How to Plan a Diabetic Diet

Always check with your doctor before changing meal plans. Speak to your doctor to find out the size and number of meals and snacks to eat per day and when to eat them. Also, find out at what time you should take any medications and check your blood sugar. Your doctor may suggest six small meals rather than three large ones.

Monitor carbohydrates since they can raise blood sugar. The American Diabetes Association suggests 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per meal as a starting point. Your actual requirement depends on your size, physical activity and medications. Consult your doctor for your actual nutritional requirements.

High carbohydrate foods obviously include all snacks food items such as chips, cookies, fruit drinks and sodas. However, healthier sounding foods such as starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn, milk and yogurt, breads, cereals, dry beans, soy products and rice also contain a high amount of carbohydrates. As an example, a slice of bread, one tortilla, 1/3 cup pasta, 1/2 cup canned fruit, two small cookies, one cup of soup or 1/2 cup starchy vegetables contain a portion size of 15 grams.

Monitor the glycemic index of the kinds of carbohydrates you eat if you wish to further monitor your carbohydrate intake. Many charts exist on line and in print that rate the glycemic index of carbohydrate containing foods. Eating a low glycemic index food may be a good choice however it should not be the only deciding factor. Whole grains, most fruit, non-starchy vegetables and dried beans all have a low glycemic index and are healthy choices. However, some healthy foods such as oatmeal have a higher glycemic index than some less healthy choices. When using the glycemic index, always take into consideration portion sizes and overall nutritional value of the food.

Use the create-your-plate method for an easy way to adjust to eating a diabetic healthy diet. With this method, you visually divide your plate in half on one side and in half again on the other side. This means you have portioned off your plate in 50 percent, 25 percent and 25 percent portions.

Fill the 50 percent portion of your plate with non-starchy vegetables including dark leafy greens, carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans, cauliflower and tomatoes. Fill one of the 25 percent portions with starchy food portions such as whole grain bread, potatoes, corn, rice, pasta or dry cereal. Fill the other 25 percent portion with meat and meat substitutes such as lean pork or beef, shrimp, clams, fish, skinless chicken or cheese. Add either an 8 oz. glass of milk, 6 oz. of yogurt or 1/2 cup of fruit as a side if desired.

The diabetes food pyramid groups food according to the amount of carbohydrates and protein they have rather than by types or categories of food. Generally, foods higher in carbohydrates or protein have smaller serving sizes on the diabetes food pyramid than on the USDA pyramid. The pyramid gives a range of servings that should be eaten per day in each group of foods. Women usually eat near the lower end of the range and larger, more active men eat near the top end of the range.

At six to eleven servings per day, grains and starches make up the bottom of the pyramid and include starchy vegetables, breads, rice, pasta and dried beans. Serving size examples include one slice of bread, 1/3 cup rice or pasta, 3/4 dry cereal, 1/2 cup starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn or cooked beans, and half a muffin. Next in the pyramid are three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruit. A serving is one cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables and 1/2 cup canned or one small whole fresh fruit. Choose two to three servings of milk or yogurt at one cup each. Eat just four to six ounces of meat or meat substitutes. Substitutes that equal an ounce of meat include one egg or 1/4 cup cottage cheese per day. Fats, sweets and alcohol should be eaten sparingly. A serving would be 1/2 cup of ice cream or one small cupcake or muffin.

Use a combination of these methods to manage diabetes-related health issues and blood sugar when planning your diet.