Whether you count your carbohydrates or follow the exchange method of meal planning, figuring out how much you can eat of each type of food is easier than you may think. Before you start on any type of meal plan to accommodate your diabetes, however, consult your physician or a licensed nutritionist who will determine the appropriate amount of daily protein, carbohydrates and fat to suit your particular medical needs.
Planning Your Meals
While your physician and licensed nutritionist will determine the right calorie count and food mix to meet your particular medical situation, you should aim for 10 to 20 percent of your daily calories from protein, 25 to 30 percent from fat and 50 to 60 percent of carbohydrates. To help achieve these goals, you can use the "plate" method devised by the American Diabetes Association. Imagine drawing a line across your plate to divide it in half, and then dividing one of the halves in half again to give you three sections. Nonstarchy vegetables should fill up the largest section, with starches and proteins filling the two smaller halves. Although there are more exact measurements you can use to ensure you are consuming the right amounts of your food, following these general guidelines can put you on the right path.
Nonstarchy Vegetables
Nonstarchy vegetables include most of the leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, most salad vegetables, including lettuce, tomatoes, onions and peppers and also vegetables like carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, summer squash varieties and turnips. One serving of these vegetables, or one exchange if you follow that meal planning system, is the equivalent of 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of raw vegetables or salad greens. These vegetables provide you with plenty of nutrition, but they also contain carbohydrates. As a general rule of thumb, one serving of nonstarchy vegetables contains 25 calories and 5 g of carbohydrates. If you eat three or more servings at one meal, remember to include these in your carbohydrate tracking.
Starchy Foods
Starches include foods made from grains, such as cereal, bread and pasta, potatoes, cooked cereals, rice, cooked beans, peas, tortillas, winter squash and potatoes. These foods are your main source of carbohydrates, so choose them wisely. One serving of starches contains roughly 15 g of carbohydrates and 80 calories. If you are on a 1,600 calorie-per-day diet, for example, you should count on getting 800 calories from carbohydrates each day, which translates into 10 carbohydrate servings spread throughout the day. One serving of carbohydrates includes one slice of regular or two slices of reduced-calorie bread, half of an English muffin or hamburger bun, 1/3 cup of rice, barley, beans or peas, 1/2 cup of cooked pasta or 3 oz. of baked white or sweet potato.
Proteins
One serving of a lean protein contains 55 calories and 2 to 3 g of fat per serving, while medium-fat proteins contain 75 calories and 5 g of fat. If you are on a 1,600 calorie-per-day diet, you should expect to consume 160 to 320 calories of lean protein, which is three to six servings of lean protein or two to four servings of medium-fat proteins throughout the day. Since most proteins contain some fat, which you should limit to no more than 400 to 480 calories per day, you also must account for calories from fat when choosing your proteins. One serving of lean proteins includes 1 oz. of skinless chicken, turkey, lean beef, pork tenderloin or seafood, such as salmon or swordfish. One serving of medium-fat proteins includes 1 oz. of prime beef cuts, ground beef, corned beef, pork chops or mozzarella cheese, or one egg or 4 oz. of tofu.
