What is the constant carbohydrate meal plan?
The constant carbohydrate meal plan is a food program that helps
balance the amount of carbohydrates you eat each day.
Carbohydrates (carbs) affect your blood sugar level more than any
other food ingredient. Insulin works with carbohydrates to supply
energy for your body. It is important to keep insulin and
carbohydrates in balance. Consistency is the key to this meal
plan.
The constant carbohydrate meal plan is the food program that many
people start with when they are diagnosed 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
rather than all food types. The constant carbohydrate plan is more
flexible, but it may not be as healthy as the exchange diet if you
are not careful about your food choices. The constant carbohydrate
plan is more commonly used than the exchange meal plan.
How does the constant carbohydrate plan work?
You count carbohydrates in portion sizes called carb choices and
eat the same number of carb choices at each meal. Fifteen grams of
carbohydrate equals 1 carb choice. Grams are a way to measure the
ingredients in a food by weight. A serving of food that has 15
grams of carbohydrates may actually weigh more because of other
ingredients in the food, such as water.
Carbohydrates are in many different types of food. You can tell
how much carbohydrate is in a food by reading the nutrition label
on the food package.
Your dietitian will tell you how many carbohydrates, or carb
choices, you can eat based on the number of calories you need in
your diet each day.
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
- 1/2 cup pasta
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1/3 cup cooked rice
- 1/3 cup cooked 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) are:
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt.
Sugary foods
Sweets should be eaten in only small amounts for a healthy diet.
Sugar is a carbohydrate. Portion sizes vary depending on the food.
One tablespoon of sugar equals 1 carb choice. One serving of
sweets may equal 2 or more carb choices. You can read the
nutrition facts on the package labels to check 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, so you
need to be careful not to eat too much fat and to eat healthy
foods.
- Many nonstarchy vegetables, such as lettuce, carrots, and
celery, do not count toward your daily carbohydrates. You
should eat vegetables every day as part of a healthy diet.
- Meats are protein. Although they do not count as
carbohydrates, they do contain fat and calories. You should
eat meat in moderation.
- Fats such as butter, salad dressing, mayonnaise, bacon, and
cream should also be eaten sparingly.
How many carb choices should I eat at each meal?
Your dietitian will help you come up with a plan that is right for
you. Your dietitian will help you plan how many carb choices you
should eat during the day based on the number of calories you need
each day. In general, the following table gives examples of the
approximate number of carb choices that should be eaten at each
meal based on how many calories you may need each day.
Carb Choices Based on Number of Calories per Day
------------------------------------------------
1200 1500 1800 2000 2200
cal cal cal cal cal
------------------------------------------------
Breakfast 3 3 4 4 5
10:00 am 1 1 1 1 1
Snack
Lunch 2.5 3 4 5 6
3:00 pm 1 1 2 2 2
Snack
Dinner 2 4 3 4 5
9:00 pm 1 1 1 1 1
Snack
-------------------------------------------------
The amount of food you eat at a meal or snack may need to vary
with factors such as expected exercise, insulin dose, and blood
sugar level. You may need more food before you exercise. However,
you should try to keep your eating pattern the same as much as
possible.
Abstracted from the book, "Understanding Diabetes," 10th ed., by H. Peter Chase, MD (available by calling 1-800-695-2873).
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information is intended to inform and educate and is not a
replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
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