The Diabetic Food Exchange List: Helping You Eat Well

Diet is one of the most important components of a diabetes care and maintenance regimen. Using the diabetic food exchange list is an excellent way to ensure a healthy meal each time. It also helps expand your choices when preparing or choosing a menu What is the Diabetic Food Exchange List? The diabetic food exchange list is a system that makes up the structure of your personal diabetes meal plan. It is quite useful especially if you’re looking for variety in your diet without sacrificing the necessary elements that are required for your condition. This way, you can look at several types of foods available and then decide which ones to use for a particular meal without worrying you might be using the wrong type of food or food combination. How Does It Work? In the diabetic food exchange list, foods are grouped into several basic types – fruits, dairy and dairy products, starches, meat and meat substitutes, sugars, et cetera. The exchange list will tell you how much of each food in each group you can eat while maintaining your daily recommended calories because calorie information is included with each food portion. Each food on the exchange list is called an “exchange” and the system will guide you in determining which foods equal one exchange. It’s easy to substitute one food for the other because the exchange list will indicate which foods have the same nutrients, carbohydrate, and calorie content. If you swap a certain food with another, you get the same nutrients provided you follow the recommended portion control. The diabetic food exchange list will help you measure food, regardless of which group it belongs to. This means you won’t need the assistance of a nutritionist or dietitian every step along the way. Long-term use of the exchange list will train you into knowing how to make good estimates of the ideal serving size of any food that may be available to you at any given moment. Whichever you pick, you will get the same nutrients. Here’s an example: Vegetables All vegetables may be included in the diabetic food exchange list. