Cultural collection
Middle Eastern Foods
Dates, hummus, laban, khubz and Arabic coffee.
Educational guidance only — not a personal diet prescription. Content is medically reviewed and based on recognised clinical guidelines — see references. If you have feedback or a suggestion to improve this website, .
Green — Choose more often
Generally a good everyday choice in sensible portions.
Amber — Watch your portion
Fine to eat — keep the portion small and pair with protein or vegetables.
Red — Limit / avoid routinely
Best kept for occasional small amounts, not every day.
These colours are educational guidance, not strict rules. Your own plan depends on your medicines, weight, kidney health and goals — discuss it with your doctor.
Almonds
badam, lawz
Healthy fats and protein; very low glycaemic impact.
Portion: 10–12 almonds (about 15 g)
Apple
mansanas, seb, tuffah
Whole apple with skin gives fibre and a modest glucose rise.
Portion: 1 small (about 150 g)
Arabic bread (khubz)
khobz, pita
Common Arabic flatbread — whole-wheat versions are better.
Portion: ½ medium piece (about 40 g)
Arabic coffee (gahwa)
qahwa
Unsweetened gahwa is fine — the dates and sweets alongside are what count.
Portion: 2–3 small cups (about 30 g)
Baklava
baklawa
Pastry, nuts and syrup — occasional only.
Portion: 2 small pieces (about 50 g)
Banana
kela, mauz, saging
Choose a small, less ripe banana and eat it with a meal.
Portion: 1 small (about 100 g)
Beef burger
hamburger
Refined bun plus fatty meat — choose grilled chicken or skip the bun.
Portion: 1 burger (about 220 g)
Bhindi masala (okra)
bamia, bhindi, okra
Fibre-rich okra — dry-roast or stir-fry instead of deep-frying.
Portion: 1 cup (about 160 g)
Black coffee
kahwa (black), kape
Unsweetened coffee is fine for most people.
Portion: 1 cup (about 240 g)
Boiled potato
aloo, batata, patatas
A starchy vegetable — count it like rice.
Portion: 1 medium (about 150 g)
Bulgur wheat
burghul, daliya
Whole grain with a lower GI than rice.
Portion: ½ cup cooked (about 91 g)
Carrot
gajar, jazar, karot
Healthy vegetable — fine raw or cooked.
Portion: 1 medium (about 61 g)
Cauliflower
gobi, qarnabeet
Can replace some rice ('cauliflower rice').
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 124 g)
Cheddar cheese
cheese, keso
Almost no carbohydrate but high in fat and salt.
Portion: 1 slice / 30 g (about 30 g)
Chicken mandi
mandi
Rice-heavy dish — take half the rice and more chicken and salad.
Portion: 1 plate (about 300 g)
Chicken shawarma wrap
shawerma
Good protein, but large bread and garlic sauce — try a shawarma plate with salad.
Portion: 1 wrap (about 250 g)
Chickpeas (boiled)
garbanzos, hummus beans, kabuli chana
Low-GI legumes are a cornerstone of diabetes diets.
Portion: ½ cup (about 82 g)
Cola / soft drink
coke, pepsi, soda
Sugar-sweetened drinks raise glucose fastest of all.
Portion: 1 can (330 ml) (about 330 g)
Cucumber salad
kheera, khiyar, pipino
Eat freely before your meal.
Portion: 1 cup (about 120 g)
Dates
khajoor, khalas, sukkari, tamr
Culturally important and nutritious — but concentrated in sugar.
Portion: 2 dates (about 20 g)
Digestive biscuits
biskut, cookies
'Digestive' does not mean low sugar.
Portion: 2 biscuits (about 30 g)
Egg (boiled)
anda, bayd, itlog
Almost no carbohydrate; high-quality protein.
Portion: 1 large egg (about 50 g)
Falafel
taameya
Chickpeas are healthy, but deep frying adds fat — bake when possible.
Portion: 3 pieces (about 50 g)
Fattoush
fatoush
Mixed salad — ask for less fried bread.
Portion: 1½ cups (about 150 g)
Foul medames
fava bean stew, ful
Fava beans give fibre and protein — easy on the oil.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Freekeh
frikeh
Roasted green wheat — high in fibre.
Portion: ½ cup cooked (about 80 g)
French fries
chips, fries
Fried potato — high in fat and carbohydrate.
Portion: 1 medium portion (about 117 g)
Fresh figs
anjeer, teen
Fresh figs are fine in small amounts; dried figs are much sweeter.
Portion: 2 small (about 80 g)
Full-cream milk
whole milk
More saturated fat than low-fat milk.
Portion: 1 cup (250 ml) (about 250 g)
Grapes
angoor, inab, ubas
Easy to over-eat — count them.
Portion: 15 grapes (about 75 g)
Green tea
sabz chai, shai akhdar
Unsweetened tea is a good everyday drink.
Portion: 1 cup (about 240 g)
Grilled chicken breast
chicken breast
Very lean protein.
Portion: palm-size piece (about 100 g)
Grilled white fish
hammour, machli, samak
Lean protein — grill, bake or steam.
Portion: palm-size piece (about 120 g)
Harees
harissa (Gulf)
Wheat and meat porridge — filling; skip extra ghee.
Portion: 1 cup (about 250 g)
Honey
asal, pulot, shahad
Honey is still sugar — not a diabetes-friendly sweetener.
