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Diabetic Diet Menus

The ideal diabetic meal will consist of a combination of foods. Some foods cross categories, like bread products that are high in fat, dairy items that provide protein, and starchy vegetables. Our needs will vary depending on the time of day and how much physical activity we engage in. Following is a sample diabetic diet meal

Initially, a diabetic diet can be overwhelming. What to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat are commonly asked questions when embarking on a diabetic diet. In addition, learning about carbohydrates and its effect on glucose and insulin levels, and counting carbohydrate grams can be challenging at the onset. However, with sensible meal planning and the sample diabetic diet menus below, following a this diet to control blood glucose levels can be easy and enjoyed.

Importance of Meal Planning

For most people, thinking about planning a week’s worth of meals, or even three meals for the day, is unimaginable. However, whether you are trying to lose weight, aiming to maintain weight, or controlling a health condition, such as diabetes, meal planning is the answer. With thought, preparation, and modifications to suit your lifestyle, daily or weekly menus function as your game plan to balanced, healthful food selection. Benefits of meal planning include:

• Controlled blood sugar/insulin
• Reduction and/or elimination of medications
• Weight management
• Controlled cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Controlled blood pressure
• Less likely to skip meals
• Proper portions
• Less frustration about what to eat

Diabetic Menus

Adhering to practical food choices can make a profound difference to your blood glucose and insulin levels. That reason alone is enough to imagine doing the once unimaginable task of planning suitable and tasty meals. Meals do not have to be bland or severely restrictive. The most important feature of a daily menu is its mix of complex carbohydrates, such as grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats.

The following diabetic diet menus will launch you on your way to a lifetime of healthy eating. Each menu supports adequate complex carbohydrate intake to discourage escalating glucose levels. The calorie totals range from 1200 –1500 per day. Providing yourself with a meal or snack at 2-3 hour intervals is highly recommended, as is always eating within 1 hour of waking. It is wise to seek the expertise of a nutritionist or other medical professional to help devise meal plans to meet your individual needs.

Day 1

Breakfast

• 1 small (2 oz.) bran muffin
• ½ c. blueberries
• 1 c. fat-free milk

Snack

• 1 small banana

Lunch

• Spinach salad with 2 tbs. reduced-fat dressing of choice
• 1 small whole-wheat pita
• 2 oz. low-sodium turkey breast
• Lettuce leaves
• Tomato slices
• 2 tsp. mustard
• 1 orange
• 1 c. fat-free milk

Snack

• 20 almonds
• 6 oz. low-fat yogurt sweetened with sucralose (Splenda brand)
• 1 c. herbal tea or coffee

Dinner

• ¼ lb. raw shrimp, grilled or sautéed in small amount of olive oil
• 3/4 c. whole-wheat pasta
• ½ c. black beans
• 1 c. steamed broccoli

Day 2

Breakfast

• 2 slices whole-wheat toast
• 2 tbs. peanut butter
• 1 small banana
• 1 c. tea or coffee

Snack

• 1 c. herbal tea
• ½ c. unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbs. chopped walnuts

Lunch

• 2 slices whole-wheat bread
• 3 oz. lean roast beef
• 2 tsp. mustard
• 1 c. raw or steamed cauliflower
• 1 c. tea or coffee

Snack

• 1 c. fat-free milk
• 2 small fig cookies

Dinner

• 3 oz. chicken breast, sautéed with 1 c. of vegetables of choice
• 1 tbs. olive oil (for cooking)
• 2/3 c. cooked brown rice
• 1 c. fat-free milk

Day 3

Breakfast

• 3/4 c. bran cereal
• 1 c. strawberries
• 1 c. fat-free milk

Snack

• 12 red or green grapes
• ½ c. cottage cheese

Lunch

• 1 serving (10 oz.) beef barley soup
• 1 multi-grain dinner roll

• 1 medium apple
• 1 c. tea or coffee

Snack

• ¼ c. sunflower seeds
• 6 oz. low-fat yogurt sweetened with sucralose (Splenda brand)

Dinner

• 6 oz. halibut or other white fish, broiled
• 2/3 c. whole-wheat couscous
• Mixed green salad with 2 tbs. reduced-fat dressing
• 1 c. tea or coffee

The diabetic diet menu provided here are divided according to the calories it provided. Each menu provide about 50% calorie from carbohydrate, 20% from protein and 30% from fat. As your eating style may varied, feel free to move food to the meal or snack time that fit you.

For diabetic who want to lose weight, the 3 diabetic diet menu provided below can be used to create calorie deficit required for you to cut down your weight.

• 1800 calorie diabetic diet
• 1500 calorie diabetic diet
• 1200 calorie diabetic diet

Diabetic should be reminded that they need not have to lose 50 or 100 pounds to reap the benefit. Even a weight lose of 5-10 pounds can bring impressive health benefit. So use the diabetic diet menu provided here to lose weight, control your blood glucose level, improve blood pressure and return cholesterol level to healthier range

Other Resources

There are several books available to help with additional meal planning. Reversing Diabetes and Betty Crocker's Diabetes Cookbook are highly recommended due to their wealth of information and diabetic diet menus.