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Diabetic
Food Exchange Guide
Food choices for diabetics differ from a regular diet on a few key points.
All diabetics must be careful of carbohydrate intake, but calories
themselves are also an issue for people with Type 2 diabetes as weight is
often contributing factor to the severity of the disease.
Many people will substitute foods without taking into account that some
foods fit into more than one category. Many meat and vegetable choices also
contain carbohydrates that can send blood sugar skyrocketing. It will take
time to learn the nutrient information for every single food you eat, and
memorizing lists of grams and calories can be confusing.
Below are a few rules of thumb for exchanging one food for another within
the parameters of a diabetic diet. An exchange equals one serving, and
allowed exchanges will contain almost identical caloric, carbohydrate,
protein and fat values.
Diabetic
Starches (carbohydrate) Exchanges
1 piece of bread or tortilla ½ pita or English muffin,
1/3 cup pasta or rice, ½ cup potato
Diabetic
Meat Exchanges(1 oz servings)
(Lean - no fat) Lean beef, chicken, fish or cottage cheese
(Medium fat) Ground beef, low-fat cheese, pork, fried fish, eggs
(High fat) Bacon, sausage, regular cheese, lunchmeat, peanut butter
Diabetic
Vegetable Exchange (non-starchy vegetables only)
½ cup cooked or canned vegetables
1 cup raw or leafy vegetables
Diabetic Fruit Exchange
1 small apple, banana or other whole fruit
1 ¼ cups strawberries or watermelon
½ cup canned fruit or 100% fruit juice
Diabetic Dairy Exchange
(No fat) 1 cup milk or buttermilk, 2/3 cup yogurt
(Low fat) 1 cup milk, 2/3 cup yogurt
(Whole) 1 cup milk or buttermilk, 2/3 cup yogurt
Diabetic
Fat Exchange
| Mono (unsaturated - best) |
Poly (unsaturated - in
moderation) |
Saturated (use carefully) |
6 almonds or cashews, 4 pecan halves
2 tbsp avocado
10 olives |
1 Tbsp low fat margarine, reduced fat mayo or regular salad dressing
1 tsp oil, regular margarine or mayo
1 Tbsp pine nuts or sunflower seeds |
1 tsp butter, shortening or lard
1 Tbsp heavy cream or cream cheese
2 Tbsp coconut, half and half or sour cream |
Diabetic Exchange : 1 Starch Plus 1 Meat
Beans, peas and lentils (lean)
Hummus, tofu, soy (medium)
Diabetic
Exchange : 1 Starch Plus 1 Vegetable
½ cup corn, yams, spaghetti sauce
1 cup pumpkin, squash, or mixed vegetables w/ corn and peas
Diabetic
Exchange : 1 Dairy Plus 1 Carbohydrate
1 cup chocolate milk
2/3 cup yogurt with fruit
Diabetic Exchange : 1 Carbohydrate Plus 1 Fat
1 cup light soy milk (add ½ fat)
1 cup regular soy milk (add 1 fat)
1 cup eggnog (add 2 fats)
By using this exchange guide, you can tweak your diabetic diet meal plan to
include your favorite foods and still stay within the parameters which are
healthiest for you. |
Live Healthy