Following a diabetic diet helps reduce the risk of spikes in blood glucose levels. A well-balanced diet is important in maintaining healthy blood glucose levels. There are basically two types of diabetic diets. One diabetic diet has portions for each food group outlined in the meals and snacks for the day. The other form of diabetic diet is less structured and only requires the diabetic patient to count the number of carbohydrates consumed during the day. That diabetic diet is called carbohydrate counting or carb counting.
No matter which diabetic diet is used, some foods are considered diabetic free foods. These are foods that do not negatively impact blood glucose levels. These foods are called free foods because they can be eaten without being counted towards the day’s total. These can be important to a diabetic patient for a number of reasons.
Free foods in diabetic diets can be used as substitutes for foods that could increase blood glucose levels. For example, there are several beverages that are considered free foods. Coffee, tea, mineral water, carbonated water, diet soft drinks, and sugar-free tonic water are beverages that are free foods.
If a diabetic patient is used to drinking regular soft drinks, which contain a lot of sugar, the diabetic patient could have problems with blood sugar levels. Therefore, it would benefit the diabetic patient to change to drinking a beverage that is a free food instead of regular soft drinks.
Free foods can also be helpful to convert recipes from a standard, fattening recipe to a dietetic recipe. They can also help if a diabetic patient is still hungry if the diabetic patient does not want to or can’t use any more foods that aren’t free foods. If a diabetic patient has all their meals planned for the day but they need a small snack, they could use a free food instead of having to change their plans so that they eat the correct number of portions for each food group.
Bouillon, broth, sugar-free hard candy, sugar-free Jell-O, sugar-free gum are free foods that may help someone who is just a little hungry between scheduled meals and snacks. Light or low-sugar jam or jelly and two tsp. sugar-free syrup are free foods that could be used to add variety or flavor to a meal or snack.
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February 20th, 2009 at 6:31 am
A good number of things have been covered in your diabetic diets suggestions.
I think people will also like what I have written about on foods for a diabetic to eat
It complements what you have written in your post.