Reading Labels:

"The numbers on the NUTRITION FACTS label will mean something different depending on what your needs are. For example, if your concern is general health or weight loss, looking at the calories and fats would be important."

*Individuals with diabetes want to focus primarily on the carbohydrate numbers.

 

Counting Carbohydrates:

When first diagnosed with diabetes it is important to become familiar with the amount of carbohydrate in the foods you eat. Most adults need between 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates at each meal. Most of those carbohydrates come from complex carbohydrates in the grains and starch food groups such as bread, potatoes, cereals and rice. The other food groups where carbohydrates count are fruit and certain dairy such as milk and yogurt. It is important to note that the 'total carbohydrate' includes the dietary fiber, sugars and any sugar alcohols listed below. In other words, the fiber, sugars, etc. are not counted separately.

In this example (section D), a 1 cup serving of cereal contains 25 grams of carbohydrate. You would add this number to any other carbohydrates you might have at that same meal. So if you also have 1 cup of milk, this contains 12 grams of carbohydrate. Your total at that meal so far is 37 grams of carbohydrate. Add to this 1 small 6 inch banana, that has 15 grams of carbohydrate.

Your total at this meal is 25+12+15 = 52 grams of carbohydrate.

 

What Is A Portion?

At the top of the Nutrition Facts label is the serving size (section A). The numbers below that (sections B-E) apply to the nutrition content of the one portion listed. In this example it is 1 cup. Below this is the "Servings Per Container" that describes the number of the portions listed in 1 container or package.

In this example there are 16 - 1 cup portions in this container. A 1 cup measurement is approximately an 8 ounce cup.

 

Are Sugar Alcohols Alcohol?

Sugar alcohols are a group of natural and manufactured sugars that affect the blood sugar but are less pronounced than regular sugar. They are also calorie-free and are neither alcohol nor sugar. Common sugar alcohols include xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, lactitol, erythritol, isomalt and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates.

In this example the cereal contains 4 grams of sugar alcohol. Individuals with diabetes may be instructed by the CDE to adjust for consumption of sugar alcohol when the amount in a serving of food is significant.

 

Are Calories and Fat Important?

Whether your goal is to lose or maintain your weight, it is important to watch your fat intake because it is higher in calories than carbohydrate. As a result fat calories can pile up more quickly than carbohydrate. The calories and calories from fat give you the amount of energy in that one serving of food (section B). A food is considered low fat if the calories from fat are one third or less of the total calories. In this example, one serving contains 6 grams of fat or 54 fat calories. Because 54 calories is 1/3 the total calories this food is considered low fat. It is also important to note that this cereal also contains healthy fats- monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that help with low cholesterol levels.

 

Being familiar with these numbers on the Nutrition Facts label is just another way of empowering individuals with diabetes to help maintain blood glucose within the recommended range, and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

 

Remember:

You can use the Nutrition Facts label not only to help limit those nutrients you want to cut back on but also to increase those nutrients you need to consume in greater amounts.

 

Health Tip #:004 Cut The Fat Out of Your Diet To reduce the risk of heart disease, health experts recommend a diet with no more the 30 percent of daily calories from fat, fewer than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat, and no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol. This is especially important for people with diabetes because they have a greater risk of heart disease. Here are some tips for cutting the fat in meals: Avoid high-fat foods, such as fatty meats, whole milk dairy products, stick margarine, butter, and rich desserts. Look for reduced-fat or fat-free products at the supermarket, but analyze them carefully. Some may fit into a diabetic meal plan. Others may reduce or eliminate fat but add sugars or starches that could throw off your carbohydrate count. Trim all visible fat from meats or poultry. Remove the skin from poultry. Use tuna packed in water, not oil. Bake, broil. Grill, poach, steam, or microwave foods instead of frying. Omit the butter, margarine, or cooking oil called for in package directions when cooking rice or pasta. Select frozen vegetables made without butter or sauces. When browning meat, coat the cold pan with nonstick cooking spray and skip, or use less, cooking oil. Reduce cholesterol by substituting two egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute for one whole egg in recipes. With these simple changes you can make a healthy difference in the long run for you and your family as well.

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.