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Adjusting the Meal Plan (July 2012)

Our One Day Meal Plan may not exactly fit your individual needs, so we’ve provided some ideas for how to adjust carbohydrates and calories below.

For Less Carbohydrate…

Your healthcare provider may ask you to limit carbohydrates more than our meal plan suggests. This means you should cut back on the carbohydrate foods that you eat throughout the day. To keep your calorie intake about the same, substitute sources of lean protein or healthy fats in their place. Here’s an example:

To lower carbohydrate intake for the day and keep calories about the same (make it closer to 35% of calories), make the following adjustments to our original meal plan:

• Omit the golden raisins from your morning oatmeal and add another tablespoon of walnuts.
• Omit the Parmesan Corn at lunch and add 2 tablespoons of dry roasted sunflower seeds to your salad.
• Instead of having your tomato, mozzarella, and basil mixture on crackers, omit the crackers and wrap the mixture in butterhead lettuce leaves to make a lettuce wrap.
• Increase your portion of Honey-Soy Glazed Salmon to 1/2 of the recipe, and decrease your portion of rice to 1/3 cup.
• At night, substitute the non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt for a plain variety. Stir in a packet of artificial sweetener if desired.

To Adjust Calories…

Depending on whether you are trying to lose, gain, or maintain your weight, you may have different calorie needs as well. Here are some ideas for adjusting the calories in our One Day Meal Plan.

To cut about 200 calories:

• Have just ½ of a Grilled Chicken Wrap at lunch time. (This saves about 180 calories.)
• Omit the grilled zucchini squash at dinner. (This saves about 20 calories.)

To add about 200 calories:

• Slice up half of a medium-size banana and add it to your oatmeal at breakfast. (This adds about 50 calories.)
• Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the tomato, mozzarella, and basil mixture before putting it on crackers for your afternoon snack. (This adds about 80 calories.)
• At lunch, have a full ear of Parmesan Corn. (This adds about 70 calories.)

Note: Our meal plans are developed based on the American Diabetes Association’s general nutrition guidelines. However, nutritional needs can vary from person to person. Your healthcare team can help you set up a meal plan that works for you and will help you meet your health goals.

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