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“Any food or drink that is an antioxidant (or referred to as a polyphenol) helps blood sugar by reducing carbohydrate (a type of sugar) absorption and improving sugar uptake into cells, which results in a smaller blood sugar spike,” says Whitney Crouch, RDN, an LA-based integrative dietitian.

Coffee is one of these polyphenol-rich beverages. A review published in Diabetes Care found that coffee consumption (both caffeinated and decaffeinated) was inversely related to one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes2.

If you’re concerned about blood sugar, keep your coffee black. Anything you put in your coffee to sweeten it up, such as flavored syrups, sugar, and milks, won’t have the same stabilizing effects as black coffee.

Like coffee, green tea is packed with polyphenols, and 3drinking it can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes3. (However, you need to sip quite a bit of it to reap these benefits—about 6 cups a day, research suggests.) If you’re looking for green tea with the highest number of polyphenols, opt for matcha.

“The compounds in green tea may also decrease inflammation and stress hormones in the body, which may help fight against insulin resistance,” adds Palinski-Wade.

Crouch adds that unsweetened iced teas of any kind can also help you stay hydrated without risking a blood sugar spike.

You may not think fruit juice is the healthiest choice when it comes to your blood sugar, but 100% prune juice has some health benefits. That’s because Palinski-Wade says it has 4 grams of naturally occurring fiber4 per serving and supports gut health5, which influences blood sugar regulation.

“Adding more fiber-rich foods to your diet can help to stabilize blood sugar levels while curbing appetite to promote weight management,” she says. Drink a half cup straight up, or use prune juice to naturally sweeten smoothies, soups, and sauces.

“Drinks with added sugar are absorbed rapidly in the body, which can spike blood sugar and insulin levels,” says Palinski-Wade. This is especially true when you’re drinking them on an empty stomach.

So, when picking a beverage to drink, look at the label to help spot any blood sugar sabotagers. “Drinks high in added sugar with little nutritional value are going to be the worst drinks for blood sugar,” says Palinski-Wade.

This includes sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda, which will rapidly spike insulin and blood sugar levels. Energy drinks are also a poor choice because both excessive caffeine intake and added sugar can contribute to a blood sugar spike. (If you need something with some fizz, try seltzer water with a squeeze of fresh lemon instead.)

• Swap out carbs with avocado for breakfast: “A clinical trial found that by swapping out higher carbohydrate options with a half or whole avocado (which contain only 4 grams of carbohydrates per serving) can affect glucose and insulin levels6,” says Palinski-Wade. Avocados also have a good amount of fiber to slow digestion down and prevent a rapid blood sugar spike. Stick a few avocado slices in your morning smoothie instead of a high-carb fruit like bananas or pineapple for a creamy, filling morning beverage.
• Never eat a naked carb: Eating carbs isn’t “bad” because we need them to convert into glucose and give us energy. You just need to make sure you’re eating them correctly. Crouch says all meals and snacks should have a protein, carb, and healthy fat. Together, this will control digestion and with it, the rate at which carbs get converted into glucose. Here’s the best order to eat a meal or snack in to reduce blood sugar spikes.
• Don’t drink sugars on an empty stomach: “On an empty stomach, liquids are absorbed through the intestines and into the bloodstream within 15 to 30 minutes,” says Crouch. “If there is food in the stomach or mixed in with the drink, the composition of the food will change the rate that blood sugars rise.” So, if a beverage does have added sugar, it’s always best to drink it with a meal that has protein and fat in it to slow down its absorption.

You don’t have to have prediabetes or diabetes to be concerned about your blood sugar levels. Unbalanced levels can affect how you feel on a daily, meal-by-meal basis.

“When blood sugars are poorly regulated after eating a carbohydrate-heavy meal, snack, or sugary beverage, a person may be hit with post-meal fatigue, mood swings, or even more cravings,” says Crouch. “When this happens, it’s because the insulin response overshoots the mark, bringing sugars down a little too far and resulting in intense cravings for sweets to raise blood sugars back up. This becomes a vicious cycle that can lead to lower insulin sensitivity.”

Crouch says that a healthy blood sugar is one that is no higher than 140 mg/dl after meals and drops down to <100 mg/dl approximately two to three hours after eating. You won't know these numbers if you're not getting lab or using a glucose monitor, but prolonged high blood sugar has some set symptoms.

Blurry vision, excessive thirst, waking up to pee frequently at night, unintended weight loss, moodiness, and brain fog may all be signs that your blood sugar levels are off-kilter.

Maintaining balanced blood sugar levels will benefit your health, mood, and how you feel after meals. What you drink can affect your blood sugar more than you may realize. When possible, choose water or naturally sweetened beverages, and try these 15 tips to maintain healthy blood sugar all day long.