Diabetic Food Plan
We already have a food plan; we do not have to think about it. It may not be as healthy as it can be, but it is a plan. Most people who cook for their own families have a general idea what are they going to prepare for the next few days, or for the rest of the week. At least you know what you are going to eat in several meals a day. And you spend time thinking what you are going to have for the next meal.
Whenever you create a food plan for yourself, do not think of it as a diet. Before throwing your hands in the air and telling yourself that it is too complicated or restricted, just read on. A food plan for diabetic people is indeed, restrictive than eating whatever you want, whenever you want, and how much you want to eat. It is not complicated at all. You already know the food pyramid, right? You know where vegetables, fruits, and meats are. All you have to do is fit them in a pattern. There are six basic groups into which food is divided: vegetable, milk, bread and starch, meat, and fat.
There is a thing called exchange group, this means substituting one similar type of food into another. This is used to have flexibility in your diabetic diet food plan. Most exchange plans will specify the number of portions from each group of food you should have in your meal. A portion or a choice is measured by the amount of food contained in a certain carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Each portion has a certain number of calories and fat. The number and the type of choices you will have depends on the calories that you should eat everyday. Anything in between 1,200 to 2,500… depending on the weight you need to lose and physical activity you will do.
Developing a meal involves simple steps. First, learn what food groups and the food they contain. It may mean carrying a “cheat sheet” with you that lists the food according to the group. You can also find out that you can make your choices and substitutions without thinking about it.
Second, plan your day. Know what you will eat and when you will eat it. Try to have each meal at about the same time of the day. This is for the type 1 diabetics. Third, teach yourself which exchanges among food groups are okay, and what exchanges are not. For example, you could have a cold rice salad with sliced chicken for lunch instead of chicken sandwich, or vice versa. But chicken could not be a substitute for vegetable. The nutrients contained in vegetable and chicken are not the same.