How many calories a day should a diabetic eat?

Based on what I've seen helping others in this forum, most diabetic men aim for 1600-1800 calories, and women around 1200-1400. The key is making sure those calories come from high-fiber vegetables and lean proteins, not simple carbs. Keep checking your fasting sugar regularly.

Please don't follow any general calorie numbers you find online for managing diabetes. Your daily calorie intake must be decided based on your height, weight, activity level, and HbA1c reports. Consult your doctor or a qualified clinical nutritionist.

Instead of buying expensive diabetic foods or stressing over complex calculations, just reduce your daily roti portion by one and increase salad and dal. Aiming for a simple 1500-calorie daily budget using normal home-cooked food is very easy and highly effective.

I used to follow all sorts of home diets and limited myself to 1200 calories, which only made me feel weak. Now I eat around 1500 calories of wholesome food like methi roti and dal. Finding a realistic balance that doesn't spike your sugar is what actually works.