and cheese-also means less fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol in your diet.
Fat
A lower fat intake also lowers your risk for cardiovascular (heart) disease, a common complication of diabetes. Lower fat intake means lower calorie intake, which helps you maintain a reasonable body weight. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats can help to lower your blood cholesterol and protect your heart. Saturated and trans fats can raise your blood cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease.
The cholesterol in food may also increase your blood cholesterol. Limiting your intake of animal proteins and whole-milk dairy foods will help you to consume less fat and cholesterol in your diet. Your cholesterol intake should be less than 200 milligrams per day. Intake of trans fat and saturated fat should be minimized. The exact amount and type of fat you should eat will depend on your weight, your blood lipid levels, and your overall health.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and low-fat milk are great for your health. Sweets can be substituted for other carbohydrates in your meal plan or covered with insulin or other glucose-lowering medications.
Both the amount (grams) of carbohydrates as well as the type of carbohydrates in a food influence your blood glucose levels. Monitoring your total grams of carbohydrates-whether by using the exchanges/choices system or carbohydrate counting-is a great strategy to help improve your blood glucose control.
There is no need for you to spend money on special diabetic foods unless you enjoy their taste or the variety they provide. Sweeteners such as corn syrup, fruit juice, and sorbitol may offer no advantage over regular sugar. Enjoy sweet treats in moderation. Substitute sweets for other carbohydrates in your diet, and check your blood glucose after eating to see how they affect you.
Fiber
You should be eating the same amount of fiber as the other members of your family-approximately 20-35 grams per day, or 14 g for every 1,000 calories you eat. Unfortunately, most Americans eat only 10-13 grams daily, so they don’t reap all of fiber’s benefits, like better digestive health. To ensure you are getting the most out of fiber in your diet, choose wholewheat grains and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Oats and dried beans are great sources of soluble fiber, which has a positive effect on blood lipid levels.
Sodium
Sodium intake recommendations for people with diabetes are similar to those for the general population-less than 2,300 milligrams per day. If you have high blood pressure, it may be helpful to eat less, shake the salt habit, and carefully read food labels to track the amount of sodium in your diet.
Sweeteners
FDA-approved reduced-calorie sweeteners include sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, xylitol, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. Keep in mind that reduced-calorie sweeteners contain both calories and carbohydrates.
The FDA has approved five nonnutritive (zero calorie) sweeteners for use in the U.S. They are:
Vitamins and Minerals
You may be a good candidate for vitamin and mineral supplements if you are in poor diabetes control; if you are on a very restricted weight-loss diet; if you are elderly, pregnant, or breast-feeding; or if you are a strict vegetarian.
Eating a well-balanced diet should provide everyone with the essential vitamins and minerals they require. At this time the American Diabetes Association does not recommend any special supplements to benefit individuals with diabetes, however, you should ask your health care team to discuss your individualized vitamin and mineral needs.
SMART CHOICES
The ever-changing information about diabetes nutrition may have left you more confused than ever. A session with an RD and certified diabetes educator (CDE) is money and time well invested. An RD can evaluate your individual case and suggest the meal planning approach that is best for you, whether it is the MyPyramid, carbohydrate counting, or something in between.
Making smart food choices is the key to taking care of your diabetes. Poor choices will cost you time, money, and your health. Eating well helps you avoid the expensive damage to your eyes, heart, and kidneys that occurs when blood glucose levels are high day after day. You can eat healthfully on a lean budget by using the diabetes nutrition guidelines to make smart food choices.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IN YOUR AREA
MOTHER NATURE KNOWS BEST
Sticking to the most basic, natural, and nutritious foods is far better for both your health and pocketbook than ready-to-eat, highly processed, and expensive refined foods.
Keep this example in mind: Five pounds of naturally fat-free baking potatoes costs $2.79. In contrast, you’ll pay $16.50 for 5 pounds of high-fat potato chips. It’s easy to see which choice is better for your budget-and your health!
Money $aving Tip
Regular physical activity works to promote good health, helping to lower the cost of medical bills in the future.
Chapter 2 ECONOMY GASTRONOMY: PENNY-WISE MEAL PLANNING, COST-WISE COOKING
Penny-wise meal planning and cost-wise cooking are the first steps to stretching your food dollar while eating healthfully. The USDA has estimated that a family of four can eat at home for a cost of just $102.40 to $119.10 a week. That’s only $3.66 to $4.25 per person per day-the price of just one fast food value meal. Sound impossible? It’s not. For more information on economical eating, check out the USDA website at www.usda.gov, for sample food plans to match your individualized budget requirements.
Eating healthfully on a lean budget does require a small investment of time to plan meals for the week and cook the foods that match your budget and diabetes nutrition requirements. But, the little amount of extra time you spend is an investment that can really make a difference when trying to cut costs.
PENNY-WISE MEAL PLANNING
Like most people, you are probably pressed for time and often eat