Meal
& Snack Planning
Meal and snack planning
is the first
"ball" that
you're juggling in your
diabetes care. Food,
exercise, and medication
(insulin or pills) are
the three things you
need to balance, or
juggle, to manage
diabetes. Your master
plan is for the food you
eat and the timing of
your meals and snacks to
work together with your
insulin schedule (or
pill schedule) and your
exercise. They should
all work together to
keep your blood glucose
in your target range as
much as possible.Let's start with the
basics. The Food
Pyramid.
The Food Pyramid
The food pyramid is
an easy way to remember
the healthiest way to
eat. The food you need
the most is at the
bottom. Farther up are
foods you need a little
less of. At the very top
is food that's not all
that good for you, so
you should only eat it
once in a while. Let's
take a closer look at
what the food pyramid
tells us about healthy
eating.
The
Foundation
At the bottom of the
pyramid are bread,
cereal, rice, and pasta.
These foods contain
mostly carbohydrates.
The foods in this group
are made mostly out of
grains, such as wheat
(flour), rye, and oats.
Some starchy vegetables
go in this group, too,
like potatoes, peas, and
corn. Really, they're
vegetables, but your
blood glucose levels
react to them as if they
were carbs. So you
should count them as
carbs for your meal
planning. You need six
to eight servings of
these foods per day.
The
Second Floor
The next layer is fruits
and vegetables, which
are also made up of
carbohydrates. They have
plenty of vitamins and
minerals. You need about
three to five servings
of vegetables and two to
four servings of fruit
per day.
The
Third Floor
Near the top of the
pyramid are milk and
meat. These foods
usually contain a lot of
protein. Milk is also
the best source of
calcium., which helps
your bones and teeth to
stay strong as you grow.
Milk products include
all types of milk,
cheese, yogurt, and
other dairy products.
You need two or three
servings of milk per
day. The meat group
includes - you guessed
it - all types of meat:
beef, chicken, turkey,
and fish. Even eggs,
tofu, and some kinds of
beans and nuts are
included. You need two
or three servings of
meat a day.
The
Attic
At the very top of the
pyramid is a little
triangle. That's for
fats, oils, and sweets.
Things like potato
chips, candy, and fried
food contain a lot of
fat or sugar. They
aren't as nutritious as
vegetables or grains. So
you shouldn't eat these
foods every day. It's
better to save them for
a special treat.
The
"Basement"
Some people like to
imagine the food pyramid
with another layer on
the bottom, underneath
the grains & starchy
vegetables. This layer
shows people walking,
running, and riding
their bikes everywhere
we go. So, it's not
really a part of the
real food pyramid. But
if it was, the exercise
layer would remind us
that it's very important
for us all to be active
every day. Staying
active is important for
everyone, but even more
so for people with
diabetes.
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