Debbie Woelfel RD, CDE Mobile Health Team Phone Number It is very important for everyone to eat a well-balanced diet. This is especially true for people with diabetes and prediabetes. The carbohydrate portion of food affects blood glucose levels. Carbohydrate foods include starches, fruits, milk and sweets. General Guidelines 1) Eat 3 meals a day and planned snacks. 2) Aim to eat meals and snacks at approximately the same time each day. 3) Avoid going longer then 4-5 hours without eating. 4) Avoid skipping meals. 5) Eat small to medium sized portions. 6) Choose foods higher in fiber such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. 7) Minimize sugar intake or use sugar substitutes (Equal, Sweet n Low, NutraSweet, Splenda, Stevia or Truvia), if preferred. 8) Limit foods high in added sugars and fats such as pies, pastries and rich desserts. Limit candy.
Using Food Labels Serving Size: The serving size is the portion size used for all the values on the label. Different foods have different serving sizes. Saturated Fat/Trans Fat: Saturated and trans fat contribute to high blood cholesterol levels. Choose foods with minimal saturated fat and avoid trans fat. Total Carbohydrate: This is the total grams of carbohydrate (starch and sugar) in the serving size listed. Total carbohydrate includes all starches, sugars, dietary fiber and sugar alcohols. Use this number to when counting carbohydrates and when comparing products. Ø Sugars: Includes naturally occurring and added sugars. Ø Fiber: When possible, chose foods with 3 or more grams of fiber. Ø Sugar alcohol: Can cause gas and bloating, or diarrhea. YOUR CARBOHYDRATE GOALS: Carbohydrate Grams per Meal Carbohydrate Choices per Meal Carbohydrate Grams per Snack Carbohydrate Choices per Meal A Carbohydrate Choice is a serving of food that has about 15 grams Carbohydrate and varying amounts of fat and protein.
Carbohydrate Food Groups *Each serving listed equals 15 grams (g) of Carbohydrate or 1 Carbohydrate Food Choice. STARCHES Best choices are: whole grain starches, beans, lentils and starchy vegetables Bagel, ½ small or ¼ large bagel Biscuit/muffin, 1 small Bread/toast, 1 slice Bread sticks, 2 (4 X ½ ) Cold cereal, unsweetened, ¾ cup Grape Nuts, 3 Tbsp. Puffed Cereal, 1 ½ cups Shredded Wheat ½ cup Hot Cereal, ¼ cup dry (½ cup cooked) Croissant, ½ (1 oz.) medium Croutons, ½ cup Dinner roll, 1 small English muffin, ½ cup Hamburger/hot dog bun, ½ Hard roll, ½ Pasta, spaghetti, macaroni 1/3 cup Pancake, 4 across Pasta sauce, ½ cup Pita, ½ Rice, white or brown, 1/3 cup cooked Stuffing, 1/3 cup Tortilla, 6 flour, ½ Tortilla, 6 corn Waffle, 4 square STARCHY VEGETABLES Baked Beans, 1/3 cup Beans (kidney, pinto, black), ½ cup Dried Peas, lentils, ½ cup Lima beans, 2/3 cup Peas, ½ cup Potato, 1 small baked or ½ cup mashed French fries, 10 to 15 Potato salad (mayo type) ½ cup Potato salad (German-type) 1/3 cup Squash (acorn, butternut), 1 cup cooked Sweet potatoes, ½ cup FRUITS Best choices are any that are fresh, frozen or canned without added sugars. Apple, 1 small Apples, dried, 4 rings Applesauce, ½ cup Apricots, 4 medium Banana, ½ medium Blackberries, 1 cup Blueberries, 1 cup Cantaloupe, 1/3 melon or 1 cup cubed Cherries, 12-15 Dates or figs, 2 medium Fruit cocktail, ½ cup canned* Fruit juice, 1/3 to ½ cup Grapefruit, ½ medium Grapefruit sections, ¾ cup canned* Grapes-green or red, 