Diabetic Cookbook

By Adam Garcia

Sample Menus and Calorie Intakes

This is not in any way a prescription as to how much you should eat. Your personal physician, diabetes educator, and/or dietitian must determine that. These sample diabetic meal plans are merely a composite from the diabetic meal plans already published in the three cookbooks from Joslin Diabetes Center, along with input from the American Diabetes Association.

In order to use these meal plans, you will first need to know at what calorie level you should be eating. On the average, most start out at an 1800 ADA diet. However, many things are taken into consideration; age, weight, gender, and activity level to name a few.

According to the American Diabetes Association and the American Medical Association, good eating habits along with being physically active, and diligence in taking your prescribed medications/insulin is an important part of diabetes self-management. Since these plans are based on food exchanges, you’ll need to consult an exchange list at the back of most diabetic cookbooks to see specific amounts allowed for each choice.

Generally speaking:

· 1 carbohydrate exchange provides 80 calories, 15g carbohydrates, 3g protein, and a trace fat-this includes foods from the bread/starch, fruit, milk, and vegetable groups (a serving of non-starchy vegetables provides 25 calories, 5g carbohydrates, 2g protein, and 0 fats)

· 1 protein exchange provides 7g protein and varying numbers of calories and grams of fat, depending on whether the choice is very low-fat, low-fat, medium-fat, or high-fat choices

· 1 fat provides 45 calories, 0 protein, 0 carbohydrates, and 5g fat

Remember these all correspond to servings (weight) of the food you are going to eat – - that’s why you need to consult with your personal physician, diabetes educator, and/or dietitian to learn how to use an exchange list.

Sample 1,200 Calorie Meal Plan

Breakfast:

2 1/2 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 milk)
1 protein
1 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 37 grams

Lunch:

2 1/3 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable)
2 protein
1 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 30-35 grams

Dinner:

3 1/2 carbohydrate (2 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 2 vegetable)
2 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 45-55 grams

Afternoon OR Evening Snack:

1 1/2 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch, 1/2 milk)

Total Carbohydrates: 22 grams

Sample 1,500 Calorie Meal Plan

Breakfast:

3 1/2 carbohydrate (2 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 milk)
1 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 52 grams

Lunch:

4 carbohydrate (2 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 milk, 1 vegetable)
2 protein
1 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 60 grams

Dinner:

4 carbohydrate (2 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 milk, 1 vegetable)
2 protein
1 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 60 grams

Afternoon OR Evening Snack:

1 1/2 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch, 1/2 milk)

Total Carbohydrates: 22 grams

Sample 1,800 Calorie Meal Plan

Breakfast:

3 1/2 carbohydrate (2 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 milk)
1 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 52 grams

Lunch:

3 1/2 carbohydrate (2 bread/starch, 1fruit, 2 vegetable)
2 protein
1 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 45-55 grams

Dinner:

6 carbohydrate (4 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 milk, 1 vegetable)
3 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: about 80-85 grams

Afternoon OR Evening Snack:

2 1/2 carbohydrate (2 bread/starch, 1/2 milk)

Total Carbohydrates: 37 grams

Sample 2,000 Calorie Meal Plan

Breakfast:

5 1/2 carbohydrate (3 bread/starch, 2 fruit, 1/2 milk)
1 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 80-85 grams

Lunch:

5 1/2 carbohydrate (3 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 vegetable)
2 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 80-85 grams

Dinner:

5 1/2 carbohydrate (3 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 vegetable)
4 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 80-85 grams

Afternoon or Evening Snack:

2 1/2 carbohydrate (2 bread/starch, 1/2 milk)

Total Carbohydrates: 37 grams

Sample 2,200 Calorie Meal Plan

Breakfast:

5 1/2 carbohydrate (3 bread/starch, 2 fruit, 1/2 milk)
1 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 80-85 grams

Lunch:

5 1/2 carbohydrate (3 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 vegetable)
2 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 75-80 grams

Dinner:

5 1/2 carbohydrate (3 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 2 vegetable)
4 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 75-80 grams

Afternoon or Evening Snack:

3 1/2 carbohydrate (2 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 milk)

Total Carbohydrates: 52 grams

Sample 2,500 Calorie Meal Plan

Breakfast:

5 1/2 carbohydrate (3 bread/starch, 2 fruit, 1/2 milk)
1 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 80-85 grams

Lunch:

5 carbohydrate (3 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 milk, 2 vegetable
3 protein
2 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 65-75 grams

Dinner:

8 carbohydrate (4 bread/starch, 2 fruit, 1 milk, 3 vegetable)
4 protein
3 fat

Total Carbohydrates: 110-120 grams

Afternoon OR Evening Snack:

3 1/2 carbohydrate (2 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 milk), 1 protein

Total Carbohydrates: 52 grams

You and your dietitian should work together to design a meal plan that’s right for you and includes foods that you enjoy. Also, your dietitian should take into consideration your cultural and financial environment to help establish your diabetic meals. A diabetes meal plan is a guide that tells you how much and what kinds of food you can choose to eat at meals and snack times. A good meal plan should fit in with your schedule and eating habits. The right meal plan will also help keep your weight where it should be. Whether you need to lose weight, gain weight, or stay where you are, your meal plan can help.

Next Week: Diabetic Diet Tips For Good Health. If you have any questions or comments on this particular subject you can email us at diabeticcookbook@gmail.com or leave us a reply below.