Portion: 1 tablespoon (about 21 g)
Hummus
hommos, houmous
Chickpea and tahini dip — great with vegetables.
Portion: 2–3 tablespoons (about 30 g)
Ice cream
kulfi (similar), sorbetes
Sweet dessert — small scoop, occasionally.
Portion: ½ cup (about 66 g)
Jalebi
jilapi, zulbia
Fried batter in sugar syrup — one of the fastest glucose raisers.
Portion: 2 small pieces (about 50 g)
Karak tea
karak chai
Evaporated milk and sugar make this a sweet drink.
Portion: 1 cup (200 ml) (about 200 g)
Kunafa
knafeh
Cheese pastry in sugar syrup — share a small piece.
Portion: 1 piece (about 100 g)
Laban (buttermilk)
laban ayran, lassi (thin)
Refreshing and low in sugar when unsweetened.
Portion: 1 glass (200 ml) (about 200 g)
Labneh
labna
Strained yogurt — a good breakfast spread.
Portion: 2 tablespoons (about 30 g)
Lamb kabsa
kabsa, machboos
Large rice portion with fatty meat — share one plate.
Portion: 1 plate (about 300 g)
Lentil soup (shorbat adas)
adas soup
An excellent starter, especially at iftar.
Portion: 1 bowl (about 250 g)
Low-fat milk
gatas, skimmed milk, toned milk
Good protein and calcium — counts as some carbohydrate.
Portion: 1 cup (250 ml) (about 250 g)
Luqaimat
awamat, lokma
Fried dough with date syrup.
Portion: 5 pieces (about 60 g)
Manakish za'atar
manoushe
Flatbread with oil-rich topping — half a piece with salad.
Portion: 1 piece (about 120 g)
Masoor dal (red lentils)
adas, lal masoor
Protein and fibre together — a cornerstone food for diabetes.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 200 g)
Milk chocolate
chocolate bar
Mostly sugar and fat.
Portion: 1 small bar (about 40 g)
Mutabal
baba ghanoush
Roasted aubergine dip — low in carbohydrate.
Portion: 3 tablespoons (about 60 g)
Orange / kinnow
burtuqal, dalandan, kinnow, malta
Whole citrus gives fibre and vitamin C — much better than juice.
Portion: 1 medium (about 130 g)
Orange juice
aseer, fruit juice
Juice removes fibre — sugar reaches the blood quickly.
Portion: 1 glass (250 ml) (about 250 g)
Pistachios
fustuq, pista
Healthy fats and protein — measure your handful.
Portion: about 30 nuts (about 30 g)
Pizza
pizza
Refined dough and cheese — two slices with salad at most.
Portion: 2 slices (about 200 g)
Plain Greek yogurt
strained yogurt
High protein and low sugar when unsweetened.
Portion: ¾ cup (about 150 g)
Plain yogurt (dahi)
curd, yoghurt, zabadi
Plain, unsweetened yogurt gives protein and probiotics.
Portion: ¾ cup (about 150 g)
Pomegranate
anar, rumman
Eat the seeds rather than the juice.
Portion: ½ cup seeds (about 87 g)
Samosa
sambusa, samsa
Deep-fried refined-flour pastry with potato filling.
Portion: 1 medium (about 100 g)
Shish tawook
shish taouk
Grilled chicken skewers — an excellent choice.
Portion: 1 skewer serving (about 150 g)
Spinach (plain cooked)
kangkong (similar), palak, sabanekh
Very low in carbohydrate and rich in folate and magnesium.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 180 g)
Strawberries
berries, farawla
Berries are among the best fruit choices.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Tabbouleh
tabouli
Parsley salad with a little bulgur — an excellent side.
Portion: 1 cup (about 120 g)
Table sugar
asukal, cheeni, sukkar
Added sugar — keep to a minimum.
Portion: 1 teaspoon (about 4 g)
Tea with milk and sugar
chai, doodh patti
The sugar is the issue — cut down gradually or use a sweetener.
Portion: 1 cup (150 ml) (about 150 g)
Tea with milk, no sugar
sugar-free chai
Tea without sugar is a fine everyday drink.
Portion: 1 cup (150 ml) (about 150 g)
Tomato
kamatis, tamatar, tamatim
Very low in carbohydrate.
Portion: 1 medium (about 123 g)
Umm Ali
om ali
Bread pudding with cream and sugar.
Portion: 1 small bowl (about 150 g)
Walnuts
akhrot, jawz
Omega-3 rich nut.
Portion: 6–7 halves (about 15 g)
Water
maa, pani, tubig
The best drink — zero sugar, zero calories.
Portion: 6–8 glasses a day (about 250 g)
Watermelon
batikh, pakwan, tarbooz
High GI but watery — one cup with a meal is fine.
Portion: 1 cup cubes (about 150 g)
White bread
sandwich bread, tasty bread
Refined flour with little fibre.
Portion: 1 slice (about 28 g)
White rice (boiled)
basmati, bhaat, chawal, kanin, ruz
A staple carbohydrate — keep it to one quarter of the plate.
Portion: ½ cup cooked (1 fist) (about 100 g)
Whole-wheat pita
brown khubz
More fibre than white pita — fill with salad and protein.
Portion: 1 small (about 40 g)
Zero-sugar soft drink
diet cola, zero
Better than regular soda, but water is still the best choice.
Portion: 1 can (330 ml) (about 330 g)