A 60-year-old man was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. During a visit to the patient’s home, the home care nurse sees the patient eating a large, unhealthy breakfast. When asked about his eating habits, the patient says that he is not very good about keeping his records up to date and that he is just happy that he will never have to give himself insulin shots.

What type of patient teaching should be done here, and how could the nurse encourage patient compliance?