12 to 15 Honeydew, 1/8 melon or 1 cup cubed Kiwi, 1 medium Mandarin oranges, ¾ cup canned* Nectarine, 1 small Orange, 1 small Peach, 1 small or ½ cup canned* Pear, 1 small or ½ cup canned* Pineapple, ¾ cup fresh or ½ cup canned* Plums, 2 small Prunes, 3 dried Raisins, 2 Tablespoons Raspberries, 1 cup fresh or frozen Strawberries, 1 cup fresh or frozen Tangerines, 2 small Watermelon, 1 cup cubes *Purchase canned fruit in juice or light syrup, drain MILK Skim or 1% milk, 1 cup Low fat chocolate milk, ½ cup Soymilk, plain or flavored, ½ to 1 cup Yogurt, sugar-free, non-fat, ¾ to 1 cup
Combination Foods and Fast Foods 15 grams (g) of Carbohydrate (carb) = 1 Carbohydrate Food Choice Food Serving Size Grams Carb (choices) Burrito, bean, flour tortilla 7 long 45g Carb (3) Burrito, beef, flour tortilla 7 long 30g Carb (2) Chili, casserole or hot dish 1 cup 30g Carb (2) Chow Mein without noodles or rice 2 cups 15g Carb (1) Lasagna 3 x4 piece 30g Carb (2) Macaroni & cheese 1 cup 30g Carb (2) Pizza, thin-crust, medium 1 slice (1/8 th of pizza) 15g Carb (1) Pot pie 7oz 30g Carb (2) Soup vegetable, noodle, broth based 1 cup 15g Carb (1) Soup bean, pea, cream based 1 cup 30g Carb (2) Sub sandwich 6 45g Carb (3) McDonalds Hamburger/cheeseburger with bun 1 each 30g Carb (2) Crispy chicken deluxe with bun 1 each 45g Carb (3) French fries 1 small 30g Carb (2) French fries 1 large 60g Carb (4) Chicken nuggets 6 piece 15g Carb (1) Grilled chicken caesar salad, 2oz dressing 1 salad 15g Carb (1) Taco Bell Hard shell taco 1 each 15g Carb (1) Bean burrito 1 each 60g Carb (4) Taco salad with shell 1 salad 60g Carb (4) Quesadilla 1 each 30g Carb (2) Fajita wrap 1 each 45g Carb (3) Nachos Bell Grande 1 each 75g Carb (5) When eating out there are many ways to make your meals enjoyable and healthy. Many restaurants/fast food places have nutrition information in brochures or on the internet. Look at the menu ahead of time so you know what to order when you get there. Ask for sauces, dressing, mayo etc. to come on the side. Choose items that are baked, broiled, grilled or poached instead of fried. Make sure beverages are sugar free.
Snacks and Sweets 15 grams (g) of Carbohydrate (carb) = 1 Carbohydrate Food Choice Food Serving Size Grams Carb (choices) Angel food cake, unfrosted 1/12 th cake 15g carb (1) Brownie or cake, unfrosted 2 square 15g carb (1) Brownie or cake, frosted 2 square 30g carb (2) Candy, hard 3 pieces ( ½ oz) 15g carb (1) Candy bar, chocolate, snack size 1 bar (1oz or 2 ) 15g carb (1) Chips, potato or tortilla, regular 10-15 chips (1oz) 15g carb (1) Cocoa, regular, made with milk 1 cup (8oz) 30g carb (2) Cocoa, no sugar added, made with milk 1 cup (8oz) 15g carb (1) Cookie, 3 across 1 cookie 15g carb (2) Cookie, sandwich with cream 2 small 15g carb (1) Crackers, snack 4-5 crackers 15g carb (1) Cupcake, frosted 1 small 30g carb (2) Doughnut, 3 cake or 4 raised 1 doughnut (2oz) 30g carb (2) Gelatin, regular (Jello) ½ cup 15g carb (1) Gelatin, sugar free ½ cup 0g carb (0) Gingersnaps 3 cookies 15g carb (1) Graham crackers 3 squares 15g carb (1) Granola bar 1 bar (1oz) 15g carb (1) Honey or table sugar 1 Tablespoon 15g carb (1) Ice cream, light, regular or sugar free ½ cup 15g carb (1) Frozen yogurt, low fat or sugar free 1/3 cup 15g carb (1) Jam or Jelly, regular 2 Tbsp. 30g carb (2) Jam or Jelly, sugar free 2 Tbsp. 15g carb (1) Muffin, small 