Blog article

How to create your personalised approach to eating for diabetes – advice from a dietitian

By HBF
3 minutes
10 July 2025
Older couples having lunch

While there is no specific “diabetes diet”, nutrition does play an important role in managing the condition. We chat with Mary Du Heaume, HBF’s Member Health Coach and accredited practising dietitian to better understand diet’s role in diabetes management.


According to Diabetes Australia, more than 300 Australians develop diabetes every day.1 With diabetes the seventh most common cause of death by disease in Australia, knowing some factors for prevention is important but feeling in control of your diagnosis, even more so – which is where a dietitian can help.


In this article


What is diabetes?

Diabetes happens when your pancreas can’t produce enough of the hormone insulin, or your body becomes resistant to it. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that acts as a ‘key’ in the ‘lock’ of our cell’s ‘doors’ to let the glucose in to be used to provide energy.

In Australia:

Healthy living with type 2 diabetes

How can you better manage diabetes through diet?

Type 1 diabetes is thought to be an autoimmune condition and is not linked to modifiable risk factors. It requires insulin replacement to control the body’s blood glucose levels. Although developing type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with lifestyle, maintaining a healthy lifestyle plays an important role and requires individual advice and management.

Many factors can contribute to developing type 2 diabetes, and our genetic makeup can play a role, meaning some people need to be more focused to keep diabetes under control or prevent it in the first place. Some health parameters that you and your doctor would discuss, including family history and age, are factors that we cannot modify. Other factors such as our weight, diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking status are within our control and may actively contribute to risk.

The good news: almost 60 percent of all cases of type 2 diabetes in Australia can be delayed or prevented with changes to diet and lifestyle.

People living with type 2 diabetes are encouraged to enjoy healthy foods like everyone else and as such there is no specific “diabetes diet”. No two people are the same so there is no one size fits all.

Understanding the principles of how food affects blood glucose levels, medications, and other health factors can help guide food choices to create the most appropriate pattern of eating for an individual. Diabetes Australia recommends that everyone with diabetes visit an accredited practising dietitian for individualised dietary advice.

Meanwhile, here are some general recommendations to remember

Healthy eating is an integral aspect of managing diabetes and impacts weight, blood glucose levels, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and can help to reduce the risk of diabetes complications such as heart disease and stroke.

What else can you do?

Attending a diabetes education session, visiting a diabetes educator, or for eligible HBF members* enrolling in the fully covered COACH program can give you valuable insights into how your body changes with diabetes and what are the most effective ways including diet to manage or even reverse these changes.

Resources and support

Did you know you can slow prediabetes and manage type 2 diabetes through diet? If weight loss is a priority for you,  this is where the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet comes in – and you could claim 100% of the cost as an eligible HBF member*. Learn more here.

You can also attend a diabetes education session, visit a diabetes educator or eligible HBF members can enrol in the fully covered* COACH program. Check out some handy links below.

How can HBF can help with diabetes management


1 Diabetes Australia - Diabetes in Australia


This article contains general information only and does not take into account the health, personal situation or needs of any person. In conjunction with your GP or treating health care professional, please consider whether the information is suitable for you and your personal circumstances.

*Limits and waiting periods apply.

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