Diabetics need to work with their doctors to make sure they are following the best diet for their individual cases. But diabetics don't have to eat meat. Here's what an endocrinologist from the Mayo Clinic says about vegetarian diets for diabetics:

Changing to a vegetarian diet probably won't cure your diabetes. But it may offer some benefits over a nonvegetarian diet — such as helping to better control your weight, reducing your risk of some diabetes-associated complications, and possibly even making your body more responsive to insulin.

The New York Times reported on a study that says eating beans and nuts is important for diabetics:

People with Type 2 diabetes on a high-fiber diet kept their blood sugar under better control when they ate foods like beans and nuts instead of the recommended whole-grain diet, researchers have found.