sweetened Fruits 80 g Needs care about 31 g Blueberries, frozen, sweetened Fruits 22 g Use caution about 136 g Blueberry (Kellogg's Pop-Tarts) Fruits 75.6 g Needs care about 32 g Bread (no added sugar) Grains & Starches 47 g Lower impact about 45 g Bread, cornbread, dry mix, enriched (includes corn muffin mix) Sweets & Sweeteners 69.5 g Lower impact about 28 g Bread, cornbread, dry mix, unenriched (includes corn muffin mix) Sweets & Sweeteners 69.5 g Lower impact about 28 g Bread, pita, white, enriched Grains & Starches 55.7 g Needs care about 45 g Bread, salvadoran sweet cheese (quesadilla salvadorena) Grains & Starches 47.8 g Lower impact about 55 g Brioche burger bun Grains & Starches 55 g Needs care about 55 g Brown Sugar Sweets & Sweeteners 98 g Use caution about 6 g Brownie Sweets & Sweeteners 55 g Use caution about 44 g Budweiser Beer Beverages 3 g Needs care about 356 g Buffalo Style Chicken (Hot Pockets) Meat, Poultry & Fish 31 g Needs care about 97 g Bugles (original) Sweets & Sweeteners 65 g Lower impact about 30 g Bulgur Grains & Starches 18.6 g Needs care about 254 g BURGER KING, cheeseburger Meat, Poultry & Fish 23.7 g Needs care about 127 g BURGER KING, double cheeseburger Meat, Poultry & Fish 17.4 g Lower impact about 162 g BURGER KING, french fries Grains & Starches 38.7 g Lower impact about 74 g Burrito, beef and bean, frozen Meat, Poultry & Fish 30.8 g Needs care about 97 g Burrito, beef and bean, microwaved Meat, Poultry & Fish 39 g Needs care about 77 g Béchamel sauce Sweets & Sweeteners 10.5 g Needs care about 286 g Caffeine-Free Cola Beverages 10.6 g Use caution about 177 g Cake, chocolate, commercially prepared with chocolate frosting, in-store bakery Sweets & Sweeteners 52.8 g Use caution about 45 g Cake, chocolate, prepared from recipe without frosting Sweets & Sweeteners 53.4 g Use caution about 45 g Cake, pudding-type, chocolate, dry mix Sweets & Sweeteners 80.2 g Lower impact about 28 g Candies, 5th avenue candy bar Sweets & Sweeteners 62.7 g Needs care about 42 g Candies, almond joy candy bar Sweets & Sweeteners 59.5 g Needs care about 44 g Candies, caramello candy bar Sweets & Sweeteners 63.8 g Lower impact about 35 g Candies, milk chocolate coated peanuts Sweets & Sweeteners 49.7 g Needs care about 52 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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