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Diabetic Diet Plan

If you have diabetes, your body cannot make or properly use insulin. This leads to high blood glucose, or sugar, levels in your blood. Healthy eating helps to reduce your blood sugar. It is a critical part of managing your diabetes, because controlling your blood sugar can prevent the complications of diabetes.

Wise food choices are a foundation of diabetes treatment. Diabetes experts suggest meal plans that are flexible and take your lifestyle and other health needs into account. A registered dietitian can help you design a meal plan.

Healthy diabetic eating includes

• Limiting sweets
• Eating often
• Being careful about when and how many carbohydrates you eat
• Eating lots of whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables
• Eating less fat
• Limiting your use of alcohol

The goal of a diabetic diet plan is to take a proactive approach to controlling blood sugar levels via nutrition. For most people who are managing diabetes, eating choices and style are vital components to success.

Unique Aspects of the Diabetic Diet Plan

Most of us are now familiar with the food pyramid style of eating. In fact, USDA has introduced a site called My Pyramid that recognizes the unique nutritional needs of each individual by using the food pyramid. Age and activity level are the primary considerations for determining appropriate food intake levels. While it's a great start on recognizing the differences among people, it does not take medical needs into consideration. Folks on a diabetic diet plan learn early that their eating choices are "even more critical" than the average person. With that in mind, the The American Diabetes Association has developed the Diabetes Food Pyramid.

The good news about the Diabetes Food Pyramid is that it allows people on a diabetic diet to eat the same foods that everyone else should be eating. The emphasis is on balancing sugar intake and nutrition through portion size and food choices. Of course it takes some planning, but learning to manage your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol via nutrition is key.

The Diabetes Food Pyramid

The following suggestions are for a diabetic diet plan based on the Diabetes Food Pyramid. They are offered as a guideline. As such, they are not a replacement for professional medical advice. Please talk with your care provider to determine if this style of eating is appropriate for your specific needs.

Grains and Starches

Providing the greatest source of carbohydrates, foods in this group include breads, rice, pastas and starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas and corn. Choose 6-11 servings per day. Approximate serving sizes are:

• 1 piece of bread
• 1 small tortilla
• 1/3 cup of pasta
• 1/3 cup of rice
• 3/4 cup dry cereal
• 1/2 cup cooked cereal
• 1/2 cup of starchy vegetables or beans

Vegetables

Vegetables are naturally low in fat and rich in vitamins and minerals. Exceptional vegetables for diabetics are those with high mineral, low sugar content. Try to include recipes that have a variety of leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard and cabbage. Broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, and cucumbers are also great choices. Eat 3-5 servings of these vegetables per day. A serving is:

• 1 cup raw vegetables
• 1/2 cup cooked vegetables

Fruit

Fruit, like grains and starchy vegetables also contain carbohydrates. They have plenty of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but can be loaded with natural sugars. Be sure to eat small portions throughout the day, rather than consuming your entire daily allotted servings all at once. Two to four servings of fruit is the suggested amount per day A fruit serving is:

• 1 small fresh fruit
• 2 tablespoons of dried fruit
• 1 cup of fresh diced fruit
• 1/2 cup canned fruit
• 1 1/4 cup of whole strawberries

Milk

Milk products like yogurt and cheese contain a lot of protein and calcium as well as many other vitamins. They may also contain a lot of fat. Choose only 2-3 servings per day, preferably reduced fat varieties. A milk serving is:

• 1 cup non-fat or low-fat milk
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup of yogurt

Meat and Proteins

The meat group includes all poultry and seafood as well as beef, chicken, eggs, tofu, and peanut butter. Meat and meat substitutes provide protein and fat. Divide the servings among meals to equal 4-6 ounces of meat per day. 1 oz of meat equals:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• 1/2 cup tofu
• 1 piece of bacon

Fats and Sugars, Including Alcohol

This group includes most of the pre-packaged snack foods like potato chips and crackers, as well as sugar treats like candy and cookies. We all know they aren't as nutritious as fruits and vegetables and usually contain an exceptional amount of sugar. These foods are treats! Consumption should be minimal and servings small. A small treat size is considered:

• 1/2 cup ice cream or frozen yogurt
• 1 small cupcake
• 2 small cookies
• 1 5 oz glass of wine
• 1 12 oz beer

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