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Adjusting the Meal Plan (March 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.

To Adjust Carbohydrates

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 40% of calories), make the following adjustments to our original meal plan:

• Skip the milk at breakfast. Use just 2 tablespoons in your coffee if you want
• Substitute the barley in your salad at lunchtime with grilled chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
• At your afternoon snack, have a regular string cheese instead of a light string cheese

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:

• Have just ¼ cup of barley in your salad at lunch. (This saves about 50 calories.)
• Skip the string cheese at your afternoon snack. (This saves about 50 calories.)
• Have just 2 tablespoons of almonds for your nighttime snack. (This saves about 100 calories.)

To add around 200 calories:

• Sprinkle an extra tablespoon of chopped walnuts to your waffles at breakfast. (This adds about 50 calories.)
• Add 1/3 cup of diced avocado to your salad at lunch. (This adds about 75 calories.)
• Add 4 ounces of light yogurt to your nighttime snack. (This adds about 50 calories.)

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15-Minute Diabetic Meals

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