For example, a patient with type 2 diabetes who is overweight and insulin-resistant may need to have a different carbohydrate-protein balance than a thin patient with type 1 diabetes in danger of kidney disease. Because regulating diabetes is an individual situation, everyone with this condition should get help from a dietary professional in selecting the diet best for them.

Several good dietary methods are available to meet the goals described above. General dietary guidelines for diabetes recommend:

• Carbohydrates should provide 45 - 65% of total daily calories. The type and amount of carbohydrate are both important. Best choices are vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains. These foods are also high in fiber. Patients with diabetes should monitor their carbohydrate intake either through carbohydrate counting or meal planning exchange lists.
• Fats should provide 25 - 35% of daily calories. Monounsaturated (such as olive, peanut, canola oils; and avocados and nuts) and omega-3 polyunsaturated (such as fish, flaxseed oil, and walnuts) fats are the best types. Limit saturated fat (red meat, butter) to less than 7% of daily calories. Choose nonfat or low-fat dairy instead of whole milk products. Limit trans-fats (such as hydrogenated fat found in snack foods, fried foods, and commercially baked goods) to less than 1% of total calories.
• Protein should provide 12 - 20% of daily calories, although this may vary depending on a patient’s individual health requirements. Patients with kidney disease should limit protein intake to less than 10% of calories. Fish, soy, and poultry are better protein choices than red meat.
• Lose weight if body mass index (BMI) is 25 - 29 (overweight) or higher (obese).

Several different dietary methods are available for controlling blood sugar in type 1 and insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes:

• Diabetic exchange lists (for maintaining a proper balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins throughout the day)
• Carbohydrate counting (for tracking the number of grams of carbohydrates consumed each day)
• Glycemic index (for tracking which carbohydrate foods increase blood sugar)

Monitoring

Tests for Glucose Levels. Both low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) are of concern for patients who take insulin. It is important, therefore, to monitor blood glucose levels carefully. Patients should aim for the following measurements:

• Pre-meal glucose levels of 70 - 130 mg/dL
• Post-meal glucose levels of less than 180 mg/dL

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Diabetes Diet Introduction

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Diabetes Diet Major Food Components

Review Date: 05/05/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)