The Diabetes Food Pyramid
The Diabetes Food Pyramid
Healthy Eating Guidelines
Pre-Diabetes Diet
The Diabetes food pyramid is a tool to help you create a nutritious Diabetes diet plan to help control your blood sugar levels and reduce your body fat.
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Source:National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) http://ndep.nih.gov
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For a more personalized meal plan, click MyPyramid to create your individual version of MyPyramid.
- Grains, Beans, and Starchy Vegetables
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Choose whole-grain foods such as whole-grain bread or crackers,
tortillas, bran cereal, brown rice, or bulgar. They’re nutritious and
high in fiber.
Choose beans as a good source of fiber.
Use whole-wheat or other whole-grain flours in cooking and baking.
Choose breads prepared without fat such as bagels, tortillas, English muffins, and pita bread.
For snacks, try pretzels or low-fat crackers.
(6 or more servings daily)
- A serving can be:
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1 slice bread
1/2 small bagel, English muffin, or pita bread
1/2 hamburger or hot dog bun
1 6-inch tortilla
4 to 6 crackers
1/2 cup cooked cereal, pasta, or bulgur
1/3 cup cooked rice
3/4 cup dry cereal
1/2 cup cooked beans, lentils, peas, or corn
1 small potato
1 cup winter squash
1/2 cup sweet potato or yam
- Vegetables
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Choose fresh or frozen vegetables without added sauces, fats, or salt.
Choose more dark green and deep yellow vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, romaine, carrots, chillies, and pepers. - A serving can be:
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1 cup raw vegetables
1/2 cup cooked vegetables
1/2 cup tomato or vegetable juice
(3-5 servings daily)
- Fruits
- A serving can be:
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1 small fresh fruit
1/2 cup canned fruit in it’s own unsweetened juice
1/4 cup dried fruit
1/2 cup fruit juice - Milk
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Choose low-fat or nonfat milk or yogurt.
Yogurt has natural sugar in it. It can also have added sugar or
artificial sweeteners. Yogurt with artificial sweeteners has fewer
calories than yogurt with added sugar. - A serving can be:
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1 cup milk
1 cup yogurt - Meat and Other Protein
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Choose fish and poultry more often. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey
Select lean cuts of beef, veal, pork or wild game.
Trim all visible fat from meat.
Bake, roast, broil, grill, or boil instead of frying or adding fat.
(2-4 servings daily)
(2-3 servings daily)
(2-3 servings daily)
* equivalent to 1 oz. of meat
- Fats
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Eat monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat found in plant and fish.
Eat less saturated fat. It is found in meat and animal products such as hamburger, cheese, bacon, and butter.
Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature.
Eat less trans fat found in processed foods like pastry and margarine.
- A serving can be:
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1/8 avocado
1 Tbsp. cream cheese or salad dressing
1 tsp. butter, margarine, oil, or mayonnaise
10 peanuts
1 slice of bacon.
- Sweets
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Choose sweets less often because they are high in fat and sugar.
When you do eat sweets, make them part of your healthy diet. Don’t eat them as extras.
- A serving can be:
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1/2 cup ice cream
1 small cupcake or muffin
2 small cookies
If you choose to drink alcohol, limit the amount and have it with
a meal. Check with your health professional about a safe amount for you.
- A serving can be:
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12 ounces of beer (regular or light, 150 calories)
5 ounces of wine (100 calories)
1 ounces of 80-proof whiskey (100 calories)
For more information about the best plan for you, talk with a
registered dietitian (RD). To obtain a referral to an RD in your area,
call The American Dietetic Association/National Center for Nutrition
and Dietetics Hot Line 800-366-1655 or the American Diabetes
Association 800-DIABETES (342-2382).
