Are you worried about finding the perfect salad that won’t spike your blood sugar and actually tastes good? These 11 salads for people with diabetes are low carb, high in protein, and are perfect for anyone living a healthy lifestyle and trying to balance blood sugar. They’ll take your expectations for salad to a whole new level!

What is a diabetic salad?

Salads are a nutritious option that can help you feel full and manage your blood sugars. But not all salads are created equal. 

Many restaurant and store-bought salads as well as salad dressings can pack in a full day’s worth of calories, carbohydrates, and added sugars if you aren’t careful.

A diabetes-friendly salad is low in carbohydrates, high in protein and fiber so it won’t cause a spike in your blood sugar. Healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocados, and fish are also great components for building diabetic salad recipe that will fill you up while keeping blood sugar levels steady.

Tips for making a Diabetic Salad

Making a great tasting salad that won’t cause unnecessary blood sugar spikes is all about the right combination of ingredients. The next time you are looking to create a low carb salad, remember to focus on these four key components: leafy greens, colorful fruits and veggies, toppings, and dressings.

Leafy Greens: These low carb, low calorie veggies make the perfect base for any salad. Some greens contain more fiber, which can help stabilize blood sugar, but always select the greens you enjoy most when making your low carb salad. 

For a light, crisp salad use iceburg lettuce. If your goal is to maximize your nutrient intake, opt for darker greens like spinach, kale, romaine, spring mix, and arugula. 

Low Carb Fruits and Vegetables: Colorful, non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers, cucumbers, asparagus, and broccoli can boost the fiber content of your salad while providing few carbohydrates. 

Lower sugar fruits such as apples, berries, and even watermelon can provide a mix of refreshing flavors and a boost of color to your salad without much impact on blood sugar. Sliced avocado is also a wonderful way to add flavor and nutrition without impacting the carbohydrate content of your diabetic salad recipe.

Toppings: High protein toppings are a great way to build a hardy, more filling salad without increasing the carb content. Try adding grilled chicken or fish, eggs, tofu, or edamame to fill you up while packing in the flavor. 

If you add cheese to your diabetic salad, try to not be too heavy handed. Although cheese is low in carbohydrate and rich in protein, the high saturated fat content in some cheese can increase insulin resistance, making it harder to manage blood sugar levels.

Some popular salad toppings can contain hidden source of carbohydrate, so be cautious. Crunchy noodles, croutons, candied nuts, and even some dried fruit can contain large amounts of added sugar and refined carbohydrate which can spike blood sugar levels. 

Instead, opt for dry roasted nuts, seeds, and no-sugar-added dried fruit for a crunchy topping.

Low Carb Dressing: The best way to get a delicious tasting low carb salad without using sugar-laden, store-bought dressings is to make it yourself! A homemade vinaigrette, balsamic glaze, or avocado based dressing will help scale back on the calories and sugar for a blood sugar friendly dressing. 

When choosing store-bought dressings, look for varieties that use olive oil instead of cream to reduce saturated fat. And read the ingredient list. Try to select varieties that do not include a source of added sugar in the top three ingredients. A good Rule of Thumb is to aim for 3 grams of added sugar or less per serving. 

11 Delicious Diabetic Salad Recipes

Low carb salads don’t have to be boring! From Mediterranean and Asian salads to healthier twists on your favorite classics, consider adding one of these delicious diabetic salad recipes to the table. 

High Fiber Watermelon Salad with Coconut Rice | Erin Palinski-Wade

What could be more refreshing on a hot summer day than sweet, juicy watermelon salad with all the flavors and colors of summer? Not much! This delicious Watermelon Salad is served over a bed of fluffy, protein-packed coconut rice and is rich in fiber to help promote steady blood sugar levels. 

Calories: 182 Carbs: 30g Protein: 10g Fat: 2g Fiber: 5g

Vegan BLT Salad with Avocado Dressing | Melissa Altman-Traub MS, RDN, LDN

This Vegan BLT Salad is a low-carb version of a classic summer salad. While most versions use bacon, this recipe calls for tempeh bacon to pack in protein, fiber and fresh summer flavor without the extra calories. 

Calories: 373 Carbs: 27g Protein: 20g Fat: 24g Fiber: 8g

The Best Radish Salad | Healthyish Appetite

The standout of this salad is radish, a non-starchy vegetable rich with a rich nutrient profile along with a low calorie and carbohydrate content, providing a fresh, bright crunch to the dish. Topped with lemon, cheese and dill.. you can’t go wrong.

