The cornerstone of a 2,000 calorie diabetic diet plan is monitoring your carbohydrate intake carefully. There are two common methods that diabetic dieters use to ensure they are not overdoing on carbs, and thus spiking blood-glucose levels. Diabetics with blood sugar levels that are too high are at risk for serious health problems like kidney, nerve or eye damage. Many diabetic people can control their blood-glucose levels via diet. One diet method utilizes diabetic exchanges. Another relies on carb counting.
Carb Ratio
Both diabetic exchange and carb counting methods are based on a diet that has a ratio of 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fats and 20 percent proteins.
Diabetic Exchange Food Groups
The diabetic exchange system groups foods into six categories. The first three are milk, starch and fruit. Each serving has 15 g of carbohydrate. The other three are fats, meat/ meat substitutes and vegetables. Veggies have 5 g carbs, meats have 7 g protein and fats have 5 g fat.
Exchange Servings
Servings of each food choice in a diabetic exchange system group have similar amounts of calories, carbs, proteins or fats, thus can be "exchanged" for other foods in the same category. Dieters must pay close attention to serving size.
Typical Menu
A typical daily menu on the diabetic exchange system would allow two starches, one lean meat, one fruit and one low-fat milk for breakfast. Lunch allots two servings each of starch, lean meat, fat and vegetable as well as one fruit and one low-fat milk. Dinner has three starches, four lean meats, two veggies and fats, and one fruit. Two snacks are included. The first has one starch and one fruit. The second has one starch and one low-fat milk.
Carb Counting
The carb counting method allows for more flexibility and also is best for people who must balance their food intake with insulin shots. It allows a total number of servings of carbohydrates per day. For a 2,000-calorie diet, the menu has 16 servings. Each serving has 15 g or carbs.
Carb Counting Menu
With carb counting, servings of carbohydrate are spread throughout the day to avoid blood-sugar spikes. Dieters choose how to do this. For example, a person can consume four carbs at breakfast, five at lunch, five at dinner and two for a snack. Or she can eat four for each breakfast, lunch and dinner and two snacks with two carbs each.
Carb Allotment
Examples of the 15 g allotment of carbs per serving in each plan are 1 c milk, one small piece of fruit, ¾ c dry cereal that does not have added sugars, ½ c pasta or a slice of bread.
