When you have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range helps you feel your best today and in the future. Healthy eating is a key component to controlling this level.

Sticking to the meal plan is one of the most challenging aspects of living with diabetes. It is important to stay motivated and overcome potential hurdles. Take a few moments to write some notes on what your hurdles might be and what you will do to overcome them. The motivation to stick with your meal plan will improve as you begin to experience the benefits of your hard work.

Consider the following factors regarding nutrition:

Timing of Meals—Meals should be spaced four to six hours apart. The blood sugars need time to come down between meals. If the meals are too close together the blood sugars may be too high before the meal and very high after the meal. It is important to eat three meals per day. If you snack, try to wait until at least two hours after the meal. Snacking too close to meal time usually results in high blood sugars after the meal. Try not to skip meals as this generally leads to poor diabetes control.

Carbohydrates (Carb counting)—Carbohydrates are an important source of many vitamins and nutrients. With diabetes, too much carbohydrate will raise the blood sugars. A meal plan designed specifically for you is an essential part of your diabetes self-management plan.

Food Quantity—Too much food will raise the blood sugars - even if it is healthy food. Try to have smaller portions and make sure you have three meals per day.

• Fat—It is important to eat less fat with diabetes. A high-fat diet tends to raise the blood sugars as well as the blood fats.
• Protein—Protein in moderate amounts (3-6 ounces per meal) will generally not raise the blood sugars. It is important that the meat/protein is a lean cut, cooked in a low-fat way.
• Recipes—To visit the Virtual Grocery Store at the American Diabetes Association for recipes and cooking tips, click here.
• Sugar Substitutes—Sugar substitutes such as Splenda®, Equal® and Nutrasweet® are fine to use in moderation in the diet.
• Nutrition Values of Foods—To visit the American Diabetes Association for information regarding nutrition content and percent daily value of foods in your diet, click here.