If you are diabetic, you need to keep your blood sugar levels within 70 and 130 mg/dL before your meals and below 180 mg/dL 2 hours after eating to prevent high-blood-sugar levels that can damage your blood vessels, nerves and organs. Although medications or insulin can be prescribed, a balanced diet should constitute the foundation of your treatment plan to stay healthy with diabetes.
Carbohydrate and Diabetes
Controlling your carbohydrate intake is the cornerstone of diabetes management. Carbohydrates are mainly found in bread, rice, potatoes, sugar-containing foods and beverages as well as in fruits and when they are digested, they are converted into sugar. These molecules of sugar, or glucose, elevate your blood sugar levels when entering your bloodstream. It is important that you determine the amount of carbohydrate that is right for you by keeping track of your carbohydrate intake and to assess how they affect your blood sugar levels by monitoring them on a regular basis. Although it is routinely recommended to aim for 45 to 60 g of carbs per meal, everybody is different and some diabetics may do better on a lower carb intake, according to a paper published in the July 2005 issue of "Nutrition & Metabolism." Consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Fresh Tomato
For a food to be able to raise your blood sugar levels, it needs to contain enough carbohydrates per serving. If you enjoy tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, consumed in moderation, are not a problem for managing your blood sugar levels. For example, 1 cup of cherry tomatoes contain 5.8 g of carbohydrates and 1.8 g of fiber, which is the equivalent of 4 g of net carbs, while 1 medium whole tomato has 4.8 g of carbohydrates and 1.5 g of fiber, or the equivalent of 3.3 g of net carbs. Net carbs correspond to the total grams of carbohydrates minus the dietary fiber and give you a more accurate picture of how foods influence your blood sugar levels. Use net carbs when tracking your carb intake and assessing the influence of your diet over your blood sugar levels.
Tomato Juice
The carb content of tomato juice is slightly higher because tomatoes are present in a concentrated form and sugar may also be added to it. For example, a serving of 6 oz. of tomato juice contains 7.7 g of carbohydrates and 0.7 g of fiber, which corresponds to 7 g of net carbs, while 6 oz. tomato and vegetable juice has 8.3 g of carbohydrates and 1.4 g of fiber, which corresponds to 6.9 g of net carbs. Beware of large bottle of tomato or tomato and vegetable juice that often contain at least 12 oz of juice and can pack double the amount of carbohydrates. Large amounts of tomato juice can raise your blood sugar levels.
Tomato Sauce
Tomato sauce is a concentrated form of tomato and often contains added sugar. On average, a 1/2-cup serving contains 12 to 13.5 g of carbohydrates and 3 to 3.1 g of fiber, or the equivalent of 9 to 10.4 g of net carbs. If you have tomato sauce on pasta, it is not uncommon to use 1 to 1.5 cups at a time, which would add up to 18.4 to 31.2 g of net carbs; that amount can significantly affect your blood sugar levels, without even considering the pasta itself.
Tomato Soup
Tomato soup is usually thought as a safe vegetable option for diabetics, but they can pack a lot of carbohydrates. For example, 1/2 cup of condensed tomato bisque contains 23 g of carbs and 1 g of fiber, or 22 g of net carbs; 1 cup of tomato and rice soup has 21.1 g of carbs and 1.7 g of fiber, or 19.4 g of net carbs. A typical serving of creamy tomato soup has an average of 34 g of carbohydrates and 4 g of fiber, or 30 g of carbohydrates. Consider these carbohydrates as part of your daily carb budget when planning your meals.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Carbohydrate Counting
- American Diabetes Association: Thigh Diabetes Control
- Joslin Diabetes Center: Carbohydrate Counting 101
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Nutrient Data Laboratory
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; The Case For Low Carbohydrate Diets in Diabetes Management; Surender K. Arora, et al.; July 2005
