Food and diabetes: Healthy eating

You can make a difference in your blood glucose* control through your food choices. When you have diabetes, your body may have problems using the energy from the food you eat. This can cause high blood glucose levels. Balancing what, when and how much you eat will help manage your blood glucose levels.

Understanding how food affects your body

All food affects blood glucose levels. There are no good or bad foods. Eating a variety of foods can improve your health and keep mealtimes interesting.

The foods you eat fall into three main groups:

• Protein: Protein helps build body cells for growth and healing.
• Fat: Fat helps the body absorb certain vitamins, lubricate joints and muscles, and adds flavor to food.
• Carbohydrate: Carbohydrates are your best energy source.

All carbohydrate foods turn into glucose. Carbohydrate foods are breads, crackers, cereals, rice, pasta, fruit and fruit juice, milk, vegetables and sweets.

Do not avoid carbohydrate foods. They should make up 50 to 60 percent of your food plan.

Carbohydrate counting is a way to help you manage the amount of carbohydrate you eat during the day.

A carbohydrate choice is a serving that contains about 15 grams of carbohydrate. For most people with diabetes, a healthy meal plan has three to five (45 to 75 grams) carbohydrate choices at a meal and one to two (15 to 30 grams) carbohydrate choices for snacks.

Eat your meals and snacks every 4 to 6 hours to help even out your blood glucose level. Do not skip meals or snacks. If you do, your body will make up for the lack of glucose by “asking” your liver to make extra glucose. This can make controlling your blood glucose even harder.

Examples of one carbohydrate choice (15 grams)

Using food labels

Many foods contain labels that tell you the number of grams of carbohydrate in one serving.

Labels also give you information about the fat in the product.

1. Serving size: All of the information on the label is based on this serving size. If you eat double the serving size, the nutrients will be doubled as well.

2. Servings per package: The number of servings contained in the package.

3. Total carbohydrates: The total grams of carbohydrate in one serving. This includes carbohydrate from sugar.

4. Dietary fiber If a serving has 5 or more grams of fiber, the grams of fiber can be subtracted from the total carbohydrate grams.

Understanding portion sizes

Dining out

Eating away from home poses special challenges.

• The portions are often too large.
• The amount and type of fat can be hard to figure.
• If you are very hungry, you may be tempted to make poor choices or eat too much.

How to eat out

• Plan ahead. Do not go to a restaurant hungry.
• Eat moderate portions. Share a meal. Ask for a to-go box when you are served and put half of the meal into it before you start eating.
• Ask for salad dressing, sour cream, sauces, butter and mayonnaise on the side.
• Choose foods that are broiled, baked, grilled or steamed.
• Do not panic if you eat too much. Just get back on track.
• Limit alcohol. It can affect judgment and lead to overeating.

Other tips

• You may eat or drink calorie-free and sugar-free foods. Be careful about sugar-free foods that have more than 20 calories per serving. Eating a lot of these foods may raise your blood glucose.
• Try to eat three to five servings of carrots, green and yellow beans, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers every day. These nonstarchy vegetables have vitamins, minerals and fiber but not much carbohydrate.
• Remember that low-fat on a food label does not mean it is low in carbohydrates or calories.
• High-fat meals tend to make your blood glucose stay up for a longer time.
• If you are pregnant, check with your dietitian about a meal plan that is right for you.

Heart-healthy eating with diabetes: Making good protein and fat choices

People who have diabetes are more at risk for heart disease. That means the type and amount of protein and fat you eat can affect your heart health.

Poultry, meat and fish are high in protein which help your muscles stay healthy. However, if you eat too much of these, you add extra calories and fat. Most adults need about 6 to 8 ounces of meat (weight after cooking) each day. Think of this as one small and one medium serving each day. Three ounces look like a deck of playing cards.

You need some fat in your diet for good health. Fat provides energy and important nutrients. It is important to choose foods that have healthy kinds of fats. (See the list below.)

Unhealthy fats can clog blood vessels which can cause a heart attack or stroke. A general rule is to use 1 to 2 teaspoons of fat at each meal.

** These are general guidelines. Talk with your doctor or diabetes educator to find out what is best for you.

Sample meal plans

Breakfast examples with four carbohydrate choices

• 1 slice toast = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1/2 cup hot cereal = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1/2 medium banana = 1 carbohydrate
• 1 cup (8 ounces) skim milk = 1 carbohydrate choice
• coffee or tea

-or-

• 1 (4-inch) pancake = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of light syrup = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1 cup melon or berries = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1 cup skim milk = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1 teaspoon margarine
• coffee or tea

-or-

• 1 1/2 cups dry, unsweetened cereal with 1 cup skim milk = 3 carbohydrate choices
• 1/2 cup orange juice = 1 carbohydrate choice
• coffee or tea

Lunch examples with four carbohydrate choices

• 1 hamburger bun = 2 carbohydrate choices
• 1 small hamburger
• 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
• green salad
• tablespoons salad dressing
• 1 cup skim milk = 1 carbohydrate choice

-or-

• 1 cup soup (broth-based) = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1 sandwich (2 slices of bread, 2 oz. low-fat meat, 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise) = 2 carbohydrate choices
• 1 cup cantaloupe cubes = 1 carbohydrate choice
• coffee, tea or diet soda (pop

-or-

• 3 slices thin crust medium-sized cheese pizza = 3 carbohydrate choices
• lettuce salad with 2 tablespoon low calorie salad dressing
• 1/2 cup frozen yogurt = 1 carbohydrate choice
• coffee, tea or diet soda (pop)

Dinner examples with four carbohydrate choices

• 1 pork chop
• 1 small baked potato = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1 teaspoon margarine
• 1/2 cup coleslaw = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1 cup watermelon cubes = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1 cup (8 ounces) skim milk = 1 carbohydrate choice

-or-

• 3 meatballs with 1/2 cup sauce = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 2/3 cup pasta = 2 carbohydrate choices
• green salad with 1 tablespoon dressing
• 1 cup strawberries = 1 carbohydrate choice
• coffee, tea or diet soda (pop)

-or-

• 1 cup stir fry (meat and vegetables) = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 2/3 cup steamed rice = 2 carbohydrate choices
• 1/2 cup low-fat ice cream = 1 carbohydrate choice
• coffee, tea or diet soda (pop)

Snack examples

• 1 piece fresh fruit = 1 to 2 carbohydrate choices
• 1 cup skim milk and 3 graham crackers = 2 carbohydrate choices
• 6 ounces artificially sweetened yogurt = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 1 (3-inch) cookie = 1 carbohydrate choice
• one-half bag microwave light popcorn = 2 carbohydrate choices
• 1 granola bar (15 to 20 carbohydrate grams) = 1 carbohydrate choice
• 15 mini pretzel twists = 1 carbohydrate choice

Food and Exercise Diary

*Note: We used the word glucose instead of the word sugar so it does not get it confused with the sugar in food.

Related Links

My eating guide (requires Adobe Reader)

Allina Medical Clinic - Diabetes Education

Diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism specialists

Dialog: Living with Diabetes (e-newsletter)

First published: 12/01/2006
Last updated: 12/01/2006

Reviewed by: Allina Patient Education experts