The diabetes exchange diet is a low-fat, calorie-controlled meal planning tool designed to help people with diabetes eat the proper balance of calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat throughout the day. It divides foods into groups according to their nutrient composition, including starches, fruits, milk, non-starchy vegetables, meats and fats. Based on your estimated calorie needs, you are allowed to eat a certain number of servings, or exchanges, from each of the food groups. A doctor or dietitian can help you determine your calorie and exchange needs.
1,200-calorie Meal Plan
The 1,200-calorie diet will promote weight loss in most people, according to the authors of "Krause's Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy." It can also help inactive women of short stature maintain their current weight. A 1,200-calorie diabetic meal plan based on exchanges includes five starch exchanges, four meat exchanges, two vegetable exchanges, three fruit exchanges, two milk exchanges and three fat exchanges. When developing your daily menu, include an exchange from each food group at each meal. Divide the exchanges in the following manner. For breakfast you can have one starch exchange, one milk exchange, one fruit exchange and one fat exchange. For lunch you can have two starch exchanges, two meat exchanges, one fruit exchange, one vegetable exchange and one fat exchange. For dinner, you can have two starch exchanges, one vegetable exchange, one fruit exchange, two meat exchanges and one fat exchange, and for a snack, have one milk exchange.
1,500-calorie Meal Plan
A 1,500-calorie diabetic exchange meal plan is best-suited for inactive women who want to maintain their weight or active women who need to lose weight. It consists of eight starch exchanges, five meat exchanges, three vegetable exchanges, three fruit exchanges, two milk exchanges and three fat exchanges. Each exchange within each group contains the same amount of calories and carbohydrates, and food items within each group can be exchanged for one another. For example, in the starch group, one slice of bread can be exchanged for 1/2 an English muffin or six saltine crackers.
1,800-calorie Meal Plan
The 1,800-calorie meal plan will help men lose weight and active women maintain their weight. It consists of 10 starch exchanges, seven meat exchanges, three vegetable exchanges, three fruit exchanges, two milk exchanges and three fat exchanges. A sample daily menu may include the following: for breakfast, two slices of whole-wheat toast with 1 tsp. of margarine, two scrambled eggs, 1-1/4 cups of fresh strawberries and 1 cup of skim milk. For lunch, have two cups of chicken noodle soup with 12 saltine crackers, one small apple, one low-fat string cheese and 10 baby carrots with 1 tbsp. of ranch dressing. For dinner, have a 4 oz. portion of grilled chicken, 1 cup of brown rice, 1 cup of broccoli sauteed in 1 tsp. of olive oil and 3/4 cup serving of fresh pineapple and for a snack 6 oz. container of light yogurt with three graham cracker squares.
2,000-calorie Meal Plan
The 2,000-calorie diabetic exchange diet is best suited for weight maintenance in most men and active women. The 2,000-calorie exchange diet consists of 11 starch exchanges, eight meat exchanges, four vegetable exchanges, three fruit exchanges, two milk exchanges and four fat exchanges.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Diabetes Diet -- Diabetic Exchange List
- MayoClinic.com: Your Diabetes Eating Plan: Exchange List
- We Can: Estimated Calorie Requirements
- "Krause's Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy"; L. Kathleen Mahan, Sylvia Escott-Stump; 1996
