Planning Your Plate

Managing Your Diabetes with Food Choices

Making Healthy Choices
• Eat a variety of foods
• Limit intake of processed food and sweetened beverages
• Pay attention to carbohydrates
• Choose healthy fats and fiber-rich foods
• Snack smart
Making Healthy Choices: Fruits
• Five servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended per
day
• Choose whole fruits as opposed to fruit juices
• Be mindful of sugar content
• Eat the rainbow
Making Healthy Choices: Vegetables
• Five servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended per
day
• Choose nonstarchy vegetables.
• Plant fats (like avocados and olive oil) can have a beneficial
effect on cholesterol.
• Again, eat the rainbow
Making Healthy Choices: Grains
• Whole grains are the better choice.
• Besides whole wheat, other whole grains include quinoa,
oats, popcorn, barley, farro, and rye.
• Reduce consumption of refined grains such as white bread,
white rice, etc.
Making Healthy Choices: Dairy
• Be mindful of saturated fat and sugar content.
• Choose low-fat dairy such as skim or 1% milk.
• Healthy dairy choices can reduce the risk of low bone mass.1
Making Healthy Choices: Proteins
• Be mindful of cholesterol.
• Choose lean proteins.
• Omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent heart disease.1
• Examples of healthy protein choices include turkey, chicken,
beans, salmon, tuna, eggs, nuts, and tofu.
Let’s Talk About Macronutrients
• What is a macronutrient?
• A macronutrient is a type of food required in large amounts
in the diet.
• The three macronutrients that make up your food are carbs,
proteins, and fats.
Let’s Talk About Macronutrients: Carbohydrates
• Carbohydrates have the most impact on your blood sugar.1
• They are also the body’s preferred source of fuel.
• Going on a low-carb diet is not necessary.
• However, counting carbs may be beneficial.
• It is recommended that a meal contains 45-60 grams of
carbohydrates, and snacks contain 15 grams.2
Let’s Talk About Macronutrients: Carbohydrates
• What is the glycemic index?
• The glycemic index ranks foods containing carbohydrates by
their impact on blood sugar levels.
• The lower the Glycemic Index number, the more slowly it
will be digested.3
• Foods with a higher GI number will be digested more
quickly and may result in a spike in blood sugar.
• The three classifications of GI numbers are low (55 or less),
mid (56-69), and high (70 and above).
Let’s Talk About Macronutrients: Proteins
• Protein can be used to build and maintain muscle, aid in
immune system function, and perform physiological
functions.4
• A diabetic person has the same protein needs as a
nondiabetic person.
• A healthy amount of protein is 10-35% of your overall caloric
intake.
Let’s Talk About Macronutrients: Fats
• Fats help with body insulation, absorption of nutrients, and
supporting cell growth.5
• In addition, they also help us determine when we are full.
• Unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated)
are preferred over saturated fats.
• Avoid trans fats.
• Fats are more dense in calories per gram compared to
proteins and carbs.
Bringing It All Together
• The American Diabetes Association recommends half your
plate be nonstarchy vegetables, a quarter of your plate be
lean proteins, and the last quarter be whole grains or starchy
vegetables.1
• Include healthy fats in controlled amounts.
• Consider adding a serving of fruit or dairy to meet
nutritional needs.
• The ADA’s Diabetic Food Hub6 has free recipes aimed
towards diabetics.
Sample Meal Plan: Avocado Toast with Turkey
Bacon and Tomato7
Sample Meal Plan: Asparagus Frittata8
Sample Meal Plan: Turkey and Mozzarella Snack
Skewers9
Sample Meal Plan: Asian Pork Chops10
Questions?
Sources Cited
• 1“Diabetes Diet: Create Your Healthy-Eating Plan.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research, 19 Feb. 2019,
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes-diet/art-20044295.

• 2“Diabetes and Carbs | Eat Well with Diabetes.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Sept. 2019,
www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/eat-well/diabetes-and-carbohydrates.html.

• 3“About Glycemic Index.” Glycemic Index Foundation,

www.gisymbol.com/about-glycemic-index/.

• 4Lehman, Shereen. “Know How Much Protein You Can Eat With Diabetes.” Verywell Health,
Verywell Health, 24 June 2019, www.verywellhealth.com/how-much-protein-should-a-
person-with-diabetes-eat-2506615.

• 5“Dietary Fats.” Www.heart.org, www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-

smart/fats/dietary-fats.
Sources Cited
• 6Intechnic, www.intechnic.com. “Diabetes Food Hub.” Diabetes Food Hub,
www.diabetesfoodhub.org/.

• 7 The Create-Your-Plate Diabetes Cookbook. “Avocado Toast with Turkey Bacon and
Tomato.” Diabetes Food Hub,
www.diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/avocado-toast-with-turkey-bacon-and-tomato.html?home
-category_id=5
.

• 8Recipes for Healthy Living. “Asparagus Frittata.” Diabetes Food Hub,

www.diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/asparagus-frittata.html.

• 9The Create-Your-Plate Diabetes Cookbook. “Turkey and Mozzarella Snack

Skewers.” Diabetes Food Hub,
www.diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/turkey-and-mozzarella-snack-skewers.html.

• American Diabetes Association. “Asian Pork Chops.” Diabetes Food Hub, 6 Jan. 2019,
10

www.diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/asian-pork-chops.html.