The American Diabetes Association – Tips to Help You Understand the Diabetes Food Pyramid!
Unless you have been living under a rock since 1991, you have probably seen the USDA food pyramid which gives people recommendations about the portions and types of foods they need to eat to have a healthy diet. In fact, there are other food pyramids which make other recommendations, such as the Harvard School of Public Health Food Pyramid which includes exercise on the bottom base layer.
The American Diabetes Association now has its own Diabetes Food Pyramid which helps diabetics plan a healthy diet.
Six Food Groups:
There are six groups which make up the diabetes pyramid. These include grains and starches, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy products, meat and meat substitutes and a final group consisting of fats, sweets, and alcohol. The most servings come from grains and starches and the fewest from fats, sweets and alcohol.
The diabetes pyramid suggests a range of servings. Obviously, you should choose the one which is most applicable to your calorie and diabetes nutrition goals. Calories can range from 1600 to 2000. As a rule of thumb, most women fall at the lower end of the calorie spectrum and most men at the higher end.
One of the differences between the Diabetes Food Pyramid and other nutritional pyramids is that foods are grouped together by their content of carbohydrates and proteins. Vegetables with high amounts of starches are listed in the grains and beans group instead of the vegetable group. Cheese becomes a meat and not a milk product. Plus, serving sizes vary too. For instance, the fruit juice serving is only a half cup and not three/fourths of a cup such as in other pyramids.
Let’s take a closer look at the groups on the Diabetes Food Pyramid:
1. Grains and starches are at the bottom or base of the pyramid. These include whole grains such as oats, rye and wheat. It also includes beans and starchy veggies such as corn, peas, potatoes. Six to eleven servings a day should come from this category.
2. Vegetables are next on the diabetes pyramid and you are allowed to have 3 to 5 servings each day. Not only do they have lots of vitamins and minerals, vegetables also have fiber which helps your digestive system and to stabilize blood sugar levels. If you eat enough servings of vegetables you will fill up and desire few carbohydrates.
3. Fruits have lots of vitamins and minerals as well but because they have carbohydrates, you have to be careful not to eat too many. Two to four servings each day are recommended. A serving is one-half cup juice or one small, fresh fruit.
4. Milk and Dairy products are the next group with a recommendation of two to three servings per day. While the protein and vitamins are excellent nutrients, you need to eliminate as much fat as possible. Choose low-fat or fat-free products.
5. Meat and meat substitutes include lean cuts of beef and pork, skinless chicken and turkey, fish and other choices. In the diabetes pyramid, it also includes eggs, cheese, tofu, and other high protein foods. A serving of meat is only three ounces or a portion the size of a deck of cards. You should not eat more than two servings each day.
6. At the top of the diabetes pyramid are fats, sweets and alcohol. These should only be eaten occasionally. You can have them once in a while as a treat but overall, they raise blood sugar levels and increase cholesterol levels.
If you follow the guidelines of the Diabetes Food Pyramid, you will be eating a healthy diabetic diet and should be able to watch your blood sugar levels fall.