The result of elevated blood glucose, diabetes is the major cause of heart disease and stroke and a leading cause of kidney disease, limb amputations and blindness, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Poor memory, decreased alertness and coma result from low glucose levels. Heather Leidy, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Missouri’s department of nutrition and exercise physiology, reports that for people with diabetes, eating small, frequent meals rather than three large meals may be better. You can safely switch to eating more meals daily by making a few changes in how and what you eat.
Downsizing
To accommodate more meals, prevent overeating and avoid blood glucose instability, spread out the amount of food you normally eat at three meals. For example, to change a 1,500-calorie, three-meal-per-day pattern to six meals, you would cut in half, or downsize, a breakfast meal that includes 1 cup steel cut oats, 1 cup nonfat milk, six dried apricots, six walnut halves and 2 tbsp. flaxseeds. Your smaller breakfast meal, which has half the calories and nutrients of the larger version, now consists of 1/2 cup steel cut oats, 1/2 cup nonfat milk, three dried apricots, three walnut halves and 1 tbsp. flaxseeds.
Timing
With this plan, you can enjoy food more often. However, space these meals out evenly to avoid high and low glucose levels. A pattern for six daily meals is 7:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., noon, 3:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. On a 1,500-calorie plan and three hours after your breakfast meal of steel cut oats, try 1/4 cup hummus, five stone-ground crackers and 14 baby carrots. At noon, eat 1 cup sliced cucumbers with 1 tbsp. vinaigrette and a sandwich made with one slice multigrain bread, 2 ounces of turkey breast, 1-ounce avocado, three tomato slices and lettuce leaves.
Glycemic Index
Glycemic Index, or GI, is a measure of how high a carbohydrate, the major contributor to glucose levels, makes your blood glucose rise. Rather than load a day’s worth of carbohydrates into three meals, spread low GI carbohydrates out over more meals. According to Dr. Salwa Rizkalla of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research, low GI carbohydrates improve glucose control. Examples of low GI carbohydrates are cereals like steel cut oats; breads such as multigrain and pumpernickel; whole grains like barley, bulgur and quinoa; and all vegetables, except potatoes. Other low GI foods include basmati rice; nonsweetened dairy; legumes; and fruits like apples, berries, oranges, plums and prunes.
Nutrient Distribution
Include carbohydrates, protein and fat at each meal for proper nutritional balance and glucose stability. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines recommend approximately 50 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent protein and 30 percent fat calories. Continuing with the 1,500-calorie small, frequent meal plan, an early afternoon meal includes a small apple, 3/4 cup nonfat yogurt, 1 tbsp. peanut butter and 1 cup celery sticks. An early evening meal contains 2-ounce London broil, 1/2 cup sautéed red onions, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1/3 cup basmati rice, seven almonds and 1 cup vinaigrette vegetable salad. Your last meal of the day includes four squares of dark chocolate and 1 cup nonfat milk.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet
- MyBestHealthPortal.net: Does Eating Small Frequent Meals Really Control your Appetite?
- “Diabetes Care”; Improved Plasma Glucose Control, Whole-Body Glucose Utilization, and Lipid Profile on a Low-Glycemic Index Diet in Type 2 Diabetic Men; Salwa Rizkalla, et al.; August 2004
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines: Dietary Reference Intakes
