Food planning

What, when and how much you eat affects your blood glucose levels. A food plan serves as a guide to help you make decisions about food and timing of meals or snacks.

Your food plan helps you:

• keep blood glucose levels on target
• maintain healthy levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides
• prevent diabetes complications
• maintain a healthy body weight
• eat healthily

Diabetes food plans should reflect your health needs and how you like to eat. Contrary to popular belief, there is no strict diabetes diet. You can enjoy all the foods you like and still take care of your diabetes. Work with a dietitian or other diabetes health care provider to create a food plan that fits your lifestyle and based on your:

• age
• gender
• weight goals
• eating preferences
• daily schedule
• diabetes medications

Learn more about food planning:

• carbohydrates
• carbohydrate counting
• making healthy choices