Dietary Exchange Tables:

The objective of Dietary Exchange Table is to maintain the proper balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats throughout the day. Patients should meet with a dietician or diabetes nutrition expert for help in learning this approach.

In developing a menu, patients must first establish their individual dietary requirements, particularly the optimal number of daily calories and the proportion of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. The exchange tables should then be used to set up menus for each day that fulfill these requirements.

 

Starch Exchange Tables: (One starch exchange equals 15 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein, 0-1 grams fat, and 80 calories.)

 

Starch Exchange Tables (cont.):

 

Starch Exchange Tables (cont.):

 

Starch Exchange Tables (cont.):

 

Fruit Exchanges: (15 grams carbohydrate, 60 calories)

 

More Dietary Exchange Tables:

 

More Dietary Exchange Tables (cont.):

 

Fat Exchanges: (One fat exchange equals 5 grams fat and 45 calories.)

 

TIPS:

Sugar-Free vs. Carbohydrate-Free:
Sugar-free does not mean carbohydrate-free. Compare the total carbohydrate content of a sugar-free food with that of the standard product.

If there is a big difference in carbohydrate content between the two foods, you may want to buy the sugar-free food.

If there is little difference in the total grams of carbohydrate between the two foods, choose the one you want based on price and taste. Make sure to read the label carefully to make the best choice.

Follow Your Diabetes Meal Plan:
Use your diabetes meal plan. By using your meal plan and moving more you can help yourself stay at a healthy weight. If you do not have a meal plan, ask your health care team about one.

Free Food:
A free food is one with less than 20 calories and 5 grams carbohydrate per serving. Examples include diet soft drinks, sugar-free gelatin dessert, sugar-free ice pops, sugarless gum, and sugar-free syrup.

No Sugar Can Still Mean Carbohyrdrates:
"No sugar added" foods do not have any form of sugar added during processing or packaging, and do not contain high-sugar ingredients. But remember, they may still be high in carbohydrate, so you have to check the label.

Read Your Labels Carefully:
Fat-free foods can be higher in carbohydrate and contain almost the same calories as the foods they replace. One good example of this are fat-free cookies. Fat-free foods are not necessarily a better choice than the standard product, so read your labels carefully.

What is The Plate Method?
One method for planning meals is the Plate Method which requires no measuring.

Use this visual plate to improve understanding and encourage portion control when eating your meals.

 

Healthy Fats:
Certain fats can help lower your cholesterol. Nutrition professionals recommend eating more foods that contain DHA and monounsaturated fatty acids. DHA content is high in certain fish (salmon, tuna, white fish, etc) and walnuts, pecans, ground flaxseed and canola oil.

Counting the Calories and Reading the Label:
If you are trying to lose or maintain your weight, the number of calories you eat counts. To lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns. You can use the labels to compare similar products and determine which contains fewer calories. To find out how many calories you need each day, talk with your dietitian or certified diabetes educator.

How Often Should You Exercise?
Exercise, in combination with a healthy diet, is one of the best things you can do to take care of yourself if you have diabetes. Try to exercise at the same time every day for the same duration. You should exercise for at least 30 minutes working your way up to 45 minutes.

Checking for Portion Sizes:
This is where the food label can come in handy. For portion size on items like canned soup, yogurt, snack foods, sauces, etc., you can discover what is considered one serving by checking the top of the food label.

Plate Method:
Use this visual plate to improve understanding and encourage portion control when eating your meals.

 

Health Tip #:002 Boost The Fiber In Your Diet Dietary fiber has been shown to be beneficial to good health. An indigestible carbohydrate found in plant foods dietary fiber comes in two forms. One, insoluble fiber, may help prevent colon cancer. Good sources are whole grains, high-fiber cereals, fruits and vegetables. The other, soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol and especially important for diabetics, may help control blood glucose by slowing the digestion of dietary glucose. Soluble fiber is found in oats, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Just a few changes can be incorporated for any lifestyle with ease. To boost fiber: 1. Include plenty of beans and lentils in meals. These members of the legume family-which also includes peas, soybeans, and peanuts-are loaded with protein and minerals. 2. If the peel on the fruit and vegetable is edible, leave it on for more fiber. 3. Opt for whole grain breads and crackers. To tell whether a product is high fiber, check the label. Make sure the first ingredient is whole wheat or another type of whole grain flour.

Better Living Now is a proud supporter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation:

© 2007 by Vanderbilt University

Reference: American Diabetes Association:

Reference: American Diabetes Association:

There are 23.6 million children and adults in the US with diabetes -- 5.7 million people are undiagnosed and 57 million have a condition called pre-diabetes.

Take this test to see if you are at risk for having or developing type 2 diabetes.