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.