Diabetic Diet Sample Menu

Planning a diabetic diet menu becomes much simpler if we come to understand the way in which the food we eat is broken down. When we eat something, everything for that matter, ends up breaking down into sugar. While sugary foods break down almost within no time, carbohydrates and proteins take much longer to break down based on their complexity. If we plan our diet and exercise properly, the blood sugar level can be controlled with just minimum or no medication. The diabetic diet menu will depend on a person's specific needs and the type of diabetes he/she has.

Diabetic diet menu can broadly be classified into three types: Type 1 diabetes diet menu, Type 2 diabetes diet menu and Gestational diabetes menu. For the Type 1 menu, the emphasis is on arriving at a balance between the food consumption and insulin. As Type 2 is not so much dependent on insulin, a proper diet combined with physical exercise can work. Gestational diabetes diet menu needs adequate energy and nutrients to support both the mother and the growing baby while maintaining stable blood glucose levels for expectant lady.

A good diabetic diet menu should be balanced, with controlled portions that can help us to stay on an even keel as the components of each meal hit the system. Small meals every three hours and light exercise after that can boost digestive system and prevent an increase in blood sugar levels. In case we have in our menu the right amount of servings from each food category like carbohydrates, proteins etc., they will break down at different speeds, supplying a steady trickle of sugar into the bloodstream and keeping our energy level stable. This prevents a big influx all at once, which would be the case if we ate only carbohydrate, or only protein.

An ideal diabetic diet menu should include a combination of foods. Some foods transcend categories, like bread products that contain fat, dairy items that provide protein, and starchy vegetables. The requirements vary depending on the time of day and how much physical activity a person engages in.

A sample diabetic diet menu will be somewhat like the following: one serving each of protein (3 oz of chicken, fish or lean beef fish); bread (whole grain roll, tortilla or ½ cup pasta); dairy products (cheese, milk or low-fat sour cream); vegetables (fist sized portion or a small bowl of salad); and fruit (tennis ball sized or ½ cup sliced). A bit of unsaturated fat is required, so you can add a little dressing or a pat of soft margarine. Stay away from sweets - let the fruit be your dessert. Minerals can be an important part of the menu. Curd, garlic, Bengal gram, bitter gourd can also be included in a diabetic diet menu because of their beneficial properties.

A diabetic diet menu must steer clear of certain types of foods that include fatty red meat, organ meat, highly processed food, fried food, fast food, high cholesterol food and foods rich in saturated fat. Fried and oily items should be avoided. If such a diet menu is planned with care, it can be of great help to a person suffering from diabetes.

• John Palsson
• 08/04/2009, 8:59 AM
• 0 Comments