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Diabetic Diets: How To Purchase Food When Shopping
By Delynda Lardone | July 25, 2008
Many people are under the misconception that when they are diagnoised with diabetes, that they must go on a special diet that excludes all the foods they love, requires all the foods they hate, and calls for a regime that they simply can not follow for a long period of time. This, however, is not true because if you simply learn how to shop for your food, you can still enjoy the same foods you love to eat by just learning to eat different brands.
The simple truth of the matter is that diets don’t work because people are forced to eat foods that they do not normally eat. I can show you how you can still eat the meals you normally eat simply by showing you how to shop. Here I will explain 5 ways in which you can shop for a “diabetic diet” without comprimising the foods you normally eat and love.
One way is to keep an eye on the amount of carbohydrates that are in one serving of the food you are purchasing. Many people often think that sugar is the only thing that can raise your blood sugar level, but in truth, carbohydrates do as well. This is why you also need to keep an eye on how many carbohydrates you consume in your meals. A good point to look for is if the total carbohydrates are 10 grams or less. The reason for this is because it only takes 1 gram of carbohydrates to raise your blood sugar level by 5 points, so the fewer carbohydrates the better.
A second way is to focus on foods that are high in fiber. Fiber works great at lowering your blood sugar level and keeping it at a normal level. Your body does not actually absorb the fiber even though it is a type of a carbohydrate, which is why this is good for your diabetic diet. You should try to look for products that have at least 5 grams of dietary fiber.
A third way to shop for food on a diabetic diet is to look for products that have as little sugar as possible. Sugar, as with carbohydrates, are a diabetics worse nightmare because they help raise our blood sugar levels to a dangerous level. Our body still needs these carbohydrates and sugars to help it function. You have to be very careful though, as some sugar free products actually may seem like they have less sugar but they will have a higher amount of carbohydrates which eventually turns into sugar. A good guide to follow is to try to purchase products that have 5 grams or less of sugar.
A fourth way is to keep an eye on what experts call free foods. Free foods are items that contain a total of 20 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrates or less per serving. Even though these foods are called free foods, this does not mean we can eat as much as we want. You are still limited to eating your free foods to at least three times a day over the course of your day and not all at once. Some examples of free foods are water, lettuce, diet soda, sugar free gelatin, sugar free drink mixes, decaf coffee, and a dill pickle (which can actually lower your blood sugar level).
A fifth way to shop for food on a diabetic diet is to look for products that are low in fat or contain no fat at all. You should try to purchase meats that contain at least 7 percent or less in fat. Some good meats that you can buy are skinless poultry, shellfish, and fish.
As you can see, it is possible to go on a diabetic diet and still enjoy the foods and meals you are accustomed to eating. All you have to learn to do is read the food labels a little more carefully and purchase the products that have fewer carbohydrates, more fiber, less sugar, more free foods, and better quality meats. Once you start implementing these food purchasing habits into your meal planning, your meals that you and your family love will become healthier you will enjoy them more knowing that it is now a diabetic diet meal.
Topics: Diabetes |
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