The diabetic food pyramid is very different from the regular food guide or pyramid. In this specific guide, the food gets categorized based on their carbohydrate and protein content. Are you diabetic? Do you want to understand how to make a meal plan based on the food pyramid for your health condition? Read on to know more.
Diabetics Food Pyramid: Difference from the Traditional Guide
The truth is, choosing the right food to eat when you have diabetes and controlling your blood glucose is quite a challenge. If knowing what you need to eat to stay fit and healthy feels like a real struggle, imagine how difficult it would be to choose good food that has low sugar content.
According to the American Diabetes Association, if you have diabetes and you want to follow the traditional food pyramid, you may have to ditch some logical choices when it comes primarily to your carbohydrate and protein food selection.
- Carbohydrate Group
You may see in the regular food pyramid that the base part includes the bread and cereals group (carbohydrates). On the other hand, the diabetic food pyramid contains these food types and includes vegetables like legumes and starchy ones like potatoes, corn, peas, sweet potatoes. So, it does not matter what the food is made with; what matters is the carbohydrate content that can affect your blood glucose.
- Protein Group
In the traditional food diagram, beans are part of protein-rich foods. However, suppose the diabetic food pyramid is your basis. In that case, the experts place beans on the carbohydrate level since their carb content is higher than their protein value, allowing you to better manage your blood glucose. Another difference you would see is about the cheese. Though this is a dairy food example and contains carbs, the diabetic food pyramid places cheese with protein.
Protein-rich foods necessary in the diet of diabetic patients do not revolve around meat alone. Foods that contain the right amount of protein include tofu, eggs, beans, and nuts.
Other Food Groups In The Diabetics Food Pyramid
- Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables and plants that have fiber fall in this category. As mentioned earlier, veggies that have high carbohydrate content have transferred to the carbohydrate level, together with the bread, rice, and starch.
- Fruits
You need to consume a daily allowance of 2 to 4 serving sizes of healthy fruits if you want a complete diabetic diet without elevating your blood glucose.
- Milk
If the milk group in the traditional level is already small, you can expect that it gets visibly smaller with the diabetics’ food pyramid. According to the American Diabetes Association, you can get 2 to 3 servings a day. This can get translated into serving sizes of 2 to 3 cups of milk or yogurt, and you are good to go!
- Fats, Sweets, and Oily Foods
Understandably the smallest food groups for both food pyramid diagrams, you should highly consider these as indulgent choices. Potato chips, biscuits for cookies, cakes, ice creams, and fried viands fall under this category. Want a rare and special treat for an exceptional occasion or celebration? Make sure that you choose one in this category.
Snacks from The Diabetics Food Pyramid
Want to create a perfect snack idea using the diabetics’ food pyramid? Here are some of what we can recommend from the well-categorized food groups that are both healthy and safe so as not to aggravate any of your diagnosed medical conditions.
Boiled eggs
Rich in protein and fats, experts from the American Diabetes Association found out that eating hard-boiled eggs help in lowering your blood sugar. A study including non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients eating 2 hard-boiled eggs daily have been found to lower their fasting blood sugar while following this recommended serving size for 12 weeks.
Yogurt
Another dairy product that’s rich in antioxidants, fiber, and protein. The probiotics present in the food metabolizes food without increasing or affecting your body’s sugar content.
Nuts
Cashews, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and especially almonds – these nuts are perfect for diabetic patients. Not only are these full of essential vitamins and minerals like magnesium, manganese, and Vitamin B1, but they also have their fair share of good fats, protein, and fiber for your better nutrition.
Avocado
A fruit that technically does not go with your fruits food group, avocado is more likely grouped with oily foods. Filled with high-fiber content and monounsaturated fatty acids, this fruit can help manage your sugar and control the spiking of your high-sugary symptoms. According to the American Diabetes Association, follow a serving size of ¼ to ½ of an avocado fruit as a daily serving size, and you are good to go!
If you need more information about what you should eat as a diabetic patient, we hope that this article helps you understand and plan out your daily meal times safely and enjoyably. Armed with this knowledge, satisfying your cravings may never be too hard moving forward.
References:
Elliot B. (January 2018).The 21 Best Snack Ideas If You Have Diabetes
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-snacks-for-diabetes
January 2019. Diabetes Food Pyramid
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-food-pyramid.html
New Healthy Eating Guidelines & Food Pyramid
https://www.diabetes.ie/new-healthy-eating-guidelines-food-pyramid/
Diabetes Food Pyramid
http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/diabetes-food-pyramid.html
