Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
In people with diabetes, blood glucose levels are higher than normal because the body either does not produce enough insulin or cannot use insulin properly. The body needs insulin to turn the food we eat into energy. There are three main types of diabetes, Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes, but other rarer types also exist.
Type 1 diabetes is an auto - immune disease that occurs when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin because the cells that make the insulin have been destroyed by the body's own immune system.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, representing approximately 90% of people with diabetes in Australia. With Type 2 Diabetes the pancreas makes insulin, but it does not work as well as it should and upsets the balance of glucose in the body.
Gestational Diabetes is a form of diabetes that occurs in around 5% of pregnancies, and is diagnosed when higher than normal blood glucose levels appear for the first time during pregnancy.
Are you at risk?
In Australia, nearly two thirds of men and half of all women are overweight or obese. This is a key factor in the alarming rise of type 2 diabetes. Yet up to 60 per cent of diabetes cases could be prevented, or at least delayed, by people maintaining a healthy weight. The main keys to long-term weight loss and reducing your waist measurement are healthy eating and regular physical activity.
How TLC meals can help people with Diabetes
Diabetes Australia, the peak national body for people living with diabetes in Australia, is clear that there is no single 'diabetes diet' that suits everyone. What works best depends on the individual: their type of diabetes, their medications, their blood glucose targets, and their overall lifestyle. At TLC, we identify meals that meet specific, measurable nutritional standards that align with what Diabetes Australia and leading nutritional authorities say matters most for blood glucose management: fibre, protein, and limiting sugar.
How we identify diabetes-aligned meals
A meal is identified as diabetes-aligned only when it meets all three of the following criteria. The thresholds are drawn from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) nutrient content claim standards, the same standards used on Australian food packaging.
| Criterion | Threshold | Source | Why it Matters |
| Dietary fibre | 4g or more per serve | FSANZ - Excellent source of fibre | Fibre slows the digestion of carbohydrates, helping to keep blood glucose levels stable and reducing spikes after meals. |
| Protein | 10g or more per serve | FSANZ - Good source of protein | Protein helps you feel fuller for longer, maintain muscle, and moderates the blood glucose response to a meal |
| Total sugar | 5g or less per 100g* | FSANZ - Low sugar | Limiting sugar helps reduce rapid glucose spikes, a key principle in Diabetes Australia's healthy eating guidance. |
All three criteria must be met. A meal that is high in fibre and protein but also high in sugar will not carry this identification.
A note for customers, carers and health professionals
Please consult your GP, endocrinologist, diabetes educator, or accredited practising dietitian before using this information to guide meal selection.
Diabetes affects everyone differently. People living with Type 1, Type 2, or gestational diabetes all have different nutritional requirements, and individual needs are further shaped by medications, blood glucose targets, kidney function, and other health factors.
The information on this website is general in nature. It is designed to help you make more informed choices, not to replace the personalised advice of your diabetes care team.
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