If your child has been diagnosed with diabetes, you may be considering dietary changes and how it will affect his energy. A diabetic diet can contain a variety of foods---including the odd sweet---but focusing on healthy and wholesome foods is always the best bet. Not only will you be serving foods that can keep your child's diabetes in check, but you'll be providing a higher level of nutrition that is also lower in calories.
Fruits and Vegetables
Feed your child a variety of fruits and vegetables, selecting a rainbow of colors to ensure a mix of vitamins and nutrients. In particular, non-starchy vegetables such as carrots, broccoli or green beans should be served with each meal. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends 10 diabetic super foods, which all have "a low glycemic index or GI and provide key nutrients that are lacking in the typical western diet." In the vegetable category, the super foods include leafy dark greens, such as spinach, kale and collards. Each is so low in carbohydrates and calories you can eat them to your fill. Another choice is the sweet potato, which despite its starchiness is full of fiber and vitamin A, and has a lower GI than regular potatoes. For fruit, the ADA recommends citrus for vitamin C and soluble fiber, and berries, which deliver high doses of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. They also give the thumbs up to tomatoes---whether fresh, pureed or in sauce---for the iron and vitamins C and E.
Whole Grains
Processed grain products might be easy and convenient, but you should always choose whole grain foods instead for your diabetic child. Whole grain products can also be ADA super foods---especially bran and germ, which are packed with all the grain's nutrients including folate, magnesium and omega-3 essential fatty acids. In addition, they recommend oatmeal and pearled barley as sources of potassium and fiber. You can also try brown rice instead of white, and whole wheat spaghetti or pasta; pair it with tomato sauce and a spinach salad, and you have a complete super meal. Avoid high-calorie packaged desserts and snacks such as cookies, cakes and chips. To keep things simple, you might want to consider carbohydrate counting, which diabetics use to control blood sugar; carbs contain sugar and starch, so they affect the blood sugar more than any other food. Feeding your child a set amount---ensured by counting servings---will allow you to guess pretty accurately how a meal will affect her blood sugar, according to Children With Diabetes, an informational website for kids who have diabetes.
Lean Protein and Dairy
The ADA recommends serving fish two or three times a week, and especially focusing on those high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon. But be sure to stick with the canned or grilled variety, since breaded and deep fried fish sticks are too heavily breaded and high in undesirable fat to be healthy. Beans are another ADA super food. Though they're starchy, they provide fiber, potassium, magnesium and as much protein in ½ cup serving as an ounce of meat---and with no saturated fat. Serve kidney, navy, pinto or black beans often, draining them well to remove excess sodium if you choose the canned kind. Nuts are a super food too, because they combine healthy fats, fiber and magnesium in a hunger-controlling snack. Flax seeds and walnuts have bonus omega-3. For meats, choose lean varieties such as skinless poultry, pork loin or sirloin. Fat-free dairy products such as skim milk, non-fat cheese and non-fat yogurt are also approved by the ADA for their calcium and vitamin D.
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