When you are diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor will refer you to a dietitian. Dietitians help you tailor your diet to your specific laboratory values, body composition and eating preferences. One of the basic building blocks of designing your diabetic diet plan is how your calories will be divided among carbohydrate, protein and fat. Although the specific percentages vary by individual, the general ranges are 10 to 20 percent protein, 25 to 35 percent fat and 45 to 65 percent carbohydrate.
Step 1
Multiply 2,200 calories by the decimal form of the percentage of carbohydrates in your diet to calculate the number of calories from carbohydrates. For example, a 65 percent carbohydrate diet has 1,430 calories from carbohydrates because 2,200 times 0.65 equals 1,430.
Step 2
Divide the number of carbohydrate calories by four to calculate the number of grams of carbohydrate. For example, 1,430 divided by four equals 357.5 g of carbohydrate.
Step 3
Divide your carbohydrate allotment at regular intervals throughout the day between starches, starchy vegetables, non-starchy vegetables, fruit and milk, using the diabetic exchange lists for meal planning. Starch, starchy vegetables and fruit contain about 15 g of carbohydrates per exchange, milk contains 12 g of carbohydrates per exchange and non-starchy vegetables contain about 5 g of carbohydrates per exchange.
Tips and Warnings
- Monitor your pre-meal and post-meal glucose frequently, and make changes to your diet and insulin dosage under a doctor or dietitian's supervision to keep your blood sugar under control.
References
- "Nutrition and Diagnosis-Related Care: Sixth Edition"; Sylvia Escott-Stump; 2008
- "Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy: 12th Edition"; L. Kathleen Mahan and Sylvia Escott-Stump; 2008
