Sugar is not the primary concern of persons who have diabetes. We have to have a regular supply of carbohydrates throughout the day, but not too many at any one time. The American Diabetes Association lifted its ban on sugar in 1994, based on increased knowledge of how metabolism works (or fails to work). The rest of the world hasn't quite caught up to that yet!
A soup high in carbs (like potato) might be just right paired with raw veggies. A low carb soup might be better with a sandwich.
Knowing what has sugar and what doesn't isn't really very useful in planning a meal for someone with diabetes.
Is there a resource we can go to to find a meal plan for diabetics, so much controversy out there about what's right and what's wrong !? I trust your guidance Jeanne
A dietitian or a certified diabetes educator or an endocrinologist can work with the patient to establish a general eating plan for the day. Ideally it takes into account the patient's preferences and life style. It often consists of 3 meals and 2 snacks, but this varies. The idea is to to have sufficient carbohydrates to keep the blood sugar level fairly even throughout the day and never so many at one time to cause high spikes.
There really aren't any foods that are forbidden. You can eat potato salad and corn on the cob and a hamburger bun and barbeque sauce and macaroni and cheese and a brownie -- just not all in one sitting, please!
A healthy diet for someone with diabetes is pretty much a healthy diet for any one else, but with an emphasis on portion control of the carbohydrates.
I took a class in which someone asked for a good cookbook for people with diabetes. The certified diabetes educator answered, "Any cookbook that shows the nutritional information for each recipe. If you know how many carbs are in a serving, you can figure out how to work it into your diet."
Note that counting carbs is not like counting calories. With calories you can eat sparingly the day you are going to a party and have most of your calories then. There is no "saving" carbs for another meal. Each meal or snack stands on its own.
So, first you need an eating plan. You can find these online or in books, but ideally you get a customized one from a healthcare professional.
Then you read labels and look up foods to see how many grams of carbohydrates they contain. You adjust portions to meet the target set in your eating plan. Perhaps your snack is supposed to be about 15 grams of carbs, and some protein. That might be a small apple and a slice of cheese. Or a small carton of Greek yogurt and some strawberries. Or, occasionally, 2 Girl Scout cookies. (Two individual cookies, not two sleeves or two boxes!)
Keep in mind that the point isn't to eat as few carbs as you can. It is to eat carbs throughout the day, in amounts set in your eating plan.
Most meals at a nursing home or assisted living facility will be suitable for people with diabetes. It is generally healthy food in reasonable portions.
A soup high in carbs (like potato) might be just right paired with raw veggies. A low carb soup might be better with a sandwich.
Knowing what has sugar and what doesn't isn't really very useful in planning a meal for someone with diabetes.
There really aren't any foods that are forbidden. You can eat potato salad and corn on the cob and a hamburger bun and barbeque sauce and macaroni and cheese and a brownie -- just not all in one sitting, please!
A healthy diet for someone with diabetes is pretty much a healthy diet for any one else, but with an emphasis on portion control of the carbohydrates.
I took a class in which someone asked for a good cookbook for people with diabetes. The certified diabetes educator answered, "Any cookbook that shows the nutritional information for each recipe. If you know how many carbs are in a serving, you can figure out how to work it into your diet."
Note that counting carbs is not like counting calories. With calories you can eat sparingly the day you are going to a party and have most of your calories then. There is no "saving" carbs for another meal. Each meal or snack stands on its own.
So, first you need an eating plan. You can find these online or in books, but ideally you get a customized one from a healthcare professional.
Then you read labels and look up foods to see how many grams of carbohydrates they contain. You adjust portions to meet the target set in your eating plan. Perhaps your snack is supposed to be about 15 grams of carbs, and some protein. That might be a small apple and a slice of cheese. Or a small carton of Greek yogurt and some strawberries. Or, occasionally, 2 Girl Scout cookies. (Two individual cookies, not two sleeves or two boxes!)
Keep in mind that the point isn't to eat as few carbs as you can. It is to eat carbs throughout the day, in amounts set in your eating plan.
Most meals at a nursing home or assisted living facility will be suitable for people with diabetes. It is generally healthy food in reasonable portions.