This is pretty basic information, so you might want to check some books out from the library and talk to your MD to help you more. But, here's what I know: The nutritional goals of meal planning for the diabetic diet are to achieve and maintain at least a 5 to 10 percent weight loss if an individual is overweight, to control blood sugar and lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), and to prevent or delay the complications associated with diabetes. LIMIT SUGARS: They can dramatically increase your blood glucose levels. * Limit added sugar in the diet, including granulated, brown, powdered and raw sugar. Honey, syrup and molasses are also sugar, and consumption should be reduced. * Limit foods high in sugar, such as cake, cookies, candy, pie, pastries, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, pudding, jam/jelly, donuts, sweet rolls, sweet muffins, flavored gelatin and sweetened canned fruit. * Avoid soft drinks (diet soda is OK), fruit juices and fruit drinks. * Read food labels and look out for added sugar, such as corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, fructose, honey, invert sugar, etc. STARCHES/CARBS: Do not cut them out completely. Instead, choose healthy ones. * Replace refined grains such as white rice, bread and pasta with whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread and crackers, barley or buckwheat. Include legumes such as beans, peas and lentils. * Eating fruits, starch and milk are part of a healthy diet, and eating these foods in moderation should not cause your blood glucose to rise too high. * Spread out carbohydrates into three small meals and three carbohydrate snacks. Every time you eat carbohydrates, your blood glucose begins to rise reaching its peak approximately one hour after you start your meal. The more carbohydrates you eat at a meal or snack, the higher your blood glucose will rise. Therefore, you should spread out your carbohydrates into small, frequent amounts. * One small to medium piece of fruit the size of a tennis ball or one-half to three-fourth a cup of sliced fruit can be used as a quick and easy snack. Choose fresh fruit whenever possible. Try to include three servings of fruit a day. * Keeping the quantity of carbohydrates consistent at each meal and snack will keep your blood glucose consistent. Work with your registered dietitian to determine how much carbohydrate your body will tolerate to normalize blood sugar levels. TIMING YOUR MEALS: * Space meals and snacks evenly. Optimally, meals should be eaten five hours apart. Meals and snacks should be eaten two to three hours apart. * Meals and snacks should be consumed at consistent times, especially if you are taking insulin or certain diabetes medications to lower your blood glucose. * Do not skip meals. Otherwise, you are at risk of a low blood sugar reaction (hypoglycemia). VEGETABLES: * Be liberal with your intake of vegetables. Most vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrates, and can be used whenever you are hungry between meals and to help fill you up at mealtime. Include at least three servings a day. (One serving equals a 1/2 cup of cooked or 1 cup of raw vegetables). EAT LESS FAT AND CHOLESTEROL: This will help you manage your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and achieve or maintain desirable body weight. * Eat smaller portions of meat. Choose lean cuts of red meat, fish and skinless poultry. Healthy meat substitutes include low-fat or non-fat cottage cheese, egg whites and tofu products. * Limit use of cold cuts, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, egg yolks, cheese and organ meats. * Reduce your consumption of added fats, particularly saturated sources such as butter, stick margarine, shortening, cream sauces, cream cheese, sour cream, meat drippings, whole milk or cheese based salad dressings and coconut. Substitute non-fat or low-fat milk or yogurt for high-fat dairy products. * Substitute monounsaturated fats for saturated fats, including olive, canola and peanut oils; avocado; nuts; and natural peanut butter or other nut butters. As a second choice, you can also replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats such as corn, sunflower and safflower oils; trans fat-free margarine; mayonnaise; and commercially prepared oil based salad dressings. * Use less fat in cooking. Bake, broil, boil or simmer instead of frying or sautéing. Remove all skin from poultry, and fat from meat, prior to cooking. * Alcohol consumption can significantly increase your triglyceride levels. If you do drink alcohol, please speak with your physician to determine if this is appropriate.

A diabetes diet should do three things; achieve ideal weight, maintain normal blood glucose levels, and limit foods that contribute to hear disease. A nutritionist or dietitian can help plan a diabetes diet.

Avoid foods with a high glycemic index. That's sugary or starchy foods with lots of ingredients. Generally go for whole grain, high fibre, high protein and unprocessed foods. Those will fill you up. Keep you trim and keep your blood sugar on an even keel.

you can eat anything you like. it's called moderation. the thought these days is a low GI diet. there are plenty of books around that explain it well.