Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.

Over 88 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—are living with prediabetes, according to the CDC. Alarmingly, over 80% of those with prediabetes are unaware they have it.

Left unchecked, prediabetes raises your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. However, eating a healthy diet and making lifestyle changes can help reverse prediabetes and prevent it from progressing into diabetes. To that end, avoiding certain foods is crucial.

In this article, we’ll spotlight the 10 worst foods for prediabetes—foods that can spike blood sugar, promote insulin resistance, weight gain and inflammation. We’ll explain why these items are so detrimental for prediabetics and provide some healthier alternatives. By cutting out or limiting these foods, you can better control your blood sugar and improve your overall health.

The 10 Worst Foods For Prediabetes

1. Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
2. White Bread, Bagels, Cookies & Other Refined Carbs
3. Breakfast Cereals & Pastries
4. Potato Chips & Other Fried/Processed Foods
5. White Rice
6. Fruit Juices
7. Fatty Processed Meats
8. Ice Cream & Desserts
9. Honey, Maple Syrup & Other Syrups
10. Alcohol

Now let’s take a closer look at why each of these is one of the worst foods for prediabetes:

1. Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Sodas, sweetened teas, sports drinks and fancy coffee concoctions are absolutely loaded with added sugars and liquid calories. All that sugar causes rapid spikes in blood glucose and insulin levels that prediabetics in particular have trouble processing properly. A 12oz can of Coke has 39g of sugar – nearly 10 teaspoons worth! Sugary beverages are also linked to weight gain, fatty liver disease and other conditions worsening prediabetes.
2. White Bread, Bagels, Cookies & Other Refined Carbs
   Refined carbohydrates like white flour and added sugars are absorbed very quickly, spiking blood sugar often higher than whole grain or minimally-processed starches. The high glycemic impact of items like white bread, cakes, cookies, doughnuts and other baked goods is particularly detrimental to prediabetes, taxing the body’s insulin response. Their combination of refined carbs and added sugars is a perfect storm.
3. Breakfast Cereals & Pastries Most popular breakfast cereals and pastries, even the seemingly healthy ones, are full of refined grains and added sugars. A single frosted toaster pastry can contain over 15 grams of sugar! Start your day with foods that spike glucose and insulin, and your entire day’s blood sugar control is thrown off. Opt for high-fiber, low-sugar cereals and breakfasts instead.
4. Potato Chips & Other Fried/Processed Foods Fried foods like chips and processed snacks not only contain refined carbs that rapidly raise blood glucose, but their high amounts of saturated and trans fats can worsen insulin resistance – a driving factor in prediabetes progression. The combination of carbs, fat and a lack of fiber or protein is disastrous. Opt for air-popped popcorn or nuts instead.
5. White Rice Despite being more natural than refined grains, white rice is essentially stripped of its fiber, vitamins and minerals during processing. What’s left is concentrated starch, which acts like a refined carb and spikes blood sugar rapidly in prediabetics. Brown, wild or black whole grain rice are much better options.
6. Fruit Juices While fruits themselves are packed with fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, fruit juices remove all the fiber and concentrate the sugars into a delivery system that rapidly spikes blood sugar. Even “100% fruit juices” can contain as much sugar as sodas, making them one of the worst foods for prediabetes.
7. Fatty Processed Meats Processed and cured meats like bacon, hot dogs, sausages and cold cuts are extremely high in salt, preservatives and saturated fats. All these factors contribute to inflammation, insulin resistance and worsening prediabetes over time. Stick to lean, unprocessed protein sources instead.
8. Ice Cream & Desserts Desserts and sweet treats may seem like an obvious no-no for prediabetes due to their high amounts of added sugars, but their combination of fats and refined carbs is an especially toxic combination. The sugar spike, plus inflammation from fats and a lack of fiber or protein, is disastrous for blood glucose control.
9. Honey, Maple Syrup & Other Syrups While more natural than white sugar or high fructose corn syrup, liquid sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and agave nectar have just as much sugar and glycemic impact. They may offer some modest mineral or antioxidant benefits, but they are still one of the worst foods for prediabetes when consumed in excess. Use sparingly.
10. Alcohol Alcohol consumption can increase blood sugar levels by impairing the liver’s ability to regulate them. Heavy alcohol use has also been linked to obesity, insulin resistance and pancreatitis—all risk factors for developing prediabetes or progressing into type 2 diabetes. Moderate to heavy drinking is strongly inadvisable.

Top 10 Worst Foods for Prediabetes – Visual Chart

Tips for Beating Prediabetes Through Diet

While knowing which foods to limit or avoid is crucial, beating prediabetes through diet requires an overall healthy eating approach:

• Focus on high-fiber, nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds to control blood sugar.
• Choose whole, minimally-processed carb sources like 100% whole grains, starchy veggies and legumes. Avoid refined grains and sugars.
• Prioritize lean protein sources like chicken, turkey, fish and tofu to keep you full and preserve muscle mass during weight loss.
• Stay hydrated by drinking water, unsweetened teas, black coffee and low-fat milk or non-dairy milks instead of sugary drinks.
• Be mindful of portions and incorporate healthy fats from olives, avocados, nuts and fatty fish to promote satiety.
• Break up sedentary periods by moving around every 30 minutes, and aim for 150+ minutes of moderate activity per week.

Maintaining a calorie deficit and an active lifestyle are essential for losing excess weight and reducing prediabetes risk. However, focusing first on eliminating added sugars and refined carbs while transitioning to a whole food, fiber-rich diet can yield rapid improvements in blood glucose control.

Consistency is Key When Battling Prediabetes

Making wise food choices is one of the most powerful actions you can take to reverse prediabetes and reclaim your health. However, avoiding the worst foods for prediabetes requires commitment and vigilance. Even having one soda, dessert or processed meal can negate an entire day or week’s worth of healthy eating for a prediabetic individual.

That’s why developing an overall sustainable lifestyle – not just temporary dieting – is so crucial. Avoiding the worst foods, filling up on fiber, protein and healthy fats, balancing portions and moving regularly are all keys. It may seem daunting, but research shows these positive habits can slash prediabetes progression risk by 58% and may allow full remission in 2 out of 3 cases.

The bottom line is this: By making educated, disciplined choices to minimize or avoid the 10 worst foods for prediabetes, you can help regulate blood sugar more effectively and prevent or delay developing type 2 diabetes. It simply requires educating yourself on smarter options, removing temptation where possible, and not giving into momentary cravings that could derail your progress. With commitment, you can absolutely reclaim your health.

The stakes are too high and the potential rewards too great to ignore prediabetes any longer. Make simple, lasting tweaks to cut out these 10 worst offenders, and take a proactive step towards lasting wellness today.