The menu is suitable for diabetics

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Vu Thi Duyen - Doctor of Nephrology - Endocrinology - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. The doctor has more than 11 years of experience in medical examination and treatment of general internal medicine, especially has strengths in examination and treatment specialized in nephrology - Endocrinology.
When you have diabetes, you should maintain a mixed but still complete diet that includes: Protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats, vitamins and micronutrients. So the question for diabetics should be what to eat and what to abstain from to get a meal that is both full of energy and balanced with nutrients and still has good blood sugar control.

1. It is necessary to plan a suitable diet for each patient with diabetes

A diet is a guide to you specifically about the foods you eat during the day, when you can eat, what and how much to eat to ensure the nutrition you need while keeping your blood sugar within the range. micro-targeted treatment. An effective eating plan involves eating well and achieving your blood sugar, appetite, and energy goals for activities, as well as any medications you're taking.
You need to plan regular meals and snacks to avoid too high or too low blood sugar. Carbohydrates (found in sugar, starch) and fiber, protein, and fat contained in foods all affect the body's blood sugar levels in different ways. Carbohydrates can raise blood sugar faster and higher than protein or fat. Fiber can help control blood sugar. So carbohydrates with fiber in them like sweet potatoes won't raise blood sugar as quickly as carbohydrate foods with little or no fiber, such as soda.

2. Choose the most suitable amount of Carbohydrate

Keeping track of the number of carbohydrates you'll eat and setting a limit for each meal can help keep your blood sugar within the therapeutic target range. So you need to work with your doctor or dietitian to figure out how many carbs you can eat each day and each meal, then consult a list of popular local foods that contain carbohydrates. and meal size.
Another way to manage the amount of carbohydrates you eat is to use the Glycemic Index (GI) which is the glycemic index. The GI ranks carbohydrates in foods from 0 to 100 according to how they affect blood sugar. Low GI foods are digested and absorbed more slowly by the body, so you stay fuller for longer and don't have a big impact on blood sugar. In contrast, high GI foods are digested and absorbed more quickly, leading to a greater effect on blood sugar and hunger.
Example:
High GI: Bread (white and wheat), mashed potatoes, watermelon, fruit juice
Low GI: Beans, brown rice, tomatoes, yogurt, apples, milk.

3. A Guide to the GI of Food

People with diabetes should choose foods with a low to moderate GI. When eating high GI foods should be eaten with low GI foods to balance blood glucose levels in the body. The GI of foods can change when you combine them with other foods.
The GI of a food is also affected by a number of other factors such as the ripeness of the fruit. Therefore, you need to choose foods with the right GI.
In general, processed foods are high in GI. For example, fruit juices and instant potatoes have a higher GI than both fresh fruit and baked potatoes.
Foods high in fat or fiber tend to have a lower GI.
Some foods are related but may have different GI values. For example, long grain white rice has a lower GI than brown rice, but short grain white rice has a higher GI than brown rice. Likewise, instant oats or instant buckwheat have a high GI, but whole oats and whole grain breakfast cereals have a lower GI.
When choosing foods, although healthy, you need to pay attention to the nutritional value of the entire meal as well as the GI of the food.
Some high GI foods are high in nutrients. Therefore, it is important to balance these foods with lower GI foods.
For many people with diabetes, it is necessary to measure the amount of carbohydrates accordingly to help control blood sugar well.
But if you have trouble controlling your blood sugar or want to keep it under control, you should talk to an endocrinologist for support.

4. The Plate Method

You probably eat a lot of food every day without even realizing it. Therefore, endocrinologists recommend that people with diabetes can apply the plate method. This is a simple, intuitive and easy to understand method to ensure that your diet has enough vegetables and fruits that do not contain a lot of starch and lean protein, but also limit foods with high carbohydrate content and can ability to spike blood sugar levels.
You should start with a 23cm serving plate with:
Half plate with non-starchy vegetables: Like salad, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and carrots. One-quarter plate: Lean protein, like chicken, turkey, beans, tofu, or eggs. The other quarter with a grain or starchy food such as potatoes, rice or pasta (or omit starches entirely and double the amount of non-starchy vegetables).

At Vinmec International General Hospital, we always deploy a screening package for diabetes and dyslipidemia to help detect pre-diabetes early, accurately classify diabetes type and develop a nutritional regimen, according to the guidelines. Monitor to reduce the risk and complications caused by diabetes.

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References: webmd.com, cdc.gov, medlineplus.gov