Meal Plan for a 2000 Calorie Diabetic Diet

Diabetes mellitus is a condition characterized by abnormally high blood-sugar levels caused by the body's failure to produce or use insulin, a hormone responsible for breaking down glucose to convert it into energy. Diabetes complications include heart ailments, renal failure, blindness, coma or even death. Diabetic diet is a treatment for this condition apart from administration of insulin injections.

Significance of the 2000-calorie Diabetic Diet

This diabetic diet is for large women and small-, medium- or large-size men who are reasonably active. It provides the patient the ideal number of calories he needs to keep going and to simultaneously keep his blood glucose, cholesterol and blood-pressure levels under control to avert diabetes complications.

Components of a 2000-Calorie Diabetic Meal

This diet is high in dietary and soluble fiber, low in saturated fats and low in carbohydrates that aggravate diabetes because of high glycemic index. Ideally, 20 percent of the calories allowed should come from proteins. Thirty percent may come from fats, of which only a maximum of 10 percent can be saturated fats because they cause cholesterol. Fifty or 60 percent can come from carbohydrates.

Diet Exchange System

The Diet Exchange system achieves the 2000-calorie diabetic diet goal by classifying all foods into six groups: starches, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, low-fat milk and fats. A fixed-quantity serving of foods in each of these categories has the same proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. You can exchange foods of two categories.

Carbohydrate Counting

This method of achieving the 2000-calorie diabetic diet focuses only on carbohydrates. The foods that come under starches, fruits and low fat milk have the same amount of carbohydrates in each serving (15 g). They can be exchanged also.

The diabetic diet sets limits on the number of servings of carbohydrates, proteins and fats a patient should have a day to achieve the 2000-calorie goal. The meal plan also involves manipulating the distribution of these servings amid different meals taken at different times of the day to control blood sugar levels.

Hence, the meal plan should involve distributing the carbohydrate servings to at least three meals a day instead of having all at a single meal. Readjusting the carb intake in the latest meal will be required if the blood sugar levels is high at that time of the day. Consume carbohydrates with more fiber in them to get a better effect on the blood sugar levels.

Diabetics are recommended to have five small meals a day rather than three large meals.

Foods to Consume or Avoid

In your 2000-calorie diabetic diet, replace sugary foods (carbohydrates) with starchy foods (carbohydrates) like pasta and potatoes, because the former releases glucose into the blood more quickly than the latter.

Reduce your intake of proteins and fats to prevent gaining weight. Dairy products and meat containing saturated fats must be avoided. Replace fried, fatty foods containing saturated fats with steamed or grilled fatty foods containing unsaturated fats. Exchange fatty oil with olive oil that contains healthy fats. The meal plan must include five to six servings of fruits and vegetables daily for essential nutrients. Limit salty foods and replace salt in cooking with herbs and spices. Stay away from alcohol, which can lower blood sugar or cause heart diseases.

Food labels help in performing precise carbohydrate counts. Your exact personal 2000-calorie meal plan must be planned after consultation with a dietitian.