Introduction
A food guide is a tool for planning a
balanced diet. A healthy diet provides the nutrients your body needs and
decreases your risk for heart disease and other conditions.
Key points
- A food guide contains the same foods your family eats. You do
not have to eat special foods.
- You can successfully follow this
method by:
- Planning your family meals ahead of time
so you can enjoy the same foods as other family members.
- Providing
lots of variety in the foods you eat so it's easier to follow your
plan.
- Testing your blood sugar after meals to see what effect
different foods have on your blood sugar level.
- Women with diabetes who are pregnant or
breast-feeding need the same nutrition as pregnant or breast-feeding women who
do not have diabetes. Pregnant women need more of all nutrients, but they
especially need iron and folic acid and should get supplements of these. During
the second and third trimester, you also need about 300 calories a day more
than you did before pregnancy. Regular meals and snacks are important to
prevent low blood sugar during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Talk to your
registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator about changes you may need
to make to your food plan.
More information about diabetes can be found in these
topics: