Diet for treatment of Diabetes: Weighed and Unweighed diet

Diet for treatment of Diabetes

The diet sheets that follow have been constructed to illustrate the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the diet required for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The quantities given will obviously require some modification with respect to size, age, sex and occupation of the person.

The Different types of diabetic diets are:

Unweighed diet
Weighed diet

Unweighed diabetic diet

Diabetes in many newly diagnosed persons, especially obese can be controlled be simple limitation of carbohydrate.
Foods like sugar, jam, honey, tinned fruits, sweets, chocolate, glucose drinks, cakes, puddings, thick sauces, rice and alcoholic drinks are forbidden.
Foods like breads made from wheat or millets, plain biscuits, potatoes, peas and baked peas, cereals porridge, all fresh dried fruits, thick soups and milk are allowed in moderation.
Foods like all kinds of meat, fish, eggs( not fried),clear soups, tea coffee, vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, pumpkin, urinal, lady’s finger, French beans cucumber, tomato, radish, asparagus, butter and margarine and saccharine for sweetening can be freely eaten.

Weighed Diabetic diet

It is required in nearly all diabetics on insulin or for those treated by diet alone or by oral hypo-glycemic drugs in which unweighted diet has proved unsatisfactory.

Total calories: Total calorie requirements are determined by the person’s activity like sedentary or light working or hard worker.
Nutritional condition of person sedentary light work, hard work.
1. Over-nutrition 25 kcal 30 kcal 35 kcal
2. Normal 30 kcal 35 kcal 40 kcal
3. Under-nutrition 35 kcal 40 kcal 45 kcal
An obese diabetic should diet till body weight is decreased to 5% below ideal weight (1400 calorie). A thin diabetics’ weight should increase by 5% above ideal body weight (2400).
Carbohydrate: 2-3 g/kg of body weight to start with then increased to ideal level of 250 gm as the persons tolerance improves.
Protein: 1 g/kg to an adult and 2-3 q/kg to a growing child.
Fat: the amount should be equal to that necessary to make up the total calories taken predominantly as mono-unsaturated or poly-unsaturated fats.
Fiber: increased soluble fiber (e.g. dried beans, lentils, peas, oats or barley). Also more whole grain cereals, green leafy vegetables and root vegetables.Vitamins and mineral supplements are to be added to the diabetic diet plan.
Food exchanges: These are cereals, pulses, vegetables, fresh foods, milk and fat.
Foods within the same group are approximately equivalent in energy and nutrients.

Group A: What foods can be taken during diabetic treatment?

Vegetables- artichoke, asparagus, French beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, cucumber lettuce, mushrooms, onions, parsley, pumpkins, radish, tomatoes and turnip tops etc.
Fruits- (stewed without sugar or raw). Gooseberries, grapefruit, lemons, melons, rhubarb, blackcurrant, red currants, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries can be taken.
Drinks- water, soda-water, tea, coffee (without milk or sugar), lemon juice, tomato juice, diabetic fruit squash, clear soup (chicken or beef cubes may be used).
Miscellaneous: saccharine or any proprietary sweetening agents (except sucron and sorbitol), salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar, herbs, spices can be used. Flavoring and coloring may be used

Group B: What foods are to be avoided during diabetic treatment?

All fried foods.
Sugar (brown or white), glucose and sorbitol.
Sweets, toffees, chocolates, cornflower, and custard powder.
Jam, lemon curd, syrups, honey and treacle.
Tinned frozen or bottled fruits.
Dried fruits e.g. date, figs, prunes, apricots, currants, raisins, bananas and grape’s.
Cakes, buns, pastries, pies and milk puddings.
Sweet or chocolate biscuits and scones.
Cereals e.g. rice, macaroni, barley and spaghetti.
Breakfast cereals like porridge, ice-creams, fresh or synthetic creams and table jelly.
Evaporated or condensed milk, sweetened fruit juices, fruit squash, coca-cola and other sweet fizzy ‘soft drinks’.
Peas, beetroot, sweet corn, butter beans, broad beans and lentils.
Sweet pickles and chutney is to be avoided.
Alcoholic drinks e.g. beer, wines, whiskey etc.

Things given in group A are to be added to your given diet chart.

All food must be served without thickened gravies and sauces. All may be backed, grilled, boiled or steamed; but not fried. You can check out the 1200 calorie diet for diabetics.

Diet for treatment of Diabetes: Weighed and Unweighed diet