Creative Ways to Feed Children with Type 1 Diabetes

Diets for children with type 1 diabetes are often difficult to manage because children have a hard time understanding why they cannot eat the same foods as their peers and may not fully realize how dangerous deviations from their approved diet can be to their health. However, with a little creativity, parents and caregivers of children with diabetes can find ways to make their diets more appetizing and seemingly less restrictive while maintaining physician guidelines for diabetes management.

Maintaining Blood Sugar Levels

• The easiest way to maintain blood sugar levels for kids with type 1 diabetes is to feed them consistent amounts of carbohydrates at consistent times. For example, if your kid's lunchtime is at noon every day at school, you should ensure that the child eats lunch at about 12:00 pm on days he or she isn't at school. Snacks should be at scheduled times as well, to help maintain blood sugar levels and because having a structured timetable helps kids stick to their diet better. If they know when a snack is coming, they are more likely to look forward to what the snack is rather than trying to snack on "forbidden foods" on the sly.

Finding Healthy Alternatives

• Diets for children with type 1 diabetes should be low in sodium, low in fat, and low in added sugars or refined sugars. This means that a lot of processed foods are off-limits. Their diet should be rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats and lean proteins, and low-fat dairy. However, with so many modified products available in markets today, kids with type 1 diabetes can still eat a lot of the same foods as their peers--with a little modification. For example, the old standby of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is no longer off-limits if you use low-fat peanut butter, sugar-free jelly, and whole-grain bread (which even comes in a white bread version now). Or try whole-grain spaghetti with homemade spaghetti sauce made from fresh tomatoes (meaning no added sugars) or organic spaghetti sauce (which often doesn't have added carbs or sugars) and ground turkey meatballs. And although refined sugars are often a bone of contention between parents and children with diabetes, sugar-free candies and cookies are allowed, as well as treats such as sherbet in moderation.

  Consider making more dishes at home where it is easier to control the amount of carbohydrates (sugars) your child is getting. For instance, you can make your own lasagna with whole-grain noodles, tons of vegetables and fresh tomato sauce, and low-fat cheese instead of buying a premade lasagna. The home-cooked meal will be much healthier for your child and will taste better, too.

  Bottom line: Focus on finding ways to let kids eat what they like, rather than trying to make them eat "diabetic" foods that they don't like.

It's All about Presentation

• A major factor in getting any child to eat a healthful diet is presentation. Having a positive mindset and encouraging children that their diabetic diet will help them feel better, and focusing on their difference from other kids as something that makes them unique, can go a long way toward getting them to comply with their diet. Rather than saying "You can't eat this and you can't eat that," try to keep the focus on "You CAN eat this and you CAN eat that."

  With younger children, give them choices from among the foods they may eat. For example, if your kid asks for a cookie, offer two alternatives, such as a fruit cookie or a graham cracker with low-fat peanut butter. That way, the child gets to choose what he wants but is still snacking on something on the diabetic diet.

  Try to find ways to dress up healthful foods to make them fun and appealing; this works especially well with younger children. For example, make ants on a log (celery with low-fat peanut butter and raisins on top), cut low-fat cheese slices and apple slices into fun shapes, or create happy faces with sugar-free jelly on whole-grain toast. Even older kids and teens will be tempted by a bowl of colorful fruits cut into bite-sized pieces and healthful foods that are carefully arranged.

Stick Together

• It is important that kids with type 1 diabetes not be made to feel that their diet makes them outsiders in their family. A diabetic diet is very healthful for individuals with diabetes but for nondiabetics as well.

  Try making eating healthy a family affair. Fix the same meals and snacks for all family members, and don't allow siblings (or yourself) to munch on off-limits foods without offering similar alternatives to your diabetic child. Denying the child can create feelings of resentment or of being left out. Generally, it is best to avoid having foods in the house that only some members of the family can eat.

  If everyone in the family is eating the same foods, there is less risk of alienating your diabetic child, making her feel as though she is a burden to parents or caregivers, or tempting the child to deviate from her prescribed diet. This could have serious health consequences. Also, if everyone eats the same foods, it demonstrates to your child that you support him and helps make him see that he really can manage his disease and grow up to live a normal, healthy life.