Healthy Eating for Diabetes

Carbohydrate Containing Foods:

Foods that contain carbohydrates are foods that break down into sugar
Each bullet point = 15 grams of Carbohydrate = one serving

Grains & Starches Fruits Milk & Alternatives

Choose whole grains most often!

 Whole grain tortilla – ½ (10in)  Raspberries, strawberries,  Plain Non-fat Yogurt or artificially
 Whole grain Pasta – ½ cup Choose Less Often blackberries – 2 cups sweetened – ¾ cup
 Barley – ½ cup cooked  English muffin – ½  Other berries – 1 cup  Milk – 1 cup
 Quinoa – ½ cup cooked  Hamburger/Hotdog bun – ½  Cherries - 15  Soy Beverage, plain – ½ cup
 Corn – ½ cup or ½ an ear  Kraft Dinner- ¼ cups  Plums – 2 medium  Diet Pudding – ½ cup
 Yams – ½ cup  Pancakes/Waffles – 1 (4 in)  Grapefruit – ½  Chocolate Milk – ½ cup
 Brown or wild rice – 1/3 cup  Taco shells – 2 (5 in)  Peach / Nectarine – 1 large  Canned Evaporated Milk – ½ cup
 Whole grain bread - 1 slice  Rye bread – 1 slice  Apple / Orange – 1 medium
 Popcorn (air popped) – 3 cups  Soda Crackers – 6  Pear – 1 medium Other Foods
 Hot cereal – ¾ cup cooked  Bagel – ¼ large  Grapes - 15  Regular Jello® – ½ cup
 Soup – 1 cup (thick type)  Mashed potatoes – ½ cup  Mango – ½ medium  Cake (unfrosted) – 2 in square
 Whole grain Pita Bread -½ 6in  French Fries - 10  Kiwi – 2 medium  White/Brown Sugar– 1 Tbsp.
 Couscous – 1/3 cup cooked  Pizza crust – 1/8th (12 in)  Banana – ½ medium  Jam, Jelly, Marmalade – 1 Tbsp.
 Baked Potato – ½ medium  Rice Cakes – 2  Canned fruit in water– ½ cup  Honey, Syrup, Molasses –1 Tbsp.
 Cold cereal - ½ cup  Pretzels – 7 large  Raisins – 2 Tbsp.  Ketchup – 3 Tbsp.
 Whole grain bannock – 1.5 x  Pineapple – ¾ cup  Ice Cream – ½ cup
2.5 in  Melons – 1 cup
Limit Fast/Simple sugars:
Chose Less Often  1 tbsp. sugar, syrup, honey, jam,
 Canned fruit in syrup ¾ cup fruit juice, regular pop
 Juice
Carbohydrate goal for each meal: Carbohydrate goal for each snack: Colour Code:
Women: 45-60g (3-4 servings) 0-15g (0-1 serving) Green – Slow acting carbohydrates
Men: 60-75g (4-5 servings) 0-15g (0-1 serving) Yellow – Medium acting carbohydrates
Red – Fast acting carbohydrates
For more information/Pour de plus amples renseignements :
Health Links-Info Santé - 1-888-315-9257
or visit/ou visiter : www.southernhealth.ca
Name of Site/Nom du site : CW Wiebe Medical
T 204-325-4312
www.southenhealth.ca
ca
 Foods with Little or No Carbohydrates
The following foods do not break down into sugar

Vegetables Protein Fats & Oils

Goal: 2 cups at lunch 2-3 servings a day Limit fats to 2-3 TBSP a day
and supper
oGreen beans o Beets o 3 oz Poultry, beef, pork, or veal o1 tsp. margarine (non-hydrogenated)
oLettuce o Rhubarb o 2 Eggs o1 tsp oils (canola, olive, soybean)
oCabbage o Parsley o 2 Tablespoons peanut butter o1 tsp. salad dressing
oTomatoes o Turnips o ¼ cup Nuts o2 Tbsp. light salad dressing
oCucumber o Squash o 1-2 oz cheese (50g) o1 Tbsp light mayonnaise
oCauliflower o Spinach o ½ cup cottage cheese o1/4 avocado
oBroccoli o Mushrooms o ½ cup canned fish (tuna, salmon)
oAsparagus o Zucchini o 3 oz cooked fish or shellfish
oCelery o Radishes o ¾ cup Tofu Choose less often:
oOnions o Carrots 1 cup lentils and beans (equals 15 carbs) o1 strip Bacon
oPeppers o Sprouts o2 tbsp. Gravy
1 cup of: acorn or butternut squash, Eating a protein alongside a carbohydrate can o1 tsp. Lard
peas, tomato sauce/stewed tomatoes, help reduce the amount blood sugars rise. o1 tsp. Shortening
and parsnips =15g carbohydrates o1-2 links Sausage
Try to choose 1 protein in each meal. o1 tsp. Butter
o2 tbsp. Cream (10%)

Other tips for controlling blood sugars:

 Aim for food choices with 4-5 g of fibre or
more. A healthy diet should include
35-38 g of fibre a day. Increase slowly.
 The fibre we eat does not increase blood
sugar therefore when counting carbs from a
label, always subtract the fibre amount
from the total carbohydrates.

* Information in the Nutrition Facts table

is based on a specific amount of food.
Compare this to the amount you eat.
Adapted from Beyond the Basics: Meal Planning for Healthy Eating,
Diabetes Prevention and Management April, 2019