Diabetes: Constant Carbohydrate Meal Plan

What is the constant carbohydrate meal plan?

The constant carbohydrate meal plan is away to eat that helps balance the amount of carbohydrates you eat each day. Carbohydrates (carbs) affect your blood sugar level more than any other nutrient. Insulin breaks down carbohydrates into glucose to give you energy. The key to managing your blood sugar is balancing carbohydrates with insulin. The basis for this meal plan is eating about the same amount of carbohydrates throughout each day.

The constant carbohydrate meal plan is the food program that is used by many people with diabetes.

How is this plan different from the exchange meal plan?

The constant carbohydrate plan is different from the exchange meal plan because you keep track of just the carbohydrates in your diet. The constant carbohydrate plan is more flexible, but you still need to think about your food choices.

How does the constant carbohydrate plan work?

Carbohydrates in a portion of food are called carb choices. In this plan, you eat about the same number of carb choices at each meal. Grams are a way to measure food ingredients by weight. Fifteen grams of carbohydrate equals one carb choice.

Carbohydrates are found in many types of food. You can tell how much carbohydrate is in a food by reading the nutrition label on the food package.

You and your dietitian will work out a plan for how many carbohydrates, or carb choices, you need to eat based on the foods you like and usually eat, the number of calories you need and how your diabetes is treated.

Which foods have carbohydrates?

Food groups that contain carbohydrates are:

Starch (breads, cereals, rice, pasta, and starchy vegetables)

Some examples of 1 carb choice (15 grams) are:

• 1 slice bread
• 1/3 cup pasta (cooked)
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1/3 cup cooked rice
• 1 tortilla
• ½ pita
• ¼ bagel
• ½ cup grits or oatmeal (cooked)
• 1/2 cup dried beans.
  

Fruits

Some examples of 1 carb choice (15 grams) are:

• 1 small piece of fruit
• 1/2 cup of canned fruit (in its own juice)
• 1/2 cup fruit juice
• 1/4 cup dried fruit.

Milk and yogurt

Some examples of 1 carb choice (15 grams):

• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt.

Sugary foods

Sugar is a carbohydrate. One tablespoon of sugar equals one carb choice. One serving of sweets may equal 2 or more carb choices. You can read the nutrition facts on the back of package labels to see how many grams of carbohydrate are in a serving. You can also use the Exchange List for Meal Planning to check how many carb choices are in different foods. This booklet is available from The American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association (1-800-342-2383). Although this book is often used for the exchange diet, it lists the carbohydrate content for lots of foods and is very useful.

What about meat, fats, and vegetables?

Although these foods are important in your diet, they do not affect your blood sugar in the same way that carbohydrates do. However, these foods do count toward your daily calories.

Many non starchy vegetables, such as lettuce, carrots, and celery, do not count toward your daily carbohydrates. Vegetables are part of a healthy diet.
Meats are protein. Although they do not count as carbohydrates, they do contain fat and calories. Eat meat in moderation.
Fats such as butter, salad dressing, mayonnaise, bacon, and cream do not count as carbohydrate. They are high in calories per serving.

How many carb choices should I eat at each meal?

Work with your dietitian to come up with a plan that is right for you. In general, the table below gives examples of the approximate number of carb choices based on calories per day.

 
            1200    1500    1800    2000    2200   
            cal.    cal.    cal.    cal.    cal.   
---------------------------------------------------
Breakfast    3       4       5       5       5     

10:00 am     1       1       1       1       1     
Snack 

Lunch       3.5      4       5       6       6     

3:00 pm      2       2       2       2       2     
Snack 

Dinner       3       4       4       5       5     

9:00 pm      1       1       1       1       1     
Snack 
---------------------------------------------------

The amount of food you eat at a meal or snack may need to based on your exercise, stress and blood sugar level. You may need more food before you exercise. However, it is easier to manage your blood sugar when you keep your eating pattern the same as much as possible.

Reviewed and updated by Martha Funnell, MS, RN, CDE, Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center, August, 2004.