Each serving has only 4 grams of carbohydrates making it a great blood-sugar-friendly salad. Serve as a side dish or add a lean protein to make it a filling meal.

Calories: 145 Carbs: 4g Protein: 4g Fat: 10g Fiber: 1g

Salmon Nicoise Salad | The Healthy Epicurean

Niçoise salad is traditionally a French salad served with greens, tuna (and in this case, salmon), potatoes, green beans and hard-boiled eggs with other veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. 

This salad is low in carbohydrate while providing a good source of protein and fiber. The homemade lemon dressing is made with just a touch of honey so you don’t have to worry about your blood sugar spiking.

Calories: 446 Carbs: 18g Protein: 27g Fat: 30g Fiber: 5g

Spinach Caprese Salad | Everyday Homemade

Made with baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and sweet basil, this delicious salad is dressed in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette and ready in just 10 minutes! 

With 8 grams of carbohydrates and 12 grams of protein per serving, this low carb salad can fit into any meal plan. Pair it with grilled chicken, seafood, a low carb pasta or whole grain to make it a meal. 

Calories: 267 Carbs: 8g Protein: 12g Fat: 20g Fiber: 2g

Cold Asparagus Tomato Salad with Avocado & Feta | Haute & Healthy Living

Asparagus is a low-carb vegetable that makes a nutritious addition to any meal and couldn’t be easier to make. Each serving has 5 grams of fiber to keep you full while keeping your blood sugar in check. Serve this salad with salmon or burgers on a low carb bun for a well balanced meal. 

Calories: 170 Carbs: 12g Protein: 6g Fat: 13g Fiber: 5g

Tahini Caesar-Style Salad with Roasted Carrot Chips | Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN

This Tahini Caesar-Style Salad skips the egg yolks, anchovies, and parmesan cheese of traditional Caesar and swaps it with loads of plant-based flavor from tahini, tamari, and lemon zest. 

Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN plant-forward culinary nutritionist and author of The Plant-Based Diabetes Cookbook suggests topping it with toasted pine nuts and carrot tops, for extra crunch and flavor.

Calories: 170 Carbs: 9g Protein: 6g Fat: 13g Fiber: 3g

Mediterranean Chicken Salad | Christie Gagnon, RD, LD

Need a refreshingly easy low-carb, no-cook meal? Look no further! With fresh vegetables like artichokes, peppers, cucumbers, and leafy greens alongside a rotisserie chicken, this salad is high in protein, nutrition, and full of Mediterranean flavor. A perfect make-ahead meal for busy weeknights or quick grab & go lunch.

Calories: 378 Carbs: 13g Protein: 20g Fat: 5g Fiber: 4g

Healthy Cobb Salad | Summer Yule, MS, RD

Meal prep a batch of this lightened-up version of your classic Cobb Salad!! One serving has only 13 grams of carbohydrates and is well-balanced with 33 grams of protein and fiber to keep you full and slow the digestion of carbohydrates. 

Calories: 413 Carbs: 14g Protein: 33g Fat: 26g Fiber: 7g

Easy Asian Cucumber Salad with Sesame Oil | Haute & Healthy Living

This easy Asian cucumber salad is a cinch to prepare and makes the perfect low carb side dish that you can whip together in less than 30 minutes. Made with crunchy cucumber and red onions and tossed in a simple rice vinegar and sesame oil salad dressing.

While many cucumber salads use dressing made with honey or brown sugar, this recipe uses no added sugars. Each serving has only 4 grams of carbohydrates and 34 calories. Serve with low carb noodles or rice! 

Calories: 34 Carbs: 4g Protein: 1g Fat: 2g Fiber: 1g

Creamy Kale Apple Slaw | Veronica Rouse, The Heart Dietitian

This creamy kale salad is perfect to prep ahead for a busy week. With kale, grapes, red cabbage, pumpkin seeds and a dressing made with high-protein Greek yogurt, it’s a perfect lightened-up, low-carb side dish or burger topping.

Calories: 221 Carbs: 30g Protein: 8g Fat: 10g Fiber: 7g

The bottom line

The best salads for diabetes are loaded with nutrients like protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you full and satisfied without spiking your blood sugars or sacrificing flavor.

Whether you love a sweet salad, a savory option, or are just after a crunch, these delicious diabetic salad recipes offer something for everyone. 

Which will you try first?