DIABETES & NUTRITION

Diabetes is a disease in which levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood are higher than normal. Glucose is produced by the body from the foods you eat, mainly carbohydrates. When you consume carbohydrates, your glucose levels go up. Keeping track of how many carbohydrates you eat can help you keep your blood glucose levels in your target range.

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates (carbs) are the starches, sugars, and fiber in your diet. Starch is in breads, pasta, cereals, potatoes, beans, peas, and lentils. Natural sugars are in fruits, milk, and vegetables. Desserts, sweetened beverages, and candy contain added sugars. Fiber is in all plant foods—vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans.

Whole grains contain more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than refined grains like white flour. Brown rice, wild rice, oats, corn, barley, whole wheat breads, whole wheat pasta, millet, and quinoa are some examples of whole grains.

While the amount of carbohydrate is important, so is the quality. Whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits are best.

Managing your diabetes depends on controlling the amount of glucose in your bloodstream. eating the same amount of carbs each day can help blood glucose levels stay on target. The goal is to keep glucose levels as close to normal as possible. For people who take insulin, sometimes the amount of insulin needed is based on the amount of carbs in a meal.

How can I make sure I have the right carbs at meals?

To start, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator to help you plan the amount of carbohydrates to include in your meals and snacks.

Learn to read food labels for carbohydrate content. Check the serving size and look at the amount of total carbohydrate. Decide how many servings you are going to eat and calculate the amount of carbohydrate. For example, if the label shows that one slice of bread has 15 grams of carbohydrates and you choose to eat two slices, then your total carbohydrate intake will be 30 grams or 2 carbohydrate choices.

People with diabetes need to pay particular attention to their carbohydrate intake. But don’t forget to include foods containing lean protein and healthy fats to round out your meal plan.