Following a prescribed meal plan that controls calories and carbohydrate intake can help you manage your diabetes and limit your risk of complications. A 2,500-calorie diabetic diet is a higher calorie diet plan, and can help active women between the ages of 19 and 30, and most active men maintain a healthy weight. An active individual exercises to the equivalent of walking three miles a day. Talk to your doctor or dietitian to help you determine your daily calorie needs for diabetes control.
Diet Guide
When following a calorie-controlled diabetic diet, you can use the exchange diet system designed by the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association. The exchange diet is designed to help you create meals that balance your carbohydrate, protein and fat intake. On the exchange diet, you are allowed to eat a certain number of servings from each of the food groups that include starches, fruits, milk, meat, vegetables and fat. Foods within each group contain the same amount of calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates, allowing you to "exchange" items within their groups.
Diet Plan
A dietitian can help you design an exchange diet that suits your food tastes and lifestyle. A 2,500-calorie diabetic diet may include 15 starch exchanges, eight meat exchanges, four vegetable exchanges, three fruit exchanges, two milk exchanges and six fat exchanges. These food choices should than be divided among at least three meals plus snacks, depending on your preference. It is important when you decide on a meal plan that you be as consistent as possible with regards to the timing and sizes of your meals and snacks. Eating the same amount of food at around the same time each day helps to improve blood sugar control.
Breakfast
A breakfast meal may include four starch exchanges, one meat exchange, one fruit exchange, one milk exchange and one fat exchange. This may translate into a scrambled egg with two slices of whole wheat toast, 1 1/2 cups of whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal with 1 cup of nonfat milk and a small banana.
Lunch
For lunch, include four starch exchanges, three meat exchanges, two vegetable exchanges, one milk exchange and two fat exchanges. A sample lunch may consist of a cold pasta salad made with 2 cups of whole wheat pasta, 3 oz. of cooked shrimp and 1 cup of cooked mixed vegetables tossed with 2 tbsp. of balsamic salad dressing, served with a 6 oz. container of nonfat, sugar-free yogurt.
Afternoon Snack
Have one starch exchange and one fruit exchange for an afternoon snack, which may include a small apple with five whole grain crackers.
Dinner
Your dinner meal on a 2,500-calorie diabetic diet may include four starch exchanges, two vegetable exchanges, three meat exchanges, one fruit exchange and two fat exchanges. A sample dinner idea may consist of 3 oz. of grilled salmon with a 6 oz. baked potato with 1 tsp. of margarine, 1 cup of peas, 2 cups of mixed greens with 1 tbsp. of salad dressing and 1 1/4 cups of whole strawberries.
Evening Snack
Include two starch exchanges, one meat exchange and one fat exchange with your evening snack. Try a sandwich made with two slices of whole wheat bread, 1 oz. of lean deli turkey meat and 1 tsp. of mayonnaise.
