Instructions

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How Can I Control My Diabetes?

A healthy weight also helps you control your blood fats and lower your blood pressure.

Many people with diabetes also need to take medicine to help control their blood sugar.

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How Can I Eat Healthy?

What Are Starches?

The number of servings you should eat each day depends on:

• The calories you need.
• Your diabetes treatment plan.

Starches give your body energy, vitamins and minerals, and fiber. Whole grain starches are healthier because they have more vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Fiber helps you have regular bowel movements.

How Much Is a Serving of Starch?

1 Serving:

2 Servings:

3 Servings:

You might need to eat one, two, or three starch servings at a meal. If you need to eat more than one serving at a meal, choose several different starches or have two or three servings of one starch.

What Are Healthier Ways to Buy, Cook, and Eat Starches?

• Buy whole grain breads and cereals.
  
  
• Eat fewer fried and high-fat starches such as regular tortilla chips and potato chips, french fries, pastries, biscuits, or muffins.
  
  
• Use low-fat or fat-free yogurt or fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream on a baked potato.
  
  
• Use mustard instead of mayonnaise on a sandwich.
  
  
• Use the low-fat or fat-free substitutes such as low-fat mayonnaise or light margarine on bread, rolls, or toast.
  
  
• Use vegetable oil spray instead of oil, shortening, butter, or margarine.
  
  
• Cook or eat cereal with fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk.
  
  
• Use no-sugar jelly, low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese, nonfat yogurt, or salsa.

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What Are Vegetables?

The number of servings you should eat each day depends on:

• The calories you need.
• How you take care of your diabetes.

How Much Is a Serving of Vegetables?

1 Serving:

2 Servings:

3 Servings:

You might need to eat one, two, or three vegetable servings at a meal. If you need to eat more than one serving at a meal, choose a few different types of vegetables or have two or three servings of one vegetable.

What Are Healthier Ways To Buy, Cook, and Eat Vegetables?

• Eat raw and cooked vegetables with little or no fat. You can cook and eat vegetables without any fat.
  
  
• Try low-fat or fat-free salad dressing on raw vegetables or salads.
  
  
• Steam vegetables using a small amount of water or low-fat broth.
  
  
• Mix in some chopped onion or garlic.
  
  
• Use a little vinegar or some lemon or lime juice.
  
  
• Add a small piece of lean ham or smoked turkey.
  
  
• Sprinkle with herbs and spices.

These flavorings add almost no fat or calories.

If you do use a small amount of fat, use canola oil, olive oil, or tub margarine instead of fat from meat, butter, or shortening.

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What Are Fruits?

• The calories you need.
• How you take care of your diabetes.

How Much Is a Serving of Fruit?

1 Serving:

2 Servings:

You might need to eat one or two fruit servings at a meal. If you need to eat more than one serving at a meal, choose different types of fruits or have two servings of one fruit.

How Should I Eat Fruit?

Eat fruits raw, as juice with no sugar added, canned in their own juice, or dried.

• Buy smaller pieces of fruit.
• Eat pieces of fruit rather than drinking fruit juice. Pieces of fruit are more filling.
• Buy fruit juice that is 100-percent juice with no added sugar.
• Drink fruit juice in small amounts.
• Save high-sugar and high-fat fruit desserts such as peach cobbler or cherry pie for special occasions.

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What Are Milk and Yogurt Foods?

Drink fat-free (skim or nonfat) or low-fat (1%) milk each day. Eat low-fat or fat-free yogurt. They have less total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

The number of servings you should eat each day depends on:

• The calories you need.
• How you take care of your diabetes.

Note: If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, eat four to five servings of milk and yogurt each day.

How Much Is a Serving of Milk and Yogurt?

1 Serving:

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What Are Protein Foods?

Protein foods help your body build tissue and muscles. They also give your body vitamins and minerals.

The number of servings you should eat each day depends on :

• The calories you need.
• How you take care of your diabetes.

How Much Is a Serving of Protein Food?

1 Serving:

The serving size you eat now may be too big.

One serving should weigh between 2 and 3 ounces after cooking, about the size of a deck of cards.

What Are Healthier Ways To Buy, Cook, and Eat Protein Foods?

Buy cuts of beef, pork, ham, and lamb that have only a little fat on them. Trim off extra fat.

Eat chicken or turkey without the skin.

Cook protein foods in low-fat ways:

• Broil.
• Grill.
• Stir-fry.
• Roast.
• Steam.
• Stew.

To add more flavor, use vinegars, lemon juice, soy or teriyaki sauce, salsa, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and herbs and spices.

Cook eggs with a small amount of fat.

Eat small amounts of nuts, peanut butter, fried chicken, fish, or shellfish. They are high in fat.

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What Are Fats and Oils?

You also get fat from other foods such as meats and some dairy foods.

High-fat food is tempting. But eating small amounts of high-fat food will help you lose weight, keep your blood sugar and blood fats under control, and lower your blood pressure.

How Much Is a Serving of Fat or Oil?

1 Serving:

2 Servings:

Your meals may include one or two servings of fat.

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What Are Sugary Foods?

Sugary foods have calories and do not have much nutrition. Sugary foods have lots of calories. Some sugary foods are also high in fat--like cakes, pies, and cookies. They also may contain saturated fats and cholesterol.

Sugary foods and sweets are tempting. But eating small amounts of sugary foods will help you lose weight, keep your blood sugar under control, control your blood fats, and lower your blood pressure.

How Much Is a Serving of Sugary Foods and Sweets?

1 Serving:

Once in a while you can eat a serving of a sugary food. Talk to your diabetes teacher about how to fit sugary foods into your meal plan.

How Can I Satisfy My Sweet Tooth?

Eat a serving of sugar-free popsicles, diet soda, fat-free ice cream or yogurt, or sugar-free hot cocoa mix once in a while.

Remember, fat-free and low-sugar foods still have some calories. Eat them as part of your meal plan.

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The Food Pyramid

Points To Remember

• Choose foods from all six food groups each day.
• Eat a wide variety of foods from each group to get all your vitamins and minerals.
• Eat enough starches, vegetables, fruits, and low-fat milk and yogurt.
• Eat smaller amounts of lower fat protein foods.
• Eat fewer fats, oils, and sugary foods.

How To Find More Help

Diabetes Teachers (nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and other health professionals) To find a diabetes teacher near you, call the American Association of Diabetes Educators toll-free at 1-800-TEAMUP4 (1-800-832-6874). Recognized Diabetes Education Programs (teaching programs approved by the American Diabetes Association) To find a program near you, call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or look at its Internet home page http://www.diabetes.org and click on "Diabetes Info." Dietitians To find a dietitian near you, call The American Dietetic Association's National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics at 1-800-366-1655 or look at its Internet home page http://www.eatright.org and click on "Find a Dietitian."

The Nutrition Series

I Have Diabetes: How Much Should I Eat?

I Have Diabetes: When Should I Eat?

Call the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse NDIC) at (301) 654-3327.
Write to NDIC, 1 Information Way, Bethesda, MD 20892-3560.
E-mail NDIC at ndic@info.niddk.nih.gov.

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Public Health Service. Established in 1978, the clearinghouse provides information about diabetes to people with diabetes and their families, health care professionals, and the public. NDIC answers inquiries; develops, reviews, and distributes publications; and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about diabetes.

Publications produced by the clearinghouse are reviewed carefully for scientific accuracy, content, and readability.

This e-text is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse encourages users of this e-pub to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.

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