People with diabetes have elevated blood sugars due to an inability to make enough or properly use insulin. Most of the food you eat contributes to those elevated blood sugars. Diet plays an important role in the treatment and management of blood sugars and diabetes.The 1800-calorie ADA diabetic diet can help most men and women manage their diabetes, in addition to promoting a healthy weight.
Significance
The ADA, or American Diabetes Association, diet was developed by the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association as a diet guide to help people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugars and weight. More than 90 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Most people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Carrying around more weight than your body needs makes it harder to control blood sugars. By controlling your calories and balancing your nutrient intake with the 1800-calorie ADA diabetic diet, you can achieve and maintain a healthier weight while keeping your blood sugars under control.
Function
The ADA diet divides foods into known groups based on similarities in calorie, protein, fat and carbohydrate content, including starches, fruits, milk, meat, non-starchy vegetables and fat. On the 1,800-calorie ADA diabetic diet you can have a certain number of servings from each food group. When meal planning, you can exchange items within each group. For example, at breakfast you can exchange 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal for 3/4 cup ready-to-eat cereal.
Meal Plan
A typical 1,800-calorie ADA diabetic diet meal plan consists of 10 starch exchanges, seven meat exchanges, three non-starchy vegetable exchanges, three fruit exchanges, two milk exchanges and three fat exchanges. Each exchange is equal to a single serving of a food item. When meal planning, equally distribute the exchanges to all three meals to balance nutrient intake for better blood sugar control.
The Exchanges
A starch exchange may include one slice of bread, 1/3 cup of pasta or rice, 1/2 cup of cooked hot cereal, 3/4 cups of ready-to-eat cereal, 3 oz. baked potato or five whole grain crackers. A meat exchange includes 1 oz. of meat, fish, poultry or cheese. A non-starchy vegetable exchange includes 1 cup of raw vegetable or 1/2 cup cooked. An example of a non-starchy vegetable includes broccoli, green beans and spinach. A milk exchange is equal to 1 cup of milk or a 6 oz. container of sugar-free yogurt. A fruit exchange includes a small piece of fruit, 1/2 cup of unsweetened canned fruit, 1 cup of melon or 2 tbsp. of raisins. A fat exchange includes 1 tsp. of butter, margarine, oil or mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. of salad dressing or 1 1/2 tsp. of peanut butter.
Sample Menu
A breakfast on an 1,800-calorie ADA diabetic diet may include a scrambled egg with two slices of toast, 1 tsp. of margarine, 1/2 cup of hot cooked oatmeal, 1 cup of nonfat milk and a small orange. A lunch may include a turkey sandwich on two slices of whole wheat bread, 3 oz. of lean turkey meat and 1 tsp. of mayonnaise, served with five whole grain crackers, 6 oz. container of nonfat sugar-free yogurt, 1 cup of sliced cucumbers and a 4 oz. banana. For dinner, you may have 3 oz. of grilled salmon, 1 cup of cooked brown rice, a 1 oz. whole wheat roll, 1 tsp. of margarine, 1 cup of steamed broccoli and 1 cup of fresh pineapple.
