Can people with diabetes drink soy milk and eat youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks)?

Foods that originally contain little or no fat can double their fat content after being deep-fried. Although fat is not easily digested by high-calorie foods, its absorption rate is high; excessive intake inevitably leads to excess caloric intake. If physical activity is not increased to burn off the surplus calories, daily fatigue may result in obesity and associated complications—including cardiovascular disease—and a marked rise in blood glucose levels, making existing diabetes difficult to control. So, can people with diabetes drink soy milk and eat youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks)?

Can people with diabetes drink soy milk and eat youtiao?

People with diabetes should avoid eating youtiao. This is because youtiao contains a large amount of oil and has a strong effect on raising blood glucose levels. Individuals with diabetes must not only control the types of food they consume but also strictly regulate portion sizes. The appropriate quantity of food depends on each person’s daily energy requirements; total daily intake should be distributed across three meals according to individual lifestyle habits. Patients should perform regular self-monitoring of blood glucose and schedule routine follow-up visits at the hospital.

During high-temperature frying, beneficial nutrients in cooking oil are degraded to varying degrees. As oil temperature rises and frying time increases, nutrient degradation becomes progressively more pronounced. Moreover, many essential nutrients present in fried foods are significantly compromised under high-heat conditions; thus, frequent consumption of fried foods can lead to nutritional imbalances.

In summary, youtiao contributes excess calories, elevates blood glucose, depletes nutrients, and harms overall health—making it unsuitable for people with diabetes. We hope this information is helpful to you!