Balancing Food Groups

Protein foods are meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, fish, and tofu. Eat small amounts of some of these foods each day.

Protein foods help your body build tissue and muscles. They also give your body vitamins and minerals.

The number of servings you should eat each day depends on the calories you need and how you take care of your diabetes.

One serving:

• Two to three ounces of cooked fish
• Two to three ounces of cooked chicken
• Two to three ounces of cheese
• Two to three ounces of tofu

The serving size you eat now may be too big.

One serving should weigh between 2 and 3 ounces after cooking, about the size of a deck of cards.

• Buy cuts of beef, pork, ham, and lamb that have only a little fat on them. Trim off extra fat.
• Eat chicken or turkey without the skin.
• Cook protein foods in low-fat ways:
  • Broil.
  • Grill.
  • Stir-fry.
  • Roast.
  • Steam.
  • Stew.
• To add more flavor, use vinegar, lemon juice, soy or teriyaki sauce, salsa, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and herbs and spices.
• Cook eggs with a small amount of fat.
• Eat small amounts of nuts, peanut butter, fried chicken, fish, or shellfish. They are high in fat.

You find the fats and oils section at the tip of the pyramid. This tells you to eat small amounts of fats and oils because they have lots of calories. Some fats and oils also contain saturated fats and cholesterol that are not good for you.

You also get fat from other foods such as meats and some dairy foods.

High-fat food is tempting. But eating small amounts of high-fat food will help you lose weight, keep your blood sugar and blood fats under control, and lower your blood pressure.

One serving:

• One strip of bacon
• One teaspoon of oil

Two servings:

• One tablespoon of regular salad dressing
• Two tablespoons of light salad dressing and One tablespoon of light mayonnaise

Your meals may include one or two servings of fat.

You find the sugary foods and sweets section at the tip of the pyramid. This tells you to eat small amounts of sugary foods.

Sugary foods have calories and do not have much nutrition. Sugary foods have lots of calories. Some sugary foods are also high in fat--like cakes, pies, and cookies. They also may contain saturated fats and cholesterol.

Sugary foods and sweets are tempting. But eating small amounts of sugary foods will help you lose weight, keep your blood sugar under control, control your blood fats, and lower your blood pressure.

One serving:

• One 3 inch diameter cookie
• One plain cake doughnut
• Four chocolate kisses
• One tablespoon of maple syrup

Once in a while you can eat a serving of a sugary food. Talk to your diabetes teacher about how to fit sugary foods into your meal plan.

Eat a serving of sugar-free popsicles, diet soda, fat-free ice cream or yogurt, or sugar-free hot cocoa mix once in a while.

Remember, fat-free and low-sugar foods still have some calories. Eat them as part of your meal plan.

To follow a healthy eating plan:

• Choose foods from all six food groups each day
• Eat a wide variety of foods from each group to get all your vitamins and minerals.
• Eat enough starches, vegetables, fruits, and low-fat milk and yogurt.
• Eat smaller amounts of lower fat protein foods.
• Eat fewer fats, oils, and sugary foods.

Diabetes Teachers (nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and other health professionals)

• To find a diabetes teacher near you, call the American Association of Diabetes Educators toll-free at 1-800-TEAMUP4 (1-800-832-6874).

Recognized Diabetes Education Programs (teaching programs approved by the American Diabetes Association)

• To find a program near you, call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or look at its Internet home page http://www.diabetes.org and click on "Diabetes Info."

• To find a dietitian near you, call The American Dietetic Association's National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics at 1-800-366-1655 or look at its Internet home page http://www.eatright.org and click on "Find a Dietitian."

Reprinted with permission from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse

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