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When most people think of a diabetic diet meal plan, their first response is often ‘yucky’. In actual fact, a diabetic diet is basically a nourishing balanced diet for everyone. Get this attitude right and you have already won half the battle. The foundation of a healthy diabetic diet is to make smart food selections and eat the correct proportions of carbohydrates, fat and protein. A diabetic diet is not a rigorous diet routine, it is all about how to plan your meal times to suit your lifestyle.

Carbohydrate Counting

The main element which influences your blood sugar levels is the intake of carbohydrates. Most diabetics will find that this requires some modification when they are initially diagnosed. With enough practice, this will become very straightforward and intuitive.

You can use the approach of carbohydrate counting to keep track of your carbohydrate consumption. This is very practical especially when it comes to planning your meals based on your carbohydrate allowance. The main carbohydrate containing foods include:

1) Crackers, bread rolls and pancakes

2) Muesli, oats and basmati rice

3) Pulses and legumes

4) Starchy veggies eg. peas, carrots, squash, corn

5) Dairy products

6) Fresh, frozen and tinned fruits

7) Candy and puddings

To approximate the servings of carbohydrates you can consume, be aware that:

1 serving of carbohydrates = 15g carbohydrates

There are many resources online as well as nutritional facts on the food packaging which denotes the carbohydrate content in various foods. To simplify things, let me show you some examples

There are about 15g of carbohydrates in:

1/2 cup of oatmeal
1/3 cup of pasta, rice or noodles
1 small piece of fresh fruit or 1/2 cup of fruit juice (4oz)
i cup of no added sugar fruit jello
1 slice of bread (1 oz) or 1 (6 inch) tortilla
1/2 cup of lentils, pulses or starchy vegetable
2 tsp of jam or jelly

In general, you should target to have about 2-4 helpings of carbohydrates (30-60g) per main meal and not more than 1-2 servings of carbohydrates (15-30g) as a snack. You can derive the amount of carbohydrates that is recommended from the daily calorie requirements:

1200kcal: 9-10 servings of carbohydrates
1600kcal: 12-13 servings of carbohydrates
2000kcal: 15-16 servings of carbohydrates
2500kcal: 18-19 servings of carbohydrates

Bear in mind, this pertains to the total carbohydrate allowance of the day, and this comprises not just your starchy staples, but also the veggies, fruits, condiments and drinks you consume.

It is necessary to space out your carbohydrate intake throughout the day. You can acquire superior control of sugar level by having smaller amounts of carbohydrate in several sittings rather than a huge amount in a single sitting. To make it clearer, a daily intake of 13 servings of carbohydrates a day should be spread out in meals and snacks of 2-3 carbohydrate servings each sitting. This example is a good guide for you:

Breakfast
1/2 wholegrain bagel (2 servings)
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 cup of no-sugar added yoghurt (1 serving)

Morning snack
1 small apple (1 serving)

Lunch
1 whole wheat burger bun with roasted turkey and side salad (3 servings)

Afternoon snack
4 plain crackers (1 serving)
Celery sticks dipped in hummus (1 serving)

Dinner
1/2 cup lean mince meat
1 cup baked beans (2 servings)
? cup baked beans (1 serving)

Evening snack
1 cup no-added sugar yoghurt (1 serving)

If you do not feel hungry, you do not have to deliberately eat more just to satisfy the precise proposed number of servings of carbohydrates. A diabetic diet meal plan is more about spreading out and keeping your carbohydrate intake controlled.

Do be careful that if you are on insulin therapy or medications that it is very crucial to consume a meal after you take your injection or medication. This can cause the blood sugar levels to drop to a dangerously low level which is a life-threatening condition.

Not All Carbohydrates Are The Same

Besides the amount of carbohydrates, the type of carbohydrates is also crucial. There are 2 classes of carbohydrates: Complex and simple

Complex carbohydrates (Good carbs): They do not cause unexpected surges in blood sugar levels. These are your starchy foods such as bread, cereals and grains.

Simple carbohydrates (Bad carbs): These foods are quickly converted into sugars. They usually tend to be of low nutritive value. So to speak of, they provide nothing but sugar. Foods that contain mainly simple sugars are like pastries and chocolates.

How is this important? When you have a cup of ice cream versus having a cup of cooked pasta which has similar carbohydrate content, you sugar levels will be much better controlled having the pasta. This means than simple carbohydrates makes it difficult to stabilize your sugar levels. And as I have said before, simple carbohydrates tend to be of low nutrient-density.

This is similar to the principle of rating foods by their Glycemic Index (GI). Low GI foods are always preferred over high GI foods for better blood sugar control.

Notably, a diabetic is 2-5 times more at risk of developing heart disease than a non-diabetic. Therefore, it is important that you keep your diet healthy to lower your health risks.

Take note:

Go easy on your salt intake
Avoid saturated fat rich foods as much as possible
Ensure adequate fiber intake, go for whole grains and leafy vegetables
Eat a wide variety of foods
Avoid alcohol consumption
Always opt for foods that are rich in nutrients

It is incredibly important to pay attention to your diet when you have diabetes even if you are on medications or insulin. You can still enjoy dinners with close family and friends if you master the skill of planning a proper diabetic diet meal plan. Diabetes does not have to be a debilitating condition as long as you are determined to mange it well.

Kelly Kims is a trained dietitian and nutritionist with experience in major health institutions. She specializes in nutritional therapy for weight loss, high cholesterol and healthy meal planning to cater to different dietary needs such as vegetarianism. As a fitness fanatic herself, she is well versed in sports nutrition and has also worked with sportsman and athletes to improve their sports performance through good nutrition. Kelly Kims co-owns http://quickeasydietsthatwork.com with her partner and writes regularly about healthy eating and diet.