Menu Plan for Diabetic Diets Including How Many Calories to Eat
Diabetes makes the body unable to produce or properly utilize insulin, a storage hormone that is responsible for regulating blood sugar level. Thus, the key to eating for diabetes is to control blood sugar. This is accomplished by relegating carbohydrate intake to only those items which are fairly low on the glycemic index scale, which is a listing of how quickly various carbs are digested. By doing this, blood sugar remains stable throughout the day, keeping diabetes in check.-
Meal Planning
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Understand the general layout behind a quality meal for diabetes diets so that you can formulate your own meals in addition to the ones provided here. Generally speaking, you should only consume carbs from fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as these items tend to rank much lower on the glycemic index. In addition to having at least one carb source, each meal should be balanced through the inclusion of a lean protein source and a source of healthy, natural fat. Lean protein sources include chicken, turkey, fish, eggs and low-fat meat, while natural fat sources include oils, nuts and certain fat-containing fruits like coconuts and avocados. Aim to consume at least three primary meals throughout the day with one or two snacks in between.
Menu Plan
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Eat three or four eggs cooked to order for breakfast, alongside a small fruit salad. Prepare the eggs using a healthy oil like olive or canola to incorporate additional healthy fat into the meal, and consider adding a piece or two of whole-grain toast. For lunch, prepare yourself a pair of grilled chicken breasts cooked in olive or coconut oil, along with a garden salad and a piece of fruit on the side. For dinner, prepare your favorite type of seafood served over a bed of spinach and brown rice. For dessert, try eating a small helping of berries with clotted cream. As a snack throughout the day, consider some nuts or beef jerky with a piece or two of fruit.
Calories
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Begin your diet by aiming for around 2,000 calories per day, simply adjusting the portion sizes of the sample meals listed above to reach your target caloric goal. Aim for weight loss of only around one to two pounds a week, weighing yourself at the end of the week in the morning while you still have an empty stomach. When your weight loss efforts stall, consume 200 fewer calories per day (for a total of 1,800) and maintain that level until your weight loss plateaus for more than two weeks in a row, dropping calories again to 1,600.
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