Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin to function properly or the body’s cells don’t react to insulin.
Symptoms include urinating more often than usual, particularly at night, feeling very thirsty and feeling very tired.
If you’re diagnosed with type 2 diabetes you’ll need to look after your health very carefully for the rest of you life.
If you’re overweight or obese with type 2 diabetes you should lose weight by gradually reducing your calorie intake and becoming more physically active.
Here are seven meal plans to get you through the week and help you shed the pounds.
Diabetes UK offers a nutritionally balanced meal plan suitable for men and women that contains 1,500 calories a day, at least five portions of fruit and veg and is carb-counted.
Monday
Breakfast – a bowl of apricot porridge with toasted seeds
Lunch – chickpea and tuna salad for lunch
Dinner – mixed vegetable and bean curry for dinner
Tuesday
Breakfast – almond, apricot and pumpkin seed granola
Lunch – a chicken sandwich
Dinner – crisp salmon salad and blackberry upside down pudding
Snack – spicy roasted chickpeas
Wednesday
Breakfast – microwave mug full of apple and cinnamon fruit porridge
Lunch – a jacket potato with tuna mayo for lunch
Dinner – chicken and lentil curry
Snack – wholemeal fruit bar and banana bread
Thursday
Breakfast – apple and muesli smoothie
Lunch – tandoori chicken chapatti
Dinner – lamb tagine
Snack – wholemeal fruit bar
Friday
Breakfast – bran flakes
Lunch – Mediterranean pasta salad
Dinner – cod with tomato sauce