Diabetes: Using a plate format for eating

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Introduction

From Healthwise

A plate format is a simple way to plan a balanced diet. It helps people with diabetes see how much space each food should take on a plate. Anyone can use the plate format to maintain a healthy diet and to decrease the chances of having heart disease and other conditions.

Key points

Using a plate format will help you spread carbohydrate throughout the day, which will help keep your blood sugar level within your target range.
A plate format is an easy and simple way to plan meals until you have more time to learn about other meal planning methods for diabetes.
It can be used along with other meal-planning methods, such as carbohydrate counting or the food guide for diabetes.

What is a plate format?
Why would I use a plate format?
How to use a plate format
Where to go from here

More information about diabetes can be found in these topics:

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Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS	Last Updated: February 10, 2008
Medical Review:	Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Diabetes Educator

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