Counting calories comes naturally in a diabetes diet, where counting carbohydrates can be crucial to keeping blood sugar levels safe. If you choose a 1,500-calorie diet to maintain or lose weight, make sure that it is "diabetic friendly." Include foods that are low in saturated fat, high in fiber and rich in the vitamins and minerals needed for equilibrium. Foods that promote healthy cardiovascular systems helps diabetics avoid heart attacks and strokes.
Carbohydrate Foods
It is as important to count calories in carbs in a 1,500-calorie diet as it is to count carbs in a diabetes diet. Here are some common foods and their values in a healthy diet: one slice wheat bread (67 calories, 12 g carbs); ¾ cup whole-grain Total cereal (100 calories, 23 g carbs); 1 cup egg noodles (221 calories, 40 g carbs); and 1 cup cooked pinto beans (245 calories, 45 g carbs). A beef patty, cola drink and serving of tuna have 0 g carbohydrates.
High-Fiber Foods
A diabetes diet emphasizes high-fiber foods to help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. A healthy diet is rich in fibrous fruits and vegetables. Get your soluble fiber from 1 cup cooked broccoli (55 calories, 5 g fiber); one apple (72 calories, 3.3 g fiber); pinto beans (15 g fiber); and Total cereal (3 g fiber). Bread, tofu and cookies have less than 1 g of fiber. Meats and fish have 0 g fiber.
Proteins
Proteins can add considerable calories to a 1,500 calorie diet. For instance, a lean beef patty delivers 22 g protein but costs you 213 calories. Compare this to lower-fat proteins, such as: ¼ package tofu (57 calories, 6.6 g protein); 3 oz canned light tuna (99 calories, 22 g protein); and pinto beans (15 g protein). Lowfat proteins are important in a healthy diet for diabetics, because they help to keep your weight down.
Magnesium Foods
Magnesium is an essential mineral known to help regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Some high-magnesium foods are less than 100 calories per serving, such as tofu (30 mg magnesium); broccoli (33 mg magnesium); and tuna (23 mg magnesium). Those higher in calories include a 3-oz. hamburger patty (17 mg magnesium); pinto beans (86 mg magnesium); and Total cereal (24 mg magnesium).
Potassium Foods
Getting enough potassium in a 1,500-calorie diet is easy when you focus on the same nutrient-rich foods. Potassium is necessary to the diabetes diet for optimal heart function. Among foods with fewer than 100 calories, a healthy diet includes an apple (148 mg potassium); cooked broccoli (457 mg potassium); and canned tuna (201 mg potassium). Higher-calorie sources include a hamburger (246 mg potassium), Total cereal (90 mg potassium); and pinto beans (746 mg potassium).
