Simple Diabetes Diet Plan

The diagnosis of diabetes is a life-changing event. Now healthy eating habits are an essential part of daily overall well-being. Make a simple and tasty diet plan that will keep counting calories and carbohydrates from being time consuming and frustrating.

Count Carbohydrate Choices

• Diabetes occurs when the body does not make enough insulin or when the pancreas does not allow the insulin to work properly. This causes a rise in glucose levels (blood sugar) resulting in a glucose intolerance or imbalance. This is the reason counting carbohydrates choices becomes very important for diabetics.

  A carbohydrate (starch and sugar) is the main nutrient that causes blood sugar to rise. Diabetics can count carbohydrate choices to make a diabetic meal plan. Fifteen grams of carbohydrates equals one carbohydrate choice. Diabetic patients count carbohydrate choices based on a 1,200, 1,400, 1,600, 1,800 or 2,200 calorie diet. Get carbohydrates from the grains, beans, starchy vegetables, fruits, and milk and yogurt food groups.

  Don't confuse a carbohydrate choice with a carbohydrate serving. Remember a carbohydrate choice is 15 grams of carbohydrates, a carbohydrate serving can have up to 60 grams of carbohydrates, which would mean four carbohydrate choices.

  Diabetic diets counting carbohydrates choices give the most carb choices in the grains food group, with six to 11 choices. Starchy vegetables yield three to five carb choices. The fruit group allows three carb choices. Milk and yogurt gives two to three carb choices.

  Teenagers, young adults and pregnant or nursing women need to have four servings of milk and yogurt each day. Four milk and yogurt servings equal to about 4-1/2 carb choices.

Carbohydrate Choices

• Each food group shows the amount that equals a carbohydrate choice. Remember if eating prepackaged foods look at the total carbohydrate count to see how much will count as a carbohydrate choice. The following are examples of carbohydrates choices in each food group.

  Grains, Beans and Starchy Vegetables

  Bagel, large- (4 oz): 4 carb choices
  Bread, wheat or white- 1 slice (1 oz): 1 carb choice
  Bun, hamburger or hot dog- 1 bun (2 oz): 2 carb choices
  Cereal, cooked, unsweetened- 1/2 cup: 1 carb choice

  Fruit and Fruit Juices
  Apple, orange, peach, pear, small-- 1 whole: 1 carb choice
  Banana, medium-- 1 whole: 2 carb choices
  Berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)-- 1 cup: 1 carb choice

  Milk and Yogurt

  Skim or 1 percent, 2 percent and whole -- 1 cup (8 oz): 1 carb choice
  Rice beverage- 1 cup (8 oz) -- 1 1/2 carb choices
  Soymilk, plain or flavored -- 1 cup (8 oz): 1 to 2 carb choices
  Yogurt, low-fat, artificially sweetened or plain- 3/4 to 1 cup (6 to 8 oz): 1 carb choice

  Combined Foods

  Asian entree (no rice) -- 1 cup: 1 carb choice
  Burrito, bean, flour tortilla, frozen, 7 inches long--1 burrito: 3 carb choices
  Casserole or hot dish -- 1 cup: 2 carb choices

  Snacks and Sweets

  Brownie or cake, frosted, 2 x 2- 1 piece: 2 carb choices
  Candy, hard, round- 3 pieces: 1 carb choice
  Candy bar, chocolate, snack size: 1 carb choice
  Chips, potato or tortilla, regular- 10 to 15 chips: 1 carb choice

  Free and Unlimited Food

  When counting carbohydrate choices for diabetic meal plan take advantage of free and unlimited food choices. Some unlimited food choices are club soda, black coffee, sugar-free gelatin, seasonings, diet soft drinks, sugar substitutes, tea unsweetened and water.

  Free foods have fewer than five carbohydrates and 20 calories or less. These foods do not count towards carbohydrate choices when spread throughout the day and do not effect glucose levels very much. Some free foods include:

  Jam or jelly, light, 2 tsp.
  Ketchup, 1 tbsp.
  Popsicle, sugar-free, 1 stick
  Salsa, 1/4 cup

The Simple Diabetic Diet Plan

• A good diabetic diet plan involves more than just counting carbohydrate choices. After incorporating carbohydrate choices for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner, allow calorie intake for meats and fats for a full balanced diet. Allow a calorie intake for four to seven ounces of meat each day.

  Fats should be added sparingly. Add fats in five gram servings for little or no carbohydrate count.
  Some examples of five gram fat servings are:

  Margarine, soft, tub or squeeze-- 1 tsp.
  Margarine, reduced-fat-- 1 tbsp.
  Mayonnaise-- 1 tsp.
  Nuts, 4 to 6 or 1 tbsp.
  Oil-- 1 tsp.
  Peanut butter-- 2 tbsp.
  Salad dressing-- 2 tbsp.

  A diet of only about 1,200 calories is actually needed to maintain daily nutritional health however when calorie intake is increased, add carbohydrate choices from all food groups for a balanced meal plan.

  1,200 Calorie Diabetic Meal Plan Example

  Starches- 6 carbohydrates choices daily
  Vegetables (5 gram carb servings)- three half-cup servings of vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, greens, green beans, mushrooms, and okra equal one carbohydrate choice.

  Fruit- three carbohydrate choices daily
  Milk and Yogurt- two carbohydrate choices daily
  Meat and Meat Substitutes- four ounces daily
  Fat (five gram servings)- 20 percent of total calories would be two five gram servings and 40percent of total calories would be five, five gram servings daily

  Follow these suggestions, according to personal daily calorie intake for a simple well-rounded diabetic diet plan.