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How to Track Daily Food Exchanges for Diabetes

A diabetic's body is unable to properly control blood sugar; therefore medications and diet often are required to best maintain blood sugar levels while consuming enough nutrients. One method used by many diabetics is the exchange list. This method groups foods into types and foods within a certain group can be eaten or "exchanged," according to recommended intake for those groups.

  1. Categories

    • Exchange lists are available from the American Diabetes Association as well as the American Dietetic Association, which group foods into the following categories:
      -Starches
      -Fruits
      -Milk and yogurt
      -sweets, desserts, or other carbohydrates
      -non-starchy vegetables
      -fats
      -meat and meat substitutes
      -foods that can be eaten any time

      The amount of each exchange a person can eat a day depends on many factors, including the person's age, current weight and diagnosis.

    Plan Ahead

    • Newly diagnosed patients may experience difficulty in remembering the portion size and classification of dietary exchanges. To combat this, a person should try to plan daily foods consumed in advance. Write down a sample menu for a given day, then reconcile these foods with an exchange list.

    Use a Daily Food Journal

    • Diabetic patients may wish to track their food exchanges made by keeping a paper or web-based food diary. Sites such as LiveStrong.com provide a free method to track calories and exchanges every day. For the paper method, purchase a journal and record all foods eaten and drinks consumed during the day.

    Learn How to Read Food Labels

    • A working knowledge of food labels will help you track your daily food exchanges and help you to choose healthy foods in the absence of a handy exchange calculator. Because the exchanges have a lot to do with carbohydrate counting, you should especially analyze the amount of total carbohydrate as well as the grams of sugar contained in an item, according to the Mayo Clinic.

      Also, many diabetics opt for sugar-free products because sugar can increase spikes in blood sugar levels. However, sugar-free foods may be high in carbohydrates, which can result in insulin spikes.

    Keep Checking In

    • Even after you become familiar with dietary exchanges, it is important to maintain a proper diet that helps to control blood sugar levels. Continue to keep a journal of healthy food exchanges and consult a dietitian, physician or diabetes educator if you notice significant spikes in blood sugar after a meal or feel you exchanges should be adjusted.

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