The Food Pyramid Diet.
Diabetics are now frequently told that they do not require a special diet, they just have to eat the same healthy diet as other people should be eating.
That leaves them wondering exactly what that 'healthy diet' is. Well here's the answer, per kind favour of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The Food Pyramid
About a decade ago they developed The Food Pyramid, the aim of which was to easily show people how to make healthy and nutritious food choices. You ate most foods from those at the base of the pyramid and less the higher up you went.
(In 2005 they revised these guidelines and now have a new Food Pyramid).
How it works
You work out with your dietician the amount of calories you can have per day and then make sensible healthy choices from the categories in the pyramid. The recommendation was that you had a number of portions a day from each category.
Category 6
Fats, oils or sweets. Sparingly.
Category 5
Dairy e.g. milk, yoghurt, cheese etc. 2-3 portions.
Category 4
Protein e.g. meat, poultry, fish, beans, legumes etc.2-3 portions.
Category 3
Vegetables 3-5 portions.
Category 2
Fruit 2-4 portions
Category 1
Carbohydrates e.g. bread, grains, pasta, rice etc. 6-11 portions
This link will take you to :-
the US Food Pyramid if you would like to explore it further.
Diabetes UK has a similar system.
This puts the five categories of food onto a plate, with wedges differing in size depending on the proportion of the food you need to eat for a balanced diet. It looks rather like a pie chart.
The largest wedge is for carbohydrates, in the form of bread, cereal and potatoes, followed by fruit and vegetables, then Milk and dairy products, Meat, fish and alternatives and lastly foods containing fats or sugars.
Try this link for a picture of :-
the UK Food Plate and further information about this system.
The Problem
The problem is that although this may work admirably for non-diabetics it is very possible that diabetics sensitive to various foodstuffs within these groups could see disproportionate swings in their bg's.
Plenty of testing with your trusty meter may well be needed to find just which foods to eat and which to avoid.