Diabetes Food Guide

A diabetes food guide is explained clearly and simply here for everyone. The Diabetes Food Pyramid from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the one we chose. It is an easier plan than counting grams of carbohydrates. It is easier than calculating exchanges.

This diabetes food guide divides food into six groups (according to the ADA):

• Grains and starches
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Milk and dairy
• Meat and meat substitutes
• Fats, Sweets, and Alcohol

 

These groups or sections on the pyramid vary in size. The largest group – grains, beans, and starchy vegetables – is on the bottom of the food pyramid. This means you should eat more of these than the other groups.

The smallest group – fats, sweets, and alcohol – is at the top of food pyramid. This means eat very few servings of this group.

Servings Per Day

This guide will give you a range of servings to eat. At the low end, it adds up to 1600 calories/day. At the high end, it is about 2800 calories/day. Most women should target the low end of the servings. Men who are active can target the high end of the servings.

Grains and Starches

This group includes bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. Starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas and corn also belong to this group. Beans belong here, too.

Choose 6 – 11 servings per day. Serving sizes are:

• 1 slice of bread
• ¼ of a bagel
• ½ an English muffin or pita bread
• 1 6 inch tortilla
• ¾ cup dry cereal
• ½ cup of cooked cereal
• ½ cup of potato, yam, peas, corn or cooked beans
• 1 cup of winter squash
• 1/3 cup of rice or pasta

 

Vegetables

Vegetables are low in fat, high in fiber and good choices for your meals. Vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals. This group includes spinach, chicory, Swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, carrots, tomatoes and lettuce.

Choose 3 – 5 servings per day. A serving size is:

• 1 cup raw veggies
• ½ cup of cooked veggies

 

Fruits

They have plenty of vitamins and minerals and fiber. This group includes blackberries, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, apples, bananas, peaches, pears, apricots and grapes.

Choose 2 – 4 servings per day. A serving size is:

• ½ cup of canned fruit
• 1 small fresh fruit
• 2 Tbsp of dried fruit
• 1 cup off melon or raspberries
• 1 ¼ cups of whole strawberries

 

Milk and Dairy

Milk products contain a lot of protein and calcium. They also contain vitamins. Choose low-fat dairy products for the great taste of nutrition without the saturated fat of whole milk.

Choose 2 – 3 servings per day. A serving size is:

• 1 cup of low-fat milk
• 1 cup of low-fat yogurt

 

Meat and meat substitutes

This group includes beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, tofu, dried beans, cheese, cottage cheese, and peanut butter.

Choose lean cuts of meat and poultry and cut all the visible fat off the meat. Three ounces of meat or fish is the size of a deck of cards. You only need 4 – 6 ounces for the whole day.

Choose 4 -6 ounces per day. A serving size is:

• 1 ounce of meat
• ¼ cup of cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp of peanut butter
• ½ cup of tofu

 

Fats, Sweets and Alcohol

This group includes potato chips, candy, cookies, cakes, crackers, and fried foods. Keep your servings small and save them for a special treat. A serving size is:

• ½ cup of ice cream
• 1 small cupcake or muffin
• 2 small cookies

 

Consistency

Try every day to eat about the same amount at about the same time.

Plan a program that follows these guidelines:

Carbohydrates	45 – 65% of daily calories
Protein	15 – 20% of daily calories
Fats	20 – 35% of daily calories

Limit saturated and trans-fats. Curb dietary cholesterol. Eat fish twice a week.

A pre-diabetes diet is not all that different than what we have outlined here. You need to have a healthy diet. Include all of the food groups. Follow the guidelines of the food pyramid.

Alcohol

What about alcohol and diabetes? You want to know if it is safe to drink alcohol. First, you need to know how your body uses or digests alcohol.

When you drink alcohol, it moves quickly from your stomach directly to your bloodstream. Within five minutes, there is enough alcohol in your blood to measure.

Your Liver

Your liver digests or breaks down alcohol. It takes about two hours to digest the alcohol in one drink. If you have more than one drink, the excess alcohol travels to other parts of your body. When it gets to your brain, you feel the “buzz.”

What about alcohol and diabetes? If you take insulin or diabetes medications such as glyburide or Prandin, you have to be careful. Drinking alcohol can cause dangerously low levels of blood glucose.

Your liver is working to remove the alcohol from your blood. It cannot regulate your blood sugar level, also. Production of glucose stops, your sugar level can drop. Doctors call this hypoglycemia. It is dangerous.

Coffee and Diabetes

In December 2009, a link between coffee and diabetes suggests coffee consumption can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers analyzed data from 18 studies. The results showed that people who drank more coffee appear to have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Another study involved 17,000 men and women in the Netherlands. People who drank 7 cups of coffee a day were 50% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Doctors caution that 7 cups of coffee with caffeine can cause other health problems.

So, it seems that coffee and diabetes go together like a horse and carriage. Tea also has an effect on diabetes. Drinking black or green tea can improve insulin activity up to 15 times. Enjoy your cup of coffee or tea! We suggest you consider the diabetes food guide from the ADA.

Margaret Stenerson
February 22, 2010