Tips and recipes to help you keep your diet on track.
By Kerri-Ann Jennings, MS, RD
WebMD Magazine - Feature
How do you get all the nutrition you need in a day while still being mindful of calories and carbs? The secret is to plan ahead.
Meal planning depends on lots of things, like your taste preferences, medications, and activity level, says Jill Weisenberger, RDN, CDE, author of Diabetes Weight Loss -- Week by Week.
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But good general advice to follow is to keep your carbs consistent -- eat the same amount at breakfast, lunch, and dinner to keep blood sugar from spiking or dipping too low. Weisenberger recommends 45 grams as a target for the three main meals of the day. "If you go lower than 30 grams at a meal, it's going to be really hard to get all the nutrients you need, such as fiber and phytochemicals," the health-boosting nutrients in fruits and vegetables.
This sample meal plan provides 1,400 calories. Supplement with healthy snacks to reach your personal calorie goals.
Breakfast
If you're rushed in the mornings, make breakfast a snap with mix-and-match prepared items such as hardboiled eggs, nuts or seeds, a part-skim cheese stick, peanut butter, or yogurt for protein; toast, crispbread, or unsweetened instant oatmeal for whole grains; plus any kind of fruit -- dried fruit, a banana, an apple.
Menu
Avocado Toast and Egg
Café au lait made with a half cup 1% milk
Medium orange
Avocado Toast and Egg
This has to be one of the most satisfying, easy breakfasts around, thanks to a helping of fiber from the avocado and whole-grain bread. For an extra flavor kick, sprinkle with Cajun seasoning or smoked paprika.
Makes 1 serving.
Ingredients:
1 slice 100% whole grain bread
1/5 avocado
1 egg
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Toast bread. Scoop out avocado and mash onto toast. Top with a poached or soft-boiled egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Per serving: 235 calories, 10 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 164 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 194 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 52%
Lunch
Getting out of the two-slices-of-bread sandwich rut can be an easy way to control carbs. Stick to a small whole wheat pita or enjoy some rye crispbreads alongside a protein- and veggie-loaded salad or soup for a satisfying midday meal.
Menu
Whole wheat pita stuffed with Curried Tempeh Waldorf Salad and watercress
Curried Tempeh Waldorf Salad
Tempeh stands in for chicken in this fruit- and nut-studded salad. Look for a 100% whole wheat pita that has between 70 and 90 calories per serving (either a mini pita or half of a large one).
Makes 3 servings
Ingredients:
8 oz tempeh
½ cup water
⅜ cup vegan mayonnaise or light mayo
1 tsp tamari
1 tbsp curry powder
source : Your Diabetes Menu Plan
