Food Exchanges Made Easy

Judging by the number of e-mails we get each week, one would think there's something terribly complicated about food exchanges. Not so, actually. Developed back in 1950 as a way to make meal planning easier for people with diabetes, the food exchange system now merely categorizes foods into three main groups:
  • Carbohydrates
  • Protein (Meat) and Protein (Eggs, Cheese, Soy, etc.) Substitutes
  • Fats
The Carbohydrate group is further broken down into bread/starch, fruit, milk, other carbohydrate (sugar and sweets), and vegetables. When a meal plan says 2 1/2 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 milk), it means that many servings for those kinds of carbohydrate. You will need to refer to a food exchange list for the exact measurement of the food-they are posted in most every diabetic cookbook-or refer to the diabetic exchanges listed at the end of each recipe.

For example, for those 2 1/2 carbohydrate exchanges, you might choose 1 slice of bread, 1 medium fresh peach, and 1/2 cup of skim milk. You could have chosen to have 1/2 cup of cooked pasta, 1 cup of cubed melon, and 1/2 cup of nonfat yogurt. Generally speaking, 1 carbohydrate exchange (bread/starch, fruit, and milk) provides 12 to 15 grams of carbohydrate. Since a serving of vegetables only has 5 grams of carbohydrate, it takes 3 vegetables to equal 1 carbohydrate exchange.

The Protein group is broken down into very low-fat protein, low-fat protein, medium-fat protein, and high-fat protein. A protein exchanges provides 7 grams of protein and varying amounts of fat. Again look to a food exchange list or the exchanges listed at the end of each diabetic recipes for the amount of each serving.

The Fat group is divided into monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats. One fat exchange provides 5 grams of fat and 45 calories. You'll be surprised at how quickly your fat exchanges will be used-1 exchange only means 1 teaspoon oil, butter, stick margarine, or mayonnaise. For the same fat exchange, you could choose 1 tablespoon of reduced fat margarine or mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon salad dressing, 1 tablespoon cream cheese, 8 large black olives, or 1 slice of bacon.

Even if you are only counting carbs, it still makes sense to familiarize yourself with the serving size of different foods that make up 1 exchange so you'll know how much to eat to get 15 grams of carbohydrates. Once you've done it for a while, you'll find you no longer need your list-when you look at a baked potato or a serving of cooked rice, you'll know just how many exchanges that will use. You'll find an earlier article in 'cooking tips' on estimating portion sizes to be helpful. If you didn't read and print it, now would be a good time to do so.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Diabetic Meal Plans

Once an individual has been diagnosed with diabetes, he or she must begin the process of managing the disorder. Managing diabetes may sometimes include the administration of insulin (either oral or via injection), but it will always include a reasonable and sensible diabetic meal plan. Diabetic meal plans are best formulated with the assistance of a registered dietician or other health care professional. Information is key to developing the most comprehensive diabetic meal plan possible. Diabetics who do their own research may find that there are a multitude of diabetic meal plans to choose from, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Determining which diabetic meal plan is the right one depends upon the individual, his or her needs, lifestyle, and preferences.

The most popular and widely used of the diabetic meal plans available is the exchange meal system. This is an easy to follow plan that has been time-tested and medically endorsed. This system assigns foods to different categories known as exchanges and lists the quantity of each food that will allow it to be counted as one exchange. Individuals are then given the number of exchanges that they are allotted for use each day. The exchange categories, starch, fruits, dairy products, non-starchy vegetables, carbohydrates (sweets and other carbs), meats, fats, and “free” foods, are grouped according to the effect they have on blood glucose levels. This plan lists each food as a member of an exchange group and assigns a value to each food based on quantity. For instance, one slice of white bread is considered one starch exchange. One ounce of skinless chicken is considered one meat exchange. The idea behind this plan is to build meals from the exchange groups that incorporate a specific number of given exchanges. Generally, an 1800 a day diabetic meal plan will include three dairy exchanges, four vegetable exchanges, four fruit exchanges, seven starch exchanges, seven meat exchanges, and nine fat exchanges. Free exchanges can be used at any time in any amount.

Current diabetic meal plans also include the glycemic index diet plan. This plan assigns a number to each type of carbohydrate based on its effect on blood glucose levels. Foods containing carbohydrates that rank high on the glycemic index generally raise blood glucose levels faster than foods ranked lower on the scale. Although diabetics must pay close attention to the amount of carbohydrates they consume, the glycemic index diet plan tends to be complicated and may not include the gylcemic index for all carbohydrates. This plan is not widely recommended by medical professionals.

Vegetarian diets are currently being researched for their viability one of the recommended diabetic meal plans. Preliminary research has shown that a vegetarian diet may make individuals more responsive to insulin. Vegetarians also generally consume fewer calories and less fat than non-vegetarians. A vegetarian diet, loaded with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fiber provides a multitude of health benefits beyond diabetes control. A vegetarian diet can be counted among the healthful diabetic meal plans as long as it contains the recommended amount of daily nutrients. A visit to a dietician or other medical professional will help determine if a vegetarian diet is the best way to manage your diabetes.

Research is under way to investigate the benefits of adding cinnamon to one of the diabetic meal plans recommended by medical professionals. There is some evidence that cinnamon may reduce blood glucose levels up to twenty-nine percent. In the meantime, seeking the advice of a registered dietician to assist you in choosing one of the healthy diabetic meal plans and adapting it to your own needs will yield multiple benefits in managing your diabetes.

Lisa Lupichuk is the author and webmaster of an informational based website on diabetes.

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