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Adjusting the Meal Plan (December 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 (to about 35% of calories) while keeping calories about the same, make the following adjustments to our original meal plan:

• Instead of having cereal and milk at breakfast, have a simple egg wrap. Wrap one scrambled egg and 2 tablespoons of salsa in a low-carb tortilla.
• At lunch, skip the glass of milk. Slice up your apple and have it with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.
• Skip the crackers during the afternoon. Snack on an extra Devilled Egg.
• At dinner, make your mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower, some 2% milk, and chives. You’ll be surprised how similar they look to mashed potatoes. Mashed cauliflower is also just as delicious as potatoes for significantly less carbohydrates!

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:

• Skip the walnuts at breakfast. (This saves about 130 calories.)
• Have just 1 piece of Devilled Egg at your afternoon snack. (This saves about 45 calories.)
• Halve the amount of margarine you use to flavor your potatoes to 1 teaspoon. (This saves about 25 calories.)

To add around 200 calories:

• Add mid-morning snack that includes a hard-boiled egg and ½ of a whole wheat English muffin with 2 teaspoons of trans-free margarine. (This adds about 200 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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