2000 Calorie Hypoglycemic Diets

For a person with hypoglycemia, symptoms of dizziness, moodiness, trembling and hunger are common, due to a blood sugar level that is lower than normal. To treat hypoglycemia, a diet is recommended that delays food absorption. Most people with this condition know that eating small meals more often is a key to dealing with hypoglycemia. What foods should be consumed, however, is not widely known. If your doctor suggests a 2000 calorie a day diet, here are the guidelines you should follow.

Meals and Calories

• Your food for the day should be broken up into six meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner should be smaller than a typical meal that a person without hypoglycemia would eat. Instead those calories should be saved for in between meal snacks and a bedtime snack. An exchange diet system is best for helping you to figure out what to eat when. (See Resources below for a sample chart.) Basically, meals are organized so that you consume a food from each food group per meal, depending on the size of the meal. For example, for breakfast you would eat 1 fruit exchange, 1 egg or meat exchange, 1 bread exchange, 1 fat exchange and 1 milk exchange. Dinner would double up on meat and bread. Your mid afternoon snack would be 1 meat exchange, 2 bread exchanges and 1 fat exchange.

Carbohydrates

• People with hypoglycemia should never eliminate carbohydrates from their diet. Instead they should increase the complex carbohydrates in their diet. Because complex carbohydrates are absorbed at a slower rate than simple carbs, they help to regulate blood sugar levels. While increasing complex carbohydrates, you should also increase fiber as it further slows absorption of carbohydrates. 1 Carbohydrate exchange would be 1/2 cup of bran cereal or 1/2 bagel.

Fruits, Vegetables and Beans

• Fruits, vegetables, and beans are high in the fiber needed to slow carbohydrate absorption. Fruit should be fresh or canned without sugar. Vegetables provide vitamins and minerals and should be purchased fresh or frozen. Canned vegetables should be rinsed to remove excess salt. Beans should not be baked, or refried. Garbanzo beans and Lima beans should be avoided. All other forms of beans are acceptable. Fruit, vegetable or bean exchanges range from 1/3 cup to 1 cup depending on the kind and starch content.

Protein

• Protein is an essential part of a hypoglycemic diet. Meats however, should be low fat and and prepared without frying or adding fat. It is important to remove any fat from the meat before cooking it. Also, never add simple carbohydrates (flour, breadcrumbs or other coating mixes) to your meat before cooking it. The proper amount of meat (exchange) for a hypoglycemic meal is 4 ounces of raw meat (3 ounces of cooked meat), not counting bones. Your meat serving should be the size of a deck of cards.

Foods to avoid

• There are several foods that a person with hypoglycemia should limit and avoid. Do not consume caffeinated beverages as they worsen hypoglycemic symptoms. Also avoid alcohol, especially on an empty stomach. Fattening foods should also be avoided.