Understanding how carbohydrates affect your blood glucose levels is an essential part of managing your diabetes health. Because consuming carbohydrate-containing foods and beverages causes your blood sugar to rise, you must monitor your daily carbohydrate intake. On average, consume about 145 g to 220 g of total carbohydrate per day.
Total Carbohydrate
The American Diabetes Association provides information about the average amount of carbohydrates a healthy diabetes diet should contain and the ideal balance between the three main sources of carbohydrate -- sugar, starch and fiber. Include about 25 g to 30 g of fiber in your daily diet. Good sources include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts. Obtain the rest of your 145 g to 220 g of total carbohydrate from healthy starches and natural sugar. Good sources of starch include oatmeal, 100 percent whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes. Healthy sources of natural sugar include fruit and low-fat or non-fat dairy products.
Distribution of Carbs: Meals
Your diabetes diet should include three main meals per day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each of your meals should include an average of 45 g to 60 g of total carbohydrate. Read nutrition labels to determine the carbohydrate content of foods. As a general guideline, these serving sizes provide about 15 g of carbohydrate: 1/3 cup of pasta, 1/2 cup of beans or lentils, six chicken nuggets, 1/3 cup of rice, a small piece of fruit or a slice of bread.
Distribution of Carbs: Snacks
A typical diabetes diet plan includes snacks. Snacking between meals helps curb your appetite so that you are less likely to overeat during your main courses. In general, each of your snacks should contain between 5 g and 20 g of total carbohydrate. Examples of snacks that contain an average of 5 g of total carbohydrate each include 1/4 cup of blueberries, 5 baby carrots, or a piece of low-fat string cheese. Healthy snacks that contain about 10 g to 20 g of total carbohydrate each include: 1/3 cup of hummus with 1 cup of raw non-starchy vegetables; 14 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup of fresh raspberries; 1/2 cup of unsalted and unsweetened nuts.
Healthy Choices
Avoid carbohydrate-containing foods that are filled with empty calories and added sugars such as desserts, baked goods, candy bars and sugary drinks. Instead, focus on low-fat, nutrient-dense carbohydrates such as fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes and non-fat milk and yogurt. In terms of starchy foods, choose whole grains over refined grains. Look for pastas and breads made from 100 percent whole wheat flour. Other healthy whole grain options include wild rice, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, bulgur and whole grain barley.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Carbohydrates
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Carbohydrate Counting
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Snacks: Snacking Smart with Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Making Healthy Food Choices
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Whole Grain Foods
