Diabetes is a condition that affects the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels. The goal of a diabetic diet aims to help you improve your health, control your glucose levels and prevent diabetic complications. The exchange system is an easy method for counting carbohydrates as each serving in a food group contains approximately the same amount of calories and carbohydrates. You can exchange foods within a group because they affect your blood sugar in the same way. Your dietitian will help you determine the number of daily exchanges to consume from each food group based on your needs.
Fruit
Each item in the fruit group contains about 15 g of carbohydrates and 60 calories. Most diabetic meal plans allow you to consume three to four servings of fruit each day. A serving of fruit typically consists of one medium piece of fruit or a half cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit; a quarter cup dried fruit or 4 oz. of 100 percent fruit juice. For example, you could choose one medium apple or a half cup fruit cocktail, or a quarter cup raisins or 4 oz. of 100 percent cranberry juice. Select frozen or canned fruit with no added sugar. Fresh fruit contains more fiber, less sugar and is more filling than fruit juice.
Non-Starchy Vegetables
Non-starchy vegetable contains 5 g of carbohydrates, 2 g of protein, 2 to 3 g of fiber and 25 calories per serving. One exchange is equal to 1 cup raw vegetables or a half cup cooked vegetables, or 4 oz. vegetable juice. Good vegetable selections include leafy greens, peppers, carrots, eggplant, artichoke, okra, tomatoes, beets, zucchini, mushrooms and cucumber. Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals; therefore, consume three to four servings of vegetables daily. Choose fresh or frozen vegetables as they have less added salt than canned. When using canned vegetables, rinse them before cooking to remove some of the salt.
Starchy Vegetables
Starchy vegetables include potatoes, yam, peas, corn, sweet potato, pumpkin, baked beans and squash. These foods are found in the starch food group because their nutrient content is similar to grains, breads and cereals. Starchy vegetables provide 15 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of protein, between 0 and 1 g of fat and 80 calories per serving, with the same serving sizes as non-starchy vegetables. Most meal plans allow you to consume one to two servings of starchy vegetables daily.
Dairy
On average, each serving of milk contains 12 g of carbohydrates and 8 g of protein. The amount of fat and calories in milk vary based on the percent of butterfat used to produce the milk. There are three exchanges in the milk group: skim or very low-fat milk, with no fat and 90 calories per serving; low-fat milk, providing 5 g of fat and 120 calories per serving and whole milk with 8 g of fat and 150 calories per serving. A serving from the milk group would be equal to 1 cup of cow's or soy milk, or 8 oz. of yogurt or one-third cup of nonfat dry milk. You should choose two servings from the milk group each day.
Breads, Cereals and Grains
Each item in the starch lists contains about 15 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of protein, 0 to 1 g of protein and 80 calories per serving. Additionally, whole-grain products provide 2 g of fiber or more per serving. The bread, cereal and grain group contains a variety of foods. In general, servings from this group are equal to a half cup of grains, cereal or pasta, or one slice of bread or a third cup of lentils, beans or peas, a half bagel or English muffin, six saltines, 2 pancakes or 1/4 cup of stuffing. Most meal plans allow for six to eight servings of starchy foods per day, including starchy vegetables as listed above.
Sweets
Baked goods, processed foods and sweets contain approximately 30 g of carbohydrates, but have a higher fat and calorie content than other foods. Moderate amounts of some foods can be integrated into your meal plan as long as you can maintain blood sugar control. The portion sizes of these foods are small because of their nutrient content. For example, you may choose a half cup ice cream, or two small cookies; one-twelfth a cake slice or 1/3 cup frozen yogurt. It is important to consult your dietitian as to how often and when you can eat these foods.
References
- Diabetic Diet: Diet Exchange: Carbohydrate Counting Food List
- Diabetes Society
- "Choose Your Foods: Exchange Lists for Diabetes"; American Dietetic Association & American Diabetes Association; 2008.
- MayoClinic.com: Your Diabetes Diet -- Exchange Lists
- Glycemic Research Institute: The Diabetic Exchange List
