Greek Feasts and Blood Sugar Control: Insights from a Diabetes Educator

Eating delicious food while managing blood sugar levels is possible, especially with guidance from a skilled diabetes dietitian.

Whether someone has Type 1 diabetes (T1D) or Type 2 diabetes (T2D), it’s crucial to understand how different foods impact blood sugar. A Type 1 diabetes dietitian or a Type 2 diabetes dietitian can help individuals make sense of meal planning, carb counting, and insulin management—allowing them to enjoy great meals without compromising their health.

Let’s take a look at a traditional Greek feast and how a diabetes educator would approach it to maintain balanced blood sugar.

A Greek meal typically includes a variety of dishes with a mix of vegetables, protein, and fats. One popular starter is a Greek salad, which may contain ingredients like cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, and a generous serving of feta cheese. While these ingredients are low in carbs, there are still some things to consider, like the small pieces of bread and the dried tomatoes. A diabetes dietitian would carefully measure the carbs in these items. For example, a small piece of bread may contribute 6–7 grams of carbs, which is important when counting carbs for insulin dosing.

Protein sources, like calamari, are common in Greek meals. It’s essential to consider the fat content in these dishes too. Fat can impact blood sugar later, so a diabetes educator recommends a technique known as “now and later” dosing. This means managing carbs immediately but accounting for the fat later after it has impacted blood sugar. The calamari, for example, could have around 25–30 grams of carbs, and the fats from the olive oil and protein should be considered to prevent blood sugar spikes hours later.

As individuals move into the main courses, such as a mixed grill with meats like pork, chicken, lamb, and sausage, they’re getting a good balance of protein and fat. A T1D dietitian or T2D dietitian would remind them that meats don’t contribute many carbs but could impact blood sugar due to the fat content. This is where using the “now and later” approach comes in handy.

Another traditional dish, moussaka, made with layers of meat and béchamel cheese, contains little in the way of carbs. The primary sources of carbs in this dish come from potatoes or eggplant, but a small serving might only contribute around 20–25 grams of carbs. These are relatively manageable with careful insulin dosing, especially if individuals are working with a diabetes educator to monitor their intake.

It’s clear that with careful planning and carb counting, traditional Greek food doesn’t have to cause blood sugar spikes. A diabetes educator can help individuals navigate these meals and ensure they’re adjusting their insulin doses appropriately.

Managing diabetes isn’t about giving up food—it's about understanding how to make smart choices with the help of an expert. Whether someone is working with a T1D dietitian or a T2D dietitian, their guidance can help them enjoy incredible meals, like a Greek feast, while keeping blood sugar in check. So, for those who want to make delicious meals part of their diabetes management plan, reaching out to a certified diabetes educator for support is a wise choice.