Diabetes Month Tip of the Day

Question

I really, really tried that carbohydrate counting yesterday and I got cranky because all my meals were turned into a math equation.  I know some people have to do this…but isn’t there something easier I could try for now?

Answer

If you know which foods fit the different groups—(mostly carbohydrate, protein, fat, or non-starchy vegetables*), there is an easier way to think about this.  Think of your plate as a divided picnic plate.  Fill half the plate with green vegetables, ¼ with protein, and the remaining ¼ with a healthy carbohydrate.  It will look something like this:

And since I couldn’t get a good picture of food at home, something like this:

It’s very similar to the Myplate graphic from the USDA, but a little “tighter” on the carbohydrate content.  This is a great way for people to at least start thinking about reducing their portions of carbohydrate (and eat more vegetables) even if they are not willing to or feel able to count actual carbohydrate grams. In addition, this graphic is also a great way remind us that the way people with diabetes are “supposed” to eat is a very healthy way for us all to be eating, and it also helps us estimate portions when eating out too.

Speaking of “portions” there is a lot of information about portion and serving sizes out there—most of it is meaningless with some kind of context about how much carbohydrate you tolerate (or how many calories you need). For more context, please go back to the beginning of this series, staring on November 1rst, and do some figuring out about how much carbohydrate you think might be right for you. Again, some of you might decide that the best thing for you is to not have certain carbohydrate foods readily available; for example, maybe you don’t want to bother with figuring out “just” the right amount of rice to eat (or you don’t want to bother with the small portion) so rice just won’t be on the menu very often.  Other people might find that there are certain readily available favorite foods that they want to work in regularly, and will work very hard to do so. 

*You can find lists of food, as well as a lot more info, at educational websites geared toward diabetes and portion control like http://www.joslin.org/info/diabetes-and-nutrition.html