If you're one of the 23.6 million American men and women who have been diagnosed as diabetics, you're in good company. The American Heart Association estimates that nearly 8 percent of the American population has diabetes. Whether you're a type I or type II diabetic, the focal point of your treatment will be your diet. There is a number of approaches to managing your blood glucose level, including counting carbohydrates or using the glycemic index of carbohydrates, but the easiest method is the the Create Your Plate method developed by the American Diabetes Association. It doesn't require weighing your food, reading labels and can be used just as easily in a restaurant as it is at home.
Step 1
Divide a standard dinner plate into halves using your finger. Divide one of the halves into two smaller halves. You should end up with a plate with one half and two quarters.
Step 2
Fill the large half of the dinner plate with non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, lettuce, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, cucumbers, beets, mushrooms, peppers or turnips.
Step 3
Fill one of the smaller sections with starchy foods such as whole-grain breads, cooked cereal, hominy, pasta, tortillas, cooked beans, peas, black-eyed peas, potatoes, green peas, corn, lima beans and winter squash, or snack chips, pretzels or fat-free popcorn.
Step 4
Fill the remaining smaller area with meat or meat substitutes such as chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, shrimp, crab, lean cuts of beef, pork, tofu, eggs or low-fat cheese.
Step 5
Add any remaining free foods you wish to your meal. Free foods are foods or beverages that contain less than 20 calories or 5 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Good examples are bouillon, club soda, diet sodas, mustard, vinegar, garlic, herbs, spices or gelatin.
Tips and Warnings
- Use a standard size dinner plate.
- Do not overload the sections. Do not go back for seconds.
Things You'll Need
- Standard dinner plate
- Non-starchy vegetables
- Starchy foods
- Meat and meat substitutes
