What Should I Eat
How Much Should I Eat
When Should I Eat


[ How Much Should I Eat ]

Instructions: This booklet is designed to be used with forms that you can personalize to meet your individual needs. To use the forms, print them out. If you do not have a printer, or would rather complete the "Your Turn" forms using a hard-copy booklet, please contact the NDIC Information Clearinghouse at National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse and request a copy of the Nutrition Series. Even if you don't use the forms, the following information will help you develop a healthy diet. Step 1: Answer the "Your Turn" questionnaire. Your answers will result in a set of personalized food planning forms. Step 2: Print out the forms. Step 3: Return here and complete your forms as you read the following information. Contents: How Much Should I Eat? How Can I Eat Healthy? What Measuring Tools Can Help? The Food Pyramid How Many Servings Should I Eat? Starches Vegetables Fruit Milk and Yogurt Protein Fats and Oils Sugary Foods Points To Remember How To Find More Help Acknowledgments National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse How Much Should I Eat?   Eat healthy foods in the proper   amounts for you.   Weigh and measure foods to make sure you eat the right amounts. How much you should eat depends on Whether you are a man or woman. How much you weigh. How tall you are. Your age. How much you exercise. The type of work or other activity you do every day. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding. How Can I Eat Healthy? Eat healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, breads and cereals, low-fat dairy foods, and lean meats. Eat healthy foods in the proper amounts for you. Remember, even healthy foods can cause problems if you eat too much of them. A diabetes teacher can help you decide how much food you should eat. What Measuring Tools Can Help Me Eat the Right Amount of Food? Measuring cups. Measuring spoons. A food scale. The Nutrition Facts labels on food packages help you learn how much food is in one serving.   The Food Pyramid Seven food groups make up the food pyramid. The food pyramid helps you decide how many servings of each food group to eat. It shows that you should eat the most servings from the starches, vegetables, and fruits—the largest sections of the food pyramid. You should eat small amounts from the sugary foods and fats and oils sections of the pyramid. How Many Servings of Starches Should I Eat? The grains, cereal, rice, pasta, and starchy vegetables group is the largest part of the food pyramid. Examples of one serving of food from this group are Do you eat starches that are not listed? Ask your diabetes teacher how much and how often to eat them. Also ask the healthiest ways to eat them. Remember, you might need more than one serving at a meal. If you need two servings, eat double the amount or eat one serving each of two starches. Every time you eat foods like dry cereal, hot cereal, pasta, or rice, use the same type of bowl or plate. Measure the correct serving with a measuring tool. When you eat the food again, fill the bowl to the same level. Use a measuring tool to measure foods once in a while to make sure your servings are still correct. How Many Servings of Vegetables Should I Eat? Vegetables are in the next level of the food pyramid. Examples of one serving of food from the vegetable group are Do you eat vegetables that are not listed? Ask your diabetes teacher how much and how often to eat them. Also ask the healthiest ways to eat them. Remember, you might need more than one serving at a meal. If you need two servings, eat double the amount or eat one serving each of two vegetables. If you buy fresh vegetables, buy the vegetables you like in the serving size you should eat. For example, buy small tomatoes or small squashes. If you buy vegetables in servings that are larger than you need, you might eat too much. How Many Servings of Fruit Should I Eat? Fruits are on the same level of the food pyramid as the vegetable group. Examples of one serving of food from the fruit group are Do you eat fruits that are not listed? Ask your diabetes teacher how much and how often to eat them. Also ask the healthiest ways to eat them. Remember, you might need more than one serving at a meal. If you need two servings, eat double the amount or eat one serving each of two fruits. If you buy fresh fruits, buy small to medium pieces. If the pieces of fruit you buy are too big, you might eat too much. How Many Servings of Milk and Yogurt Should I Eat? Milk and yogurt are on the next level of the food pyramid. One serving of food from the milk and yogurt group is Do you eat milk and yogurt-type foods that are not listed? Ask your diabetes teacher how much and how often to eat them. Also ask the healthiest ways to eat them. Always drink milk out of the same size of glass. Fill a 1-cup measuring cup with milk. Pour the milk into your glass. See how high it fills the glass. Measure the amount of milk in a measuring cup once in a while to make sure your servings are still correct. How Many Servings of Protein Foods Should I Eat? Protein foods are on the same level of the food pyramid as milk and yogurt. Examples of one serving (about 2 to 3 ounces) of food from the protein food group are Do you eat protein foods that are not listed? Ask your diabetes teacher how much and how often to eat them. Also, ask the healthiest ways to eat them. If you cannot weigh the food, make sure the serving is about the size and thickness of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards. Remember, meats weigh more before they are cooked. For example: 4 ounces of raw meat weighs 3 ounces after cooking. If the meat has bone, like a pork chop or a chicken leg, then cook 5 ounces raw to get 3 ounces cooked. How Many Servings of Fats and Oils Should I Eat? Fats and oils are part of the smallest section of the food pyramid. This means you should eat fats and oils only in small amounts. Examples of one serving of fats and oils are Do you eat fats or oils that are not listed? Ask your diabetes teacher how much and how often to eat them. Also ask the healthiest way to eat them. Use measuring spoons to learn how much fat or oil to use. Then, when you do not have measuring spoons, like in a restaurant, you will know how much to use. It is easy to eat too much fat and oil. How Many Servings of Sugary Foods Should I Eat? Sugary foods are part of the smallest section of the food pyramid. This means you should eat sugary foods only once in a while. Examples of one serving of sugary foods and sweets are Do you eat sugary foods that are not listed? Ask your diabetes teacher how much and how often to eat them. Also ask the healthiest ways to eat them. Here are ways to eat small portions of sugary foods: Split and share desserts in restaurants. Order small or child-size servings of ice cream or frozen yogurt. Divide homemade desserts into small servings and wrap each piece separately. Freeze the extra servings. Do not have candy dishes around the house or near you at work. Points To Remember To follow a healthy eating plan Eat the right number of servings of food from each of the food groups. Eat these foods in the right amounts. Use your measuring tools. Choose foods in the proper serving size when you shop. How To Find More Help 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." Dietitians 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." Two other booklets can help you learn more about food and diabetes: I Have Diabetes: What Should I Eat? I Have Diabetes: When Should I Eat? National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 1 Information Way Bethesda, MD 20892-3560 E-mail: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Public Health Service. Established in 1978, the clearinghouse provides information about diabetes to people with diabetes and their families, health care professionals, and the public. NDIC answers inquiries; develops, reviews, and distributes publications; and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about diabetes. Publications produced by the clearinghouse are reviewed carefully for scientific accuracy, content, and readability. This e-text is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse encourages users of this e-pub to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired. NIH Publication No. 98-4243 November 1997 e-text last updated: 6 April 1998