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Adjusting the Meal Plan (February 2012)

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. 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.

Fitting in Dessert

Valentine’s Day is a special occasion and you'll probably want to enjoy something sweet, so we’ve included a bonus recipe again this month. Our Lemony Fruit Cups are a diabetes-friendly and heart-healthy treat that you can fit into your meal plan. Here’s how…

Instead of roasting a sweet potato, roast 10 baby carrots for a side dish. Then, add a Lemony Fruit Cup for dessert. You’ll still be eating about the same amount of calories and carbohydrates! To learn more about substituting foods to fit in dessert for a special occasion, visit our  Sugar and Desserts page on diabetes.org. 

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:

• At breakfast, have just half of a grapefruit instead of the whole fruit.
• At lunch, double the amount of tuna and light mayonnaise you use to make you tuna salad. Also, omit the orange at lunch time.
• At dinner time, increase the serving size of your Crisp Pecan Tilapia to 4 ounces. Also, switch out the sweet potato and have one cup of roasted carrots instead.

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 our One Day Meal Plan. It may be easier than you think!

To cut around 200 calories:

• Omit the low-calorie toast and margarine at breakfast. (This saves about 120 calories.)
• Have water instead of low-fat milk at dinner time. (This saves about 80 calories.)

To add around 200 calories:

• Add ¼ cup of slivered almonds to your salad at lunch time. (This adds about 155 calories.)
• Add two extra tablespoons of Avocado-Cucumber Dip and another cup of Belgian endive to your afternoon snack. (This adds about 45 calories.)