About the Diabetic Food Pyramid

Overview

If you've just been diagnosed with diabetes, either type 1 or type 2, you undoubtedly have a number of questions about how your disease is going to affect your life, such as your ability to do your job and when to take your medications. But the biggest mystery for most diabetics is learning what to eat to control their condition. Ironically, making better food choices will not only improve your diabetes but also make a positive impact on your entire family's health.

There are a number of good nutritional approaches for managing your blood glucose. One of the easiest to follow is the diabetes food pyramid. It's simple, easy to use and flexible enough that you shouldn't have to make many drastic changes in your diet.

The Two Food Pyramids

When newly diagnosed diabetics first learn of eating according to the principles of the diabetic food pyramid, they often get confused with the USDA Food Pyramid. The USDA Food Pyramid, while an excellent choice for healthy individuals interested in eating a heart-healthy diet, is not appropriate for diabetics. The USDA pyramid divides all foods strictly into six categories: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and beans and oils. These are great guidelines for nondiabetics. However, diabetics need to focus on the carbohydrate content of food groups.

Your best resource for learning new diabetic eating patterns is the diabetic food pyramid. The diabetic food pyramid divides foods by their relative content of carbohydrates--the key to managing healthy blood glucose levels. Here's how to get started.

The Diabetic Food Pyramid Simplified

The diabetic food pyramid is a simple way for diabetics to remember the basic concepts of eating to manage their blood glucose levels. While blood glucose levels rise and fall throughout the day, the goal is to maintain an average of 70 to 110 mg/dl. Activity and medications will certainly cause fluctuations in blood glucose, but diet also plays a major role. A good way to remind you how to use the food pyramid is to make copies of it and put one on the front of the refrigerator and one on your desk at work. After you begin learning the specifics of how to eat from each group, the rest will be easy.

The diabetic food pyramid consists of six groups: (1) breads, grains and other starches, (2) vegetables, (3) fruits, (4) milk, (5) meat, meat substitutes and other proteins and (6) fats, oils and sweets. It differs from the USDA Food Pyramid by the quantities of carbohydrates in any particular group. You'll also notice that the group containing breads, grains and starches is at the bottom and is the largest. This will help you to remember that you can eat more from this group than fats and oils from the top group.

Grains and Starches

Grains and starches is the area that provides one of the largest sources of carbohydrates. Examples include whole grains, breads, beans and starchy vegetables. Unlike the USDA Food Pyramid, the diabetic pyramid's grains and starches section contains potatoes, which would otherwise be considered a vegetable. Some forms of starches and grains cause blood glucose levels to spike faster than others, so in addition to becoming educated about the diabetic food pyramid, it's also a good idea to learn more about the glycemic index of foods--ratings that describe how quickly foods cause the blood glucose levels to spike.

Vegetables

Vegetables are one of the most diverse groups in the pyramid and are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Good examples of vegetables are spinach, cabbage, carrots, chilis, peppers and cauliflower. Diabetics should eat three to five servings of vegetables a day--either fresh or frozen--and eat them without sauces, fats or salt. A general rule of thumb for serving size is 1 cup for raw vegetables and 1/2 cup for cooked.

Fruits

Like grains and starches, fruits are good sources of carbohydrates. Fruits contain high energy, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Two to four servings should be included in this group every day and can be consumed as either fruit juice, a small piece of fresh fruit or 1/4 cup of dried fruit. Good sources of fruit include bananas, grapes, oranges, blackberries, peaches and pears.

Milk, Meat, Poultry and Fish

Milk and milk products are a great way to get your day's allotment of protein, calcium and vitamins. Always choose low-fat or nonfat dairy products over full-fat products. Eat two to three servings a day of dairy products, but beware of yogurt that contains sugar.

Meat, poultry and fish are in the general category of meat and meat substitutes. It also includes eggs, nuts, cheese and peanut butter. A typical serving is 2 to 3 oz., 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, one egg or 1/2 cup of tofu.

Fats, Sweets and Alcohol

Fats, sweets and alcohol should be consumed sparingly because they are high in calories and provide very little in the way of vitamins and minerals. Stay away from potato chips, crackers, fried foods and candy, reserving them for special occasions.