I have Type II diabetes, which it sounds like your person has. What I have found is that with Type II, quantity is as important as any other factor. Carbohydrates from any source cause an increase in blood sugar, including grains, fruit and fruit juices, and milk. Grains are absorbed at a slightly slower rate than other sources of carbs, and pure sugars contain no real nutritional value, but other than that, it is more valuable to control the amount that you eat than avoiding certain types of foods altogether. As a general rule, a person should be eating 3-4 servings (a serving of carbs is about 15 g) of carbs each meal, with occasional snacks of 1-2 servings.

With cereals, any non-sugared cereal is probably OK, but keep in mind that a cup of milk contains about 1 serving of carbs. So in addition to the carbs from the cereal itself, the milk will increase his blood sugar. Again, controlling the size of portions is most important.

For other meals, it might be easier to tell you a few things to avoid. Fried foods often add extra carbs, especially if they are battered. One-dish meals (such as many casseroles or pasta dishes) make it more difficult to regulate portions. If possible, serve sauces and gravy to the side, so that consumption can be regulated more easily. Also, green peas and corn, although often classed as vegetables, are very high in carbs, and need to be taken into consideration. For dinners, any meal that splits up the dishes should work well. For instance, a meat (not fried), a green salad with dressing on the side, and rolls would cover most of the bases and enable him to control his carb intake fairly easily.

Your doctor is also likely to have a free booklet on controlling diabetes which will give some simple information on diet issues. I hope this helps.