2oz 30g carb (2) Pie - fruit, pumpkin or custard 1/8 th slice 45g carb (3) Pie - sugar free or no sugar added 1/8 th slice 30g carb (2) Popcorn lite microwave, popped ½ bag 30g carb (2) Pretzel twists, mini 15 (¾ oz) 15g carb (1) Pudding, regular ½ cup 30g carb (2) Pudding, sugar free ½ cup 15g carb (1) Sherbet or sorbet ½ cup 30g carb (2) Soda, regular 1 can (12oz) 45g carb (3) Soda, diet 1 can (12oz) 0g carb (0) Sweet roll or Danish 1 danish (3oz) 45g carb (3) Syrup, regular 2 Tbsp. 30g carb (2) Syrup, sugar free 2 Tbsp. 15g carb (1)
Food Groups with Little or No Carbohydrates VEGETABLES: Unlimited 1 serving = ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw Best choices are fresh, frozen and canned vegetables without added sodium, fat or sugar. Artichokes Asparagus Beans, green, wax or Italian Bean sprouts Beets Bok Choy Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chard Collard greens Cucumbers Eggplant Green peppers Kohlrabi Lettuce Mushrooms Okra Onions Rutabagas Sauerkraut Spinach Sugar snap peas/pea pods Spinach Squash (summer, zucchini) Swiss Chard Tomatoes Tomato/vegetable juice, ½ cup Turnips Water chestnuts FREE FOODS Free foods have 5 or fewer grams of carbohydrate and fewer than 20 calories per serving. They have no significant effect of blood glucose levels. Unlimited: Club soda Coffee-black Sugar free gelatin Seasonings Diet soft drinks Sugar substitutes Unsweetened tea Plain or unsweetened water Limited to 3 servings per day: 2 tsp light jam or jelly 1 Tbsp. ketchup 2 Tbsp. mustard 1 medium dill pickle 1 sugar free popsicle ¼ cup salsa 2 Tbsp. sugar free syrup
PROTEINS AND FATS PROTEIN: 6-8 oz. per day Meats do not contain carbohydrate so they do not raise blood glucose levels. However, all plant based protein foods and any breaded meats do contain carbohydrate. Best choices are poultry without the skin; round or loin cuts of beef & pork, low fat versions of cheese and dairy products, seafood. Avoid fried/deep fried. Bake, broil, and grill. LOWER FAT PROTEINS Beef - round, loin, cubed, flank Pork-Canadian bacon, loin cuts, ham Canned fish in water - tuna, salmon, Sardines Fish and seafood not fried Cheese <3g of fat per oz. Cottage Cheese 1% fat Chicken, turkey or Cornish hen Egg whites or egg substitute Peanut butter (natural), 2 Tablespoons Tofu, ½ cup Wild game meats buffalo, venison Processed meats - <3g of fat per oz. HIGH FAT PROTEINS Cheese American, bleu, brie, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss Hot dogs, bratwurst, sausage Processed sandwich meats - >8g fat per oz. bologna, pastrami, pimento loaf, salami, liverwurst Bacon, spareribs FATS: Use Sparingly Try to replace bad fats (saturated) with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. 1 serving of fat is about: 1 teaspoon regular margarine, butter or vegetable oil. 1 Tablespoon regular salad dressing. ¼ cup nuts. Some light or fat free versions may also contain carbohydrate. Monounsaturated fats: Avocado Oil (canola, olive, peanut) Olives: green and black Nuts: almonds, cashews, mixed peanuts, pecans, pistachios Polyunsaturated fats: Margarine: stick or tub (trans fat free) Mayonnaise: reduced fat, 1 Tablespoon Oil (corn), 1 teaspoon Salad dressing: choose low fat or vinaigrette Sunflower seeds, 1 Tablespoon Saturated fats: Bacon Butter Coconut oil Cream Gravy Cream cheese Lard Palm oil Shortening Sour Cream