Diabetes affects one in every 400 to 500 children in the United States, according to the Joslin Diabetes Center. Most kids with diabetes have type 1 diabetes and cannot produce insulin, the hormone responsible for getting sugar from the bloodstream into the cell to supply its energy. Diet, exercise and medication can help your child manage his diabetes. Meal planning does not have to be difficult if you know what foods have the greatest impact on blood sugar. Your doctor or dietitian can help you create a meal plan for your child.
Diet Basics
Kids with diabetes do not need to eat special food, but they do need to make healthy choices and control the amount of food they eat at each meal and snack, especially foods containing carbohydrates. Carbohydrates in food have the greatest impact on blood sugar, and eating a consistent amount at each meal can help your kids control their blood sugar.
Carbohydrate Foods
Carbohydrate-containing foods include starches, bread, cereals, milk, yogurt and fruit. Having a good understanding of basic food serving sizes can help you count and track your kids carbohydrate intake. In general, one slice of bread, 1/3 cup of rice or pasta, 1/2 cup of cooked peas or corn,1 cup of milk, 6 oz. container of sugar-free yogurt and a small piece of fruit all contain 15 g of carbohydrates. You can also read food labels to help you calculate carbohydrates. Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli and green beans, contain small amounts of carbohydrates but you do not need to count these carbohydrates towards your kids meal carbohydrate allowance. In addition to controlling the amount of carbohydrates at each meal, the type of carbohydrate your child eats can also effect blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, such as whole wheat bread, most fruits and milk, take your body longer to digest allowing for a slower release of sugar into the bloodstream. While foods with a high glycemic index, such as white bread, bagels and pretzels, digest quickly leading to a rapid rise in blood sugar. Try providing your child with more low-glycemic index foods.
Non-Carbohydrate Foods
Meats and fats do not contain any carbohydrates. For balance and nutrition, try to include a serving of meat and fat with each meal. Healthy meat choices for your diabetic child includes poultry, fish, beef, pork, eggs and cheese. Healthy fat choices include mayonnaise, butter, margarine, oil, nuts, peanut butter and salad dressing.
Meal Plan
How much your child needs to eat depends on his age, weight, height and activity level. Your doctor or dietitian will determine how much carbohydrate your child should eat at each meal and snack. Kids with diabetes need to eat three meals a day and two to three snacks. For better blood sugar control, your kids should eat meals and snacks at the same time each day. Kids on a 1,500-calorie diet can have 45 g of carbohydrates at each meal and 15 g of carbohydrates at each snack.
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