Type 2 diabetes means that your body has trouble controlling your blood sugar, or blood glucose, levels. A good diet can help you manage your blood sugar levels, and the food exchange lists can guide your food choices so that you get the right amounts of carbohydrates, fat and protein. If you have type 2 diabetes, talk to your doctor and a nutritionist to make sure you eat the healthiest possible diet for your situation.
Background
A food exchange diet for type 2 diabetes is a meal plan that uses the food exchange lists. Each list on the food exchange system includes foods with about the same amounts of calories, carbohydrates, fats and protein per serving. The theory behind the food exchange diet is that these foods will have similar effects on your blood sugar levels, so you can choose any of the foods from a list when you are planning your meal. You can start with a suggested menu, such as the ones from NHLBI.gov, or the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and substitute foods from exchange lists to keep the calories and carbohydrates the same while varying your food choices.
Carbohydrate Food Lists
Counting carbohydrates may improve your blood sugar control. Diabetes.org recommends starting with around 45 g to 60 g per meal, and changing that amount if your doctor recommends it. According to NHLBI.gov, a one-half cup serving of cooked vegetables or 1-cup serving of raw vegetables from the vegetable list has 25 calories and 5 g carbohydrate. Fruits, such as 1 cup of berries or 1 small apple or orange, has about 60 calories and 15 g carbohydrates. A starch serving can be 1 slice of bread, one-half cup of pasta or 3 cups of popcorn, and these have 80 calories and 15 g carbohydrates. Fat-free and very low-fat milk have 90 calories per cup.
Fat and Protein Food Lists
Foods without carbohydrates do not affect your blood sugar as much as carbohydrates after a meal, but you should still monitor your intake to keep your calories under control. Very lean protein has 35 calories and 1 g fat per 1-oz. serving of turkey breast, canned tuna or fat-free cheese, and lean protein has 55 calories and 2 g to 3 g fat per 1-oz. serving of pork, turkey or salmon. Medium-fat protein has 75 calories and 1 g fat in 1 oz. of beef or mozzarella cheese, and fats have 45 calories and 5 g fat per serving of butter, oil, bacon or olives.
Considerations
A food exchange diet can help you regulate your blood sugar by counting carbohydrates or by counting calories to lose weight. However, MayoClinic.com notes that the lists do not consider aspects, such as the type of fat or amounts of nutrients within groups. You can make a food exchange diet healthier by choosing unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats, and limiting foods with sodium, cholesterol and trans fats. Also, vary your choices within each group to get a range of vitamins and minerals to meet your needs.
