Diabetes Food Pyramid Guidelines
Diabetes Food Pyramid Guidelines
© Jennifer Murray
Sep 24, 2008
Suite101.com
Serving Recommendations for Diabetic Meal Planning
Typically there are three methods of meal planning recommended to people with diabetes: exchange lists, carbohydrate counting, and the Diabetes Food Pyramid. The Diabetes Food Pyramid groups foods based on their carbohydrate and protein content, and the portion sizes suggested by the pyramid are made so that each serving has the same carbohydrate content in each serving. Following the minimum number of servings provides 1600 calories, while eating at the upper end of the range would be approximately 2800 calories.
There are six groups contained within the Diabetes Food Pyramid:
Grains and Starches
The base of the Diabetes Food Pyramid is the grains and starches group. The foods in this group are mostly made up of carbohydrates and come mostly from grains. Starchy vegetables such as corn, peas, and potatoes are also included in the grain and starch group because of their higher carb content. Examples of a serving size are: 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup cooked cereal or 1/3 cup rice. The suggested daily serving recommendation is 6 to 11 servings, with most people choosing towards the lower end of the range.
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