Kellogg's Nutrition - Live Healthy

EATING SMART WITH DIABETES

Have diabetes?

The good news is, you can still lead a healthy life by following a few basic steps and watching what you eat. In fact, you can eat the same foods as anyone else—with some special attention to when, how much and what combination of foods you eat. Along with the care plan from your doctor, diabetes educator and registered dietitian (RD), the following guidelines can help you meet your diabetes management goals.

Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods.

Build your eating plan around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free milk and milk products, beans, and lean meats, poultry and fish. Choose foods that give you the most vitamins, minerals and fiber for the fewest calories, such as lean meats or high-fiber cereals.

Stay on schedule to help prevent big blood glucose swings.

Eat meals and snacks at regular times, and stick with the foods and portion sizes in your eating plan.

Keep an eye on carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are found in starchy and sugary foods such as bread, pasta, rice, cereal, milk, vegetables, fruit, desserts, candy, table sugar and regular soft drinks. Although all carbs raise blood glucose, many carbohydrate-containing foods (such as bran cereals and other grains, beans, vegetables, fruits and milk) provide important nutrients, so don’t give them up. Instead, eat a consistent amount of carbs at each meal and snack. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends eating 45 to 75 grams of carbohydrate per meal and 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrate per snack.¹ Your RD or diabetes educator will help plan the right amounts for you.

This Carbs Count! chart, shown lists the amount of carbohydrates in some common foods.

GRAINS	AMOUNT	CARBOHYDRATES (GRAMS)
All-Bran® Bran Buds®	1/3-cup	24
All-Bran® Complete® Wheat Bran Flakes	¾-cup	23
All-Bran® Original	½-cup	23
Kellogg's Corn Flakes®	1 cup	24
Crispix®	1 cup	25
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes® Reduced Sugar	1 cup	28
Product 19®	1 cup	25
Rice Krispies®	1¼-cup	29
Special K® Cinnamon Pecan	¾-cup	25
Special K® Vanilla Almond	¾-cup	25
Special K®	1 cup	22
Special K® Protein Plus	¾-cup	14
Tortilla, flour	6-inch tortilla	19
Popcorn, plain, popped	3 cups	19
Pancake, plain	4-inch pancake	16
Rice, brown or white, cooked	1/3-cup	15
Bread, whole-wheat	1 slice	13
Pasta, cooked	1/3-cup	13
VEGETABLES	AMOUNT	CARBOHYDRATES (GRAMS)
Potato, baked with skin	3-ounce potato	18
Corn, frozen, cooked	½-cup	16
Carrots, cooked	½-cup	8
Green beans, cooked	½-cup	5
Broccoli, cooked	½-cup	4
FRUITS	AMOUNT	CARBOHYDRATES (GRAMS)
Banana	1 extra small (< 6 inches)	19
Orange	1 (2 5/8" diameter)	15
Apple, unpeeled	1 small (4-ounce)	14
Orange juice	½-cup	13
MILK PRODUCTS	AMOUNT	CARBOHYDRATES (GRAMS)
Milk, fat-free	1 cup	13
Yogurt, plain, fat-free	6 ounces	12
Mozzarella cheese (part skim milk)	1 ounce	1
MEAT & BEANS	AMOUNT	CARBOHYDRATES (GRAMS)
Kidney beans, cooked	½-cup	20
Peanut butter	1 tablespoon	3
Beef sirloin, lean, cooked	1 ounce	0
Chicken breast, meat only, cooked	1 ounce	0
Flounder, cooked	1 ounce	0

Get your fill of fiber.

People with diabetes don’t need more fiber, but it’s important to get enough. Fiber helps promote regularity, may reduce risk for heart disease and may help people with diabetes manage their blood glucose levels. ² Fiber-rich foods include bran cereals, oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, beans, fruits and vegetables. Check the Nutrition Facts Panel on packaged foods for the specific fiber content of foods. Recommendations vary by age, but experts advise women age 19 to 50 to get 25 grams of fiber daily, and men age 19 to 50 to get 38 grams daily.²

Be finicky about fats and cholesterol.

To help reduce risk for heart disease, limit the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat. Choose lean meats, skinless chicken and turkey, and fat-free milk, yogurt and cheese. Enjoy baked, grilled or broiled fish at least twice a week. Eat as little trans fat as possible by limiting fried foods and checking labels for “0 grams” of trans fat. When cooking and baking, use small amounts of liquid vegetable oils like canola, olive, safflower and sunflower oil, and soft margarines.

Get on the move!

Being physically active helps lower blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol, and helps the body use insulin. Aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking, biking, swimming or dancing at least five days a week. If you’re just starting out, try five or 10 minutes a day and build up from there.³

Watch your weight.

If you are overweight, shedding even a few pounds may help your body use insulin better, improve blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels, and reduce blood pressure.⁴ Eat smaller portions, especially of high-calorie snacks and sweets, and burn more calories through physical activity. Ask your RD and physician about the best plan for you.

SWEET FACTS

You may be surprised to learn that sugar and other carbs do not cause diabetes.

What’s more, sugar doesn’t raise blood glucose levels any more than starches do. This means that people with diabetes can include some sugar or foods that contain sugar as part of the carbohydrate allowance in their eating plans. Just remember not to spend too much of your carb allowance on sweets or sugary drinks, or you could miss out on needed nutrients.

MY GOALS FOR MANAGING DIABETES

Writing down your diabetes management goals can help you stay on track.

It’s easier to succeed when you make your goals specific. For example, your goals might be to “Eat a half-portion of dessert” if you want to cut back on sweets, “Walk for 15 minutes on my lunch hour” if you’re trying to be more active, or “Take my medication every day at 4 p.m.” if you sometimes forget.

Record your goals and check back on your progress often.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• American Diabetes Association: 1-800-DIABETES or www.diabetes.org

• American Dietetic Association: www.eatright.org

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK):
www2.niddk.nih.gov

• Kellogg’s Nutrition: www.kelloggsnutrition.com

References:

1. Diabetes Care and Education DPG, Ross T, O'Connell B, Boucher J (editors). American Dietetic Association Guide to Diabetes Medical Nutrition Therapy and Education. 2005.
2. Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Sciences. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Fat, Protein and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2002.
3. American Diabetes Association. Exercise.http://www.diabetes.org/weightloss-and-exercise/exercise/overview.jsp. Accessed August 1, 2008.
4. American Diabetes Association. Position statement: Nutrition recommendations and interventions for diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2008;31:S61-S78.