Diabetes is the fifth deadliest disease in the United States, according to the University of Colorado. There is no cure, but it can be managed successfully with exercise, diet and medication. The diet for diabetes should include a variety of healthy foods in moderate amounts. A dietitian can help you develop a diet plan, based on your lifestyle and food preferences. The 1,500-calorie ADA Diet is a basic diet you can follow to get you started.
Diet Guidelines
As a lower-calorie diet, the 1,500-calorie ADA Diet is best suited for men and women who need to lose weight. The ADA Diet, or American Diabetes Association Diet, is based on the Diabetes Exchange Diet Plan. It uses basic food groups, including starches, meats, vegetables, fruits, milk and fat, and portion control to help you create balanced meals. On your 1,500-calorie ADA Diet, you can have eight servings of starch, five servings of meat, three servings of vegetables, three servings of fruit, two servings of milk and three servings of fat. Your plan should divide these food servings among three meals and one snack.
Breakfast
An ADA-balanced breakfast meal includes two servings of starch, one serving of meat, one serving of fruit, one serving of milk and one serving of fat. A breakfast meal using the ADA guide may include a 2-oz. whole wheat bagel toasted with 1 tbsp. of peanut butter, served with a 6 oz. container of nonfat, sugar-free yogurt and 1 cup of cubed cantaloupe. A serving of food in each of the groups contains the same amount of calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat, allowing you to "exchange" items within their group when meal planning. For example, you can "exchange" the yogurt for 1 cup milk.
Lunch
Your lunch meal on the low-calorie ADA Diet includes three servings of starch, two servings of meat, one serving of fruit, one serving of vegetables and one serving of fat. A sample meal consists of a 2 oz. turkey burger on a whole wheat hamburger bun, 3/4 oz. baked potato chips, 1 cup mixed greens with 1 tbsp. ow-fat salad dressing and 17 small grapes. Carefully measure your food using measuring utensils and food scales to control your portions.
Dinner
Your dinner meal should include two servings of starch, two servings of meat, two servings of vegetables, one serving of fruit and one serving of fat. A healthy dinner meal on your ADA Diet may include 2 oz. of grilled tuna steak with a 6 oz. baked potato with 1 tsp. margarine, 1 cup boiled asparagus and 1 1/4 cups fresh whole strawberries.
Snack
Include one serving of starch and one serving of milk for your snack. This may consists of 3/4 cup whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal with 1 cup nonfat milk.
Member Comments