If you have diabetes, you know you always have to make sure you eat the right amount of certain kinds of calories to maintain the correct blood sugar. One easy way to do this is to use a food exchange list. Your dietitian will prescribe a certain number of exchanges from each category per day, tailoring a plan to fit your specific needs, depending on factors like your weight, age and insulin regimen.

Understanding the Diabetic Food Exchange List

A diabetic food exchange list is a chart that groups food into several categories depending on the breakdown of type of calories in the food. The list shows you which foods fall into which calorie category (for example, fats or carbohydrates). It also lists portion sizes and shows which foods have the same kind of calories. The chart will help you balance your meals every day to make sure you get the right kind of calories. Keeping your diet in balance is vital to controlling your blood sugar, a key component to keeping your diabetes under control. When viewing the diabetic food exchange chart, you will note that calories are separated into carbohydrates, proteins and fat. For every meal you eat, you need to plan a set amount of calories from each category. The chart is broken down further into sources of those calories. You will get all your calories from meat, starch, fruits, vegetables, milk, or fat.

Planning your Meals

On the diabetic food exchange chart, one serving is equal to one exchange. The Mayo Clinic recommends 45 percent to 65 percent of your calories be carbohydrates, 15 percent to 20 percent be protein, and 20 percent to 35 percent be fats. Write down a full day's meals on a piece of paper so you know you are getting the right amount of calories from each category. Use your food exchange list as you plan your meals to figure out how much of each kind of food you can safely eat. The chart shows you how to get some variety in your meals. For example, you can exchange a serving of apples for a serving of pasta to change up your carbohydrate intake from meal to meal. Remember, you can only exchange foods with other foods in the same category on the exchange list. When you are planning meals, always focus on the healthiest options in any given category. For example, carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, milk, starch, and other carbohydrates. Your best choices for carbohydrates will be your fruits and vegetables, so focus on these. When you are selecting a meat, leaner cuts are better so you do not cross over into the fat category. Fats should be eaten sparingly, so save those for a small dessert once per day.

Source:

The Mayo Clinic

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