Diabetic Foods for Lunch

The American Diabetes Association estimates that 8% of the U.S. population (23.6 million Americans) have diabetes. Since there is no known cure for this disease, lifelong treatment with drugs, insulin and diet are the powerful tools at your disposal to maintain normal blood glucose levels and your health.

Types

• Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels are outside normal ranges. After we eat, food is broken down into a substance called glucose, which the body uses for energy. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas. Insulin helps maintain a normal balance of glucose in the bloodstream by pushing some of it into the muscle cells to use for movement. A diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes means your body does not make insulin. The more common diabetes is Type 2 (an estimated 95% of diabetics), which indicates that your body does not make or process insulin efficiently.

Considerations

• Uncontrolled blood glucose levels can cause problems with your kidneys, feet, eyes, and nervous system. Diabetics are also at higher risk for various heart, bone and joint problems. It is important that you manage your food intake with proper meal planning.

Meal Planning

• The American Diabetes Association has created an eating plan known as The Exchange System, which has been proven effective for diabetics. The exchange system divides food into six different groups (starches, dairy products, meats, fruits, vegetables and fats). By grouping foods into easily recognizable categories, it makes creating your meals with a variety of foods in the proper serving sizes easier.

Meal Suggestions

• You can obtain an exchange list from your dietician, or online at www.diabetes.org. Three sample lunch menus of approximately 450 calories and 50 grams of carbohydrates follow:

  Lean Roast Beef Sandwich: (3 oz. meat, 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 leaves lettuce, 3 slices tomato, 1 tsp. low fat mayonnaise), raw carrots (1 cup), 1 medium apple, 8 oz. calorie-free beverage or water

  Salad Nicoise: 2 cups torn lettuce topped with ½ cup water packed tuna, 1 chopped tomato, ½ cup new potatoes (boiled, chopped and chilled), 5 small black green or Greek olives, 2-3 tablespoons fat-free salad dressing, 6 saltine crackers, 1 small pear

  Stuffed Baked Potato (1 medium baked potato, topped with 2 oz. cheese and ¼ cup chopped broccoli), 1 fresh nectarine, 8 oz. calorie-free beverage or water

Prevention/Solution

• Use the exchange program and learn to make smart choices for each meal and snack. Eating and exercising, as recommended by your health care professional, is the key to successful management of diabetes. A consultation with a registered dietician is the best option to help you design a customized eating plan that takes your total health, activity level, caloric needs, and cultural foods and lifestyle into consideration.