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Serve It Up Right

Reading Labels

Serving Sizes

Carb Counting

Importance of Fiber

Types of Fat

Beyond Serving Size

Mindful Eating

Thoughts on Alcohol

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Mealtime Ideas
Resources

Just the Right Amount

Your healthcare team can show you how many calories and
carbohydrates you should eat at each meal based on your age,
weight, activity, and glucose level. One of the best ways to control
your blood sugar is to focus on your carb servings for each meal.
One carb serving is equal to 15 grams of carbohydrates. Most men
can set a goal of 4-5 carb servings per meal, and most women can
aim for 3-4 carb servings per meal.
Check with your healthcare team about how many carb servings
you should be incorporating into your meal plan.

Simply Setup Meals

The plate method is a great place to start if youre looking to live a
healthier lifestyle by balancing your nutrients throughout the day.

Decoding Food Labels

Its very useful to learn how to read food labels and
understand the numbers on them. So lets look at a sample label.
The % Daily Value represents the percentage of nutrients in one
serving of food that the FDA believes you should consume on a
daily basis (based on a 2000 calorie per day diet).

Serving Sizes
The portion youre planning to eat may not be the same as the
serving size on the label. So if the label serving size is cup and
you eat cup, you are getting twice the calories, fat, and carbs
listed on the label.

Carb Counting
Many people with diabetes count carbs because that total carb
intake has the strongest impact on post-meal blood sugar levels.
The total carbohydrates listed on the food label include sugar, fiber,
and complex carbs.
Its a good idea to spread your carb intake out across your meals
for the day. Skipping carbs completely in the morning and then
overloading for dinner can cause a huge spike in your blood
sugar levels.

Make Friends with Fiber

A meal plan high in dietary fiber may help balance blood sugar
levels by slowing the breakdown of carbs into sugar. Fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and beans are all good sources of fiber,
which is an important part of any meal plan. Its a good idea to
eat about 25-30 grams of fiber a day.

Good Fat vs. Saturated Fat

Although fat is helpful in slowing the breakdown of carbs
into sugar, its important to limit saturated fat, trans fat, and
cholesterol. Eating less of these foods may help lower your risk
of heart disease. Some fat is okay in your diet, so its a good idea
to consider unsaturated fat sources like avocados and healthy
nuts like almonds. And be sure to eat reasonable servings of
these foods.

More Than Just Serving Sizes

Figuring out how much a serving size is can be a bit confusing.
Below is a helpful trick to help make sense of how much a cup
and ounce is.

Heres a list of common foods you might eat each day. It gives
you an idea of the number of calories and carbs in each food.

Nutritional Guides

Nutritional Guides

Nutritional Guides

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Nutritional Guides

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Nutritional Guides

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Mindful Eating
Many foods you cook or order every day can be made
healthier without losing taste and without much effort.
Try replacing unhealthy food with something thats better
for you. But as always be mindful about your portion sizes.
When you go out to eat, look for the key healthy words on
the menu such as grilled, broiled, and roasted, instead
of items that may be fried in saturated fats or include
unnecessary breading.

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Drinks with Friends

Drinking alcohol lowers your blood sugar levels sometimes
with very little warning, and that can be dangerous. Ask your
healthcare provider if its okay to drink alcohol at all, and if it is,
find out how to manage your blood sugar levels when drinking.
If you decide to have a drink, be sure to eat something, too.
Never drink on an empty stomach.

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Mealtime Ideas
If youre looking to lose some weight,
reducing your serving sizes can
sometimes help. And if you lose
weight, this can also help lower your
blood sugar levels, as well as allow
insulin to work more efficiently in
your body. A true win-win. Here are
some suggestions for a days worth
of tasty meals and snacks for people
who are counting carbs.

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Mealtime Ideas

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Resources
There are plenty of online resources for people with diabetes.
Some of them also contain advice on recipes, carb counting and
making smart meal plans.

American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE)

www.diabeteseducator.org
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
www.diabetes.org
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
www.eatright.org
dLife
www.dlife.com
National Diabetes Education Program
www.ndep.nih.gov
Taking Control of Your Diabetes
www.tcoyd.com

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2014 Sanofi US. All rights reserved.

US.GLA.14.07.011 Last Update: July 2014