I get this question from a lot of people – I am eating all the right things, help me with the quantities. How do I take all the nutrition information and translate into how much should I eat on a daily basis?
Here is an easy to follow guideline. I am assuming you are trying to follow a 1500 calorie diet. This is what you need as your daily food intake:
· 6 carbohydrates choices
· 6 protein choices
· 4 vegetable choices
· 2 fruits choices
· 2 milk choices
Serving size for one choice for each food group:
· Carbohydrates
o 1/3 cup brown rice
o ¼ cup whole barley
o ¼ cup whole wheat
o ½ cup brown rice pasta
o 1 slice whole grain bread
o ½ cup Oatmeal
o 4-6 whole grain crackers
§ To get 6 choices of carbohydrates in your diet every day, you may have ½ cup Oatmeal and 2 slices of bread for breakfast, 1/4 cup barley for lunch, 4 crackers for snack, ½ cup brown rice pasta for dinner.
· Protein
o 4 oz. fat free chicken breast
o 4 oz. salmon filet
o 1 egg white
o 4 oz. tofu
o 4 oz. tempeh or any other form of soy protein
o 1 tablespoon peanut butter
o 1 oz. cottage cheese
§ To get 6 parts of proteins in a day, you may try 2 egg whites at breakfast, 1 serving of chicken breast at lunch. 1 ounce of cottage cheese for snack, 8 oz. soy protein for dinner to get your daily totals.
· Vegetables
o ½ cup cooked vegetables
§ Broccoli, cauliflower, red cabbage, green cabbage, spinach, mustard greens, leaks, kale, swiss chards, snake gourd, red and yellow peppers, celery, cucumbers, radishes, turnips, zucchini, endives, red and green lettuce
§ To get 4 parts of vegetables, eat a cup at lunch and another cup at dinner
· Fruits
o 1/2 medium apple
o ¼ banana
o ¼ cup blueberries
o ¼ cup blackberries
o 1 slice cantaloupe
o 1 slice grapefruit
§ Eat half an apple as your morning snack and ¼ cup blueberries as your dessert to get your two fruit servings
· Milk
o 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
o 1 cup plain, fat free, sugar-free Greek yogurt
§ Take your milk with the cereal and ½ cup yogurt at each meal time
· Fats
o You would get fat throughout the day as you consume various preparations.
o In addition, you may consume 6 almonds or 6 walnuts as a snack to get your two fat choices per day.
The trick to controlling your blood sugars is to have complex forms of foods (whole grains, fibrous fruits and vegetables etc.) that do not digest rapidly and cause sugar spikes. Eat regularly, controlling your serving sizes, and eat healthy. Try the recipes posted on this blog and measure your fasting and post prandial sugar levels. Keep track of what works for you. And like any exercise program, vary your staples every 4 to 6 weeks. Combine these eating healthy habits with at least 30 minute exercise (you can break into chunks after every meal) and continue with your medications as prescribed by your Physicians. You are on track to take control of your A1Cs. Keep up the good work.
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