A Typical Diabetic Diet

A healthy diet for a diabetic individual includes heart-healthy foods rich in fiber and nutrients. The foods you include in your diet should be tasty and enjoyable but healthier than the foods you included in your old diet, including lean meats as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Vegetables

• Every serving of vegetables you eat will contain approximately 25 calories. You should include three to five servings of vegetables in your diet daily, measuring 1/2-cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of raw vegetables per serving. Healthy vegetables for a diabetic diet include carrots, broccoli, zucchini and cabbage.

Fruits

• Some individuals shy away from fruits because of their natural sugar content but eating two to four servings each day is essential to your health. A serving of fruit averages approximately 60 calories. A serving might be 1 cup of strawberries or a single orange. Other healthy fruits for a diabetic diet include bananas and apples.

Proteins

• Proteins are essential to any healthy diet. A serving of protein should average around 75 calories and may include meat, poultry and sometimes even nuts. You should have at least two servings of protein each day. Popular sources of healthy protein are eggs, beef, pork, fish, shellfish and fat-free cheese.

Milk

• If you are diabetic you should incorporate at least two to three servings of milk into your diet every day. Each serving will include approximately 90 calories. Diabetics are usually encouraged to drink very low-fat or non-fat milk.

Fats

• Fat is essential to the healthy function of your body and should not be eradicated from your diet completely. You should, however, limit the amount of fat you eat. Examples of good fat choices include 1 tsp. of butter or vegetable oil, a slice of bacon, 2 tbsp. of cream cheese, or 1/8 of an avocado. You may have one serving of fat with each meal and doing so will add approximately 45 calories to your daily intake.

Starches

• Starches--including grains, breads and rice--can be eaten at a rate of anywhere from 6 to 11 servings per day. The standard serving of starch averages 80 calories and can be obtained by eating a slice of whole wheat bread, 2 slices of low-calorie bread, 1/2 of a hamburger bun or 3/4-cup of cold cereal.

Diabetes Food Exchange

• When tailoring your diabetic diet you may find you have a difficult time determining what foods you can and cannot eat. There are certain times when you can make exchanges, replacing one type of food with another while still receiving the recommended daily intake for the food group in question.

  For example, you can replace a piece of fruit with 1/2-cup of fruit juice or canned fruit. You can replace 1 cup of raw vegetables with 1/2-cup of cooked vegetables or fresh vegetable juice.

  You can make exchanges that are less specific as well. One cup of milk can be exchanged for an alternative that has up to 12 grams of carbohydrates and 8 grams of protein. An ounce of meat can be replaced with 1/2-cup of dried beans.

  Your diet, no matter what foods you choose, should limit the amount of sweets, fats, and carbohydrates you eat while ensuring you get plenty of whole-grain foods, vegetables and fruits.

  Make sure you consult your physician before adopting a new diet plan, especially if you are diabetic. He or she may have specific suggestions to help you deal with your individual condition.