Diet is an important part of treatment for people with diabetes. Most of the food you eat turns into sugar, and managing the types and amount you eat, can help you have better control over your blood sugar. There are a number of different meal plans for people with diabetes. Discuss your options with your doctor or dietitian to determine the best plan for you.
Carbohydrate Counting
Carbohydrate-containing foods cause blood sugar levels to elevate. A carbohydrate counting meal plan can help you manage your blood sugars by helping you control the amount of carbohydrate you eat at each meal. Foods with carbohydrates include starches, grains, fruits, milk and yogurt. The amount of carbohydrates you need at each meal depends on your calorie and blood sugar goals. However, you can start at 45 to 60 g, according to the American Diabetes Association. When it comes to carbohydrate gram counting, a good understanding of basic food serving sizes can help you track your carbohydrate intake. Food label reading is also an important tool. When meal planning, be sure to include lean meats and vegetables to balance your intake.
Diabetes Food Guide Pyramid
The diabetes food guide pyramid is a meal plan for people with diabetes designed to teach you how to make smart food choices to manage both blood sugar and weight. As a visual guide, it encourages you to eat more items from the foods on the bottom of the pyramid--including grains, starches, fruits and vegetables--and fewer foods from the top of the pyramid, including sweets and fats. When following the diabetes food guide pyramid, you can eat a certain number of items from each food group based on your calorie needs. A doctor or dietitian can help you determine how many calories you need a day. In general, women need about 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day and men need about 1,600 to 2,000 calories a day.
Diabetes Exchange Diet
The diabetes exchange diet is the most structured of all the diabetes meal plans. It was designed by the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association as a tool to help you balance calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat intake. On the diabetes exchange diet, foods are divided up into groups based on similarities in nutrient composition. Based on your calorie needs, you can eat a certain number of servings from each food group each day. To vary your intake, you can exchange items within each food group. For example, a slice of bread can be exchanged for 1/3 cup of pasta or rice or a 6-inch tortilla.
