Diabetes: Using a food guide - 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. Many people use the MyPyramid guide to plan a healthy diet.

Key points

• People with diabetes can use a modified version of MyPyramid to help them spread the amount of carbohydrate they eat throughout the day.
• 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 per 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.

 What is a food guide for people with diabetes?
 Why use a food guide for diabetes?
 How to use a food guide in your diet for diabetes
 Where to go from here

More information about diabetes can be found in these topics:

• Type 1 Diabetes
• Type 1 Diabetes: Recently Diagnosed
• Type 1 Diabetes: Living With the Disease
• Type 1 Diabetes: Living With Complications
• Type 1 Diabetes: Children Living With the Disease
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes: Recently Diagnosed
• Type 2 Diabetes: Living With the Disease
• Type 2 Diabetes: Living With Complications
• Type 2 Diabetes in Children
• Gestational Diabetes

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