People with diabetes have elevated blood sugar due to an inability to make enough, or properly use, insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible for getting sugar from the bloodstream into the cells. The food you eat, specifically foods that contain carbohydrates, contribute to the sugar in your blood. Following a diet that provides a specific amount of carbohydrates can help you manage your diabetes.
Carbohydrate-Counting Diet
Starches, fruits, milk and yogurt contain carbohydrates. The carbohydrate counting diet is a specific carbohydrate diet for diabetes. It teaches you how to recognize carbohydrate-containing foods, measure them and count the grams of carbohydrate they contain to control blood sugar. When following the carbohydrate counting diet, you can eat a specific number of grams of carbohydrates at each meal based on your calorie needs and blood sugar goals. Your doctor or dietitian can help you determine your specific carbohydrate needs. You can start at 45 to 60 g of carbohydrate at each meal, according to the American Diabetes Association. When following the carbohydrate-counting diet, remember to include lean sources of protein and vegetables with your meals to provide balanced nutrition.
Diabetes Exchange Diet
The diabetes exchange diet also provides a specific amount of carbohydrate to help you manage your diabetes. It is a more structured plan; in addition to carbohydrates, it also aims to balance fat and protein intake. On the exchange diet, you eat a certain number of servings from each food group at each meal based on your calorie needs. Because foods within each group contain the same amount of calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat, you can exchange food items within each group when meal planning. For example, at lunch you can exchange a small apple for 1/2 cup of unsweetened canned fruit.
Diabetes Food Pyramid
The diabetes food guide pyramid is another example of a specific carbohydrate diet for diabetes. The diabetes food guide pyramid encourages you to eat more foods from the bottom of the pyramid and fewer foods from top to help promote a healthier intake. Like the diabetes exchange diet, it also provides specific recommendations on what to eat from each group based on your calories needs and encourages you to pay special attention to the foods that contain carbohydrates. The diabetes food guide pyramid also provides guidelines on how to create carbohydrate-balanced meals to promote consistent blood sugars throughout the day.
