Basic eating guidelines for Diabetes patients

Follow this simple healthy eating plan if you have diabetes:

• Eat regular meals throughout the day.
• You may need to limit the serving size of your meals and snacks, as too much food will lead to an increase in body weight.
• Choose a food containing some carbohydrate at each meal. Examples of carbohydrate foods are bread, cereals, pasta, rice, fruit and starchy vegetables.
• Do not restrict your carbohydrate intake. Aim for at least 130g per day.
• Choose high fibre carbohydrate foods.
• Select a variety of healthy foods from the different food groups. Include breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products and lean meat.
• Limit saturated fats that are found in foods such as full fat dairy products (including cream, milk, icecream, yoghurt, butter and cheese), meat fat (trim the fat from meat and limit your intake of processed meats), fried foods, cakes, pastries and foods containing palm oil and coconut oil.
• Consume small amounts of unsaturated fats like olive, canola or sunflower oil, mono- or polyunsaturated margarines, oily fish, avocado, seeds and nuts.
• Baked items like cakes and biscuits should be eaten only occasionally and in small serves, even when they are low in fat.
• Avoid lollies and sweet soft drinks.
• Don’t add salt when you cook or at the table, and reduce the use of high salt foods.
• Limit alcohol to two standard drinks per day for men and one standard drink per day for women. Have at least two alcohol-free days per week.