Health & Wellness

Better Choices for Life

Helping simplify product choices and making life with diabetes a little bit easier.

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What is the Better Choices for Life program?

Many products and services make claims about how they can improve your health, including claims that they can be used to prevent, manage, or even reverse diabetes. It can be confusing to know if what these companies are saying is true.

That’s why the American Diabetes Association (ADA) created the Better Choices for Life program—a quick way to know whether a product or service has the science to back up what they claim. Simply look for the Better Choices for Life mark on packaging to help you make informed purchases. 

The goals of the program are to:

  1. Provide a simple way to identify products and services that are suitable for people with or at risk for diabetes.
  2. Provide guidance to help you make food choices that support your overall heath goals.
  3. Bring the ADA’s science and research to guide everyday decision-making.
  4. Ensure that diabetes-related claims have been reviewed and verified as accurate. 

Why choose Better Choices for Life products?

Products that have the Better Choices for Life mark have been reviewed against the ADA’s evidence-based guidelines. Using the mark will help guide your decisions and give you the confidence that your purchase is aligned with the needs of someone living with diabetes.

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Making Healthy Choices Easier

Shop with more confidence using the ADA’s expert guidance. Look for the Better Choices for Life mark the next time you are at the store to know that you are making a better choice for a healthier life

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What products are eligible for the Better Choices for Life program?

Certain product types are eligible for the program: food products and health- and wellness-related products. Note that not all types of products are reviewed—be sure to check the categories we evaluate.

Food and nutrition products

Food choices play a major role in diabetes management, and it can be tough to navigate these choices. Better Choices for Life aims to help you by looking at the role of the food on the Diabetes Plate, the product’s nutrition, and the product’s marketing claims. 

Health and wellness products

Now more than ever, people with diabetes have to navigate products marketed with health and wellness claims. Better Choices for Life helps bring clarity by ensuring products have evidence that support their claims and align with ADA guidance and recommendations.

Better Choices for Life Products

 

CategoryCompanyProducts
Vegetables (Starchy)Idaho Potato Commission

Red Potatoes

Yellow Potatoes

Medley Potatoes

Russet Potatoes

First AidCintas

Pain Away

QuikHeal Bandage

Hand Lotion

Bleed Stop Gauze

Glucose Powder

Glucose Melts

Liquid Bandage

WoundSeal

Fiber SupplementsMetamucil (Proctor & Gamble)

Metamucil Sugar-Free Orange Smooth Powder

Premium Blend Orange Sugar-Free Powder

Metamucil Psyllium Fiber Supplement Capsules

FootwearSteel Blue

Hobart Boot, Black

Hobart Boot Ladies, Black

SkincareLaviorDiabetic Wound Gel 
Cough/ColdDiabetic Tussin (Prestige)Diabetic Tussin
Plant-Based ProteinBeyond Meat

Beyond Steak (10 oz)

Beyond Burger Avocado Oil 4.0

Beyond Sausage Hot Italian, Avocado Oil (14 oz)

Beyond Sausage Brat Original Avocado Oil (14 oz)

Beyond Sausage Mild Italian (14 oz)

Beyond Steak Korean BBQ-Style (10 oz)

Beyond Steak Chimichurri (10 oz)

Beyond Club Burger 4.0 (10-¼ lb.)

Beyond Sun Sausage Cajun (10.6 oz)

Beyond Sun Sausage Pesto (10.6 oz)

Beyond Sun Sausage Pineapple Jalapeno (10.6 oz)

Beyond Breakfast Sausage Patty Original

Beyond Breakfast Sausage Links

Beyond Breakfast Sausage Patty Spicy

Beyond Chicken Pieces Original (10 oz)

Beyond Chicken Pieces Spicy Buffalo Original (10 oz)

Beyond Chicken Pieces Lemon and Herb (10 oz)

SkincareTheraworx

Pain Relief Roll-on

Moisturizing Lotion

FootwearGuardianGel/GellcoGuardianGel Sock, 2 mm
FootwearGold Medal International

Crew Socks (men and women, black, white, and other colors)

Quarter Socks (men and women, black, white, and other colors)

Dairy Foods and AlternatesDanone

Dannon Light and Fit, Greek Yogurt, Vanilla, 32-oz tub

Dannon Light and Fit, Original, Vanilla, 32-oz tub

Packaged SnacksBahamii

Bahamii Chocolate Almond Date Bar (individual, 4-pack, 12-pack, variety pack)

Bahamii Coconut Vanilla Date Bar (individual, 4-pack, 12-pack, variety pack)

Bahamii Honey Cinnamon Date Bar (individual, 4-pack, 12-pack, variety pack)

First AidSweet Motivations

Prevent-a-Pak

Prevent-a-Pak Mini

Fruits California Dates

Medjool Dates

Deglet Noor Dates

 

Frequently Asked Questions

People living with diabetes, in most cases, do not need special foods or goods. However, in certain product categories, there are features that make the product more suitable when it comes to managing diabetes. This varies based on product category, and we advise speaking with your healthcare team with any specific questions.

There is no universal accepted definition of "diabetes-friendly." The term is used in many different ways, especially on products.

The Better Choices for Life program helps reduce confusion by evaluating products against specific ADA criteria, making it easier to identify products that may support a healthy lifestyle while managing diabetes.

People living with diabetes are often faced with many choices when shopping. Many of those items have marketing claims about foods and products being a “better for you” option. The Better Choices for Life program was created to help you make more informed decisions by identifying products that have been evaluated using ADA criteria and scientific evidence.

Our goal is to provide clear, trustworthy information that helps people feel more confident in their choices.

No. The American Diabetes Association does not endorse products.

The Better Choices for Life mark indicates that a product has been evaluated against ADA criteria and/or that the product's claims have been reviewed against credible scientific evidence. The mark is intended to help you make informed decisions, not to serve as an endorsement.

These guidelines are not part of the ADA's Standards of Care in Diabetes and were created as internal qualifications designed to inform external and internal partners of the current considerations for being a part of the program. These qualifications are based on the currently available science and recommendations.1,2

The Better Choices for Life Program is designed to help people with diabetes make informed choices in the marketplace. The qualifications are intended for people with diabetes. People with additional medical conditions or dietary restrictions should follow the advice of their health care professionals when making choices about foods that fit into their specific meal pattern and products to support their health goals.

Manufacturers participating in the program pay licensing fees to the American Diabetes Association.

  1. AB Evert, M Dennison, CD Gardner, WT Garvey, KHK Lau, J MacLeod, J Mitri, RF Pereira, K Rawlings, S Robinson, L Saslow, S Uelmen, PB Urbanski, WS Yancy Jr: Nutrition Therapy for Adults with Diabetes or Prediabetes: A Consensus Report. Diabetes Care 2019; 42 (5): 731-754.
  2. Guidance for Industry: Food Labeling Guide. Food & Drug Administration. 2013.
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