Good meal planning can help you better control your blood sugar

Eating healthy foods and adding variety to your menus is easier than you think. Your doctor or healthcare provider can help you develop a meal plan that helps control tour blood sugar. This sheet can help you make that plan more interesting by providing substitution options, so you don’t have to eat the same foods all the time. It also helps if you eat a balanced diet, eat meals at the same time every day, avoid skipping meals and eat food portions that are indicated by your individual meal plan. The American Diabetes Association recommends good eating habits along with being physically active as the primary part of any good type 2 diabetes management plan.

Here’s how you can easily choose foods that fit your type 2 diabetes meal plan:

 Find your total daily calorie level on the chart below.

 Using the chart, plan your menus for the day with serving amounts from each group.

 Look at the sample meal plan below to see how you can do this.

 Give your meals variety by choosing other items from the same food groups.

Calorie Meal Plans (Daily)

 

1,200

 

1,500



1,800





2,000





2,500



Starch

5

7

8

9

11

Fruit

3

 



3

4



4



6



Milk

2

2

3

3

3

Vegetables

2

 



2

3



4



5



Meat & Meat Substitutes

4

4

6

6

8

Fat

 

3

 

4



4





5





6



1,200 Calories

1,200 Sample Menu

1,500 Calories





1,800 Calories

2,000 Calories

 

2,500 Calories

Breakfast

1 Starch 1 Fruit 1 Milk

English Muffin 1⁄2 Banana (medium) 1⁄2 Hot cocoa mix 1 envelope

Add

1 Starch



Add

1 Starch

Add

1 Starch 1 Fat

Add

1 Starch 1 Fat
1 Fruit

Lunch

1 Starch
2 Meat
1 Vegetable 1 Fruit
1 Fat

Tortilla (6”) 1 oz Chicken 1 oz Cheese 1 oz Beans

Apple (raw – 2”) Salad dressing 2 Tbsp

1 Starch

1 Starch 1 Meat 1 Milk

1 Starch
1 Milk
1 Fat
1 Vegetable

1 Starch
1 Meat
1 Vegetable 1 Fat
1 Milk

Snack

Nothing





1 Starch

1 Starch 1 Meat 1 Fruit

 

Dinner

2 Starches 2 Meat
1 Vegetable 1 Fruit

2 Fat

Rice 1/3 cup
Corn chips 1 oz Chicken 2 oz Onions
Butter 1 tsp
Oil 1 tsp
Canned fruit 1⁄2 cup

1 Fat

1 Starch
1 Meat
1 Vegetable 1 Fat

1 Starch
2 Meat
1 Vegetable

2 Starch
2 Meat
2 Vegetable 1 Fat



Snack

1 Starch 1 Milk



Whole milk 8 oz Popcorn 3 cups

1 Fruit

1 Fruit

1 Fruit

Starch

1 serving = 80 calories

Cereal/Beans/Grains/Pasta
Cereal (cooked) 1⁄2 cup
Beans (cooked or canned) 1/3 cup Rice (cooked) 1/3 cup
Pasta (cooked) 1⁄2 cup

Starchy Vegetables
Corn (cooked) 1⁄2 cup
Corn on the cob (6” piece) 1 Peas (cooked) 1⁄2 cup
Plantain (green, cooked) 1/3 cup Potato (small – 3 oz) 1 cup Squash (winter, cooked) 1 cup Yam or sweet potato 1⁄2 cup

Breads
Bagel or English muffin 1⁄2 or 1 oz Bread (slice or roll) 1 oz Crackers, snack 4­5
Graham crackers 3 squares Hamburger or hot dog bun

1⁄2 oz or 1 oz
Popcorn (plain, unbuttered) 3 cups Tortilla (6”) 1

Fruit

1 serving = 60 calories

Apple (raw – 2”) 1
Banana (medium) 1⁄2 Cherries 12
Dried fruit 1⁄4 cup
Canned fruit in juice 1⁄2 cup Grapes 12­15

Raisins 2 Tbsp
Apple, orange or grapefruit juice

1⁄2 cup
Cranberry, grape or prune juice

1/3 cup

Milk

1 serving = 90­100 calories

Whole milk 8 oz Buttermilk 8 oz
Yogurt (non­fat, plain) 8 oz Hot cocoa mix 1 envelope

Vegetable

1 serving = 25 calories
(A serving is 1⁄2 cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of raw vegetables)

Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Greens Mushrooms Okra Onions

Pea pods
Peppers Spinach Tomatoes Water chestnuts

Meat and Meat Substitutes

Lean Meats
1 serving = 35­55 calories

Cheese (1­3 grams of fat) 1 oz Chicken (white, no skin) 1 oz
Cottage chest 1⁄4 cup
Fish (cod, flounder, tuna) 1 oz
Lean beef (flank, round, sirloin) 1 oz Shellfish (clams, crab, lobster, shrimp)

1 oz
Turkey (white, no skin) 1 oz

Medium/High­Fat Meats
1 serving contains 75­100 calories

Beef 1 oz
Chitterlings 1 oz
Chicken (dark meat, no skin) 1 oz
Eggs 1
Pork (ribs, barbecue, chops, cutlets) 1 oz Sausage 1 oz
Wieners 1 oz

Fats

1 serving = 5 grams fat, 45 clories

Avacado (4”) 1/8
Bacon 1 slice
Butter 1 tsp
Cream (light, table, coffee,sour) 2 Tbsp Cream cheese 1 Tbsp

Margarine 1 tsp
Mayonnaise 1 tsp
Mayonnaise (reduced fat) 1 Tbsp Non­dairy creamer (liquid) 2 Tbsp Non­dairy creamer (dry) 4 tsp
Oil 1 tsp
Nuts or seeds 1 Tbsp
Pesto sauce 2 tsp
Salad dressing (reduced calorie) 2 Tbsp

Free Foods

UNLIMITED SERVINGS Beverages
Bouillon
Broth

Club soda
Coffee
Drink mixes (sugar­free) Mineral water
Tea

Seasonings
Flavoring extracts Garlic or garlic powder Herbs (fresh or dry) Mustard (prepared) Soy sauce
Vinegar

Sweet Substitutes
Gelatin desserts (sugar­free) Gum (sugar­free)
Popsicles (sugar­free) Sugar substitutes

LIMIT TO 2­3 SERVINGS A DAY Fruits
Cranberries (no sugar added) 1⁄2 cup Rhubarb (no sugar added) 1⁄2 cup

Sugar Substitutes
Jam or jelly (sugar­free) 2 tsp Whipped topping 2 Tbsp
Spreadable fruit (no sugar added) 1 tsp

Condiments
Catsup 1 Tbsp
Salad dressing (reduced­calorie) 2 Tbsp Taco sauce 2 Tbsp

Add variety to your type 2 diabetes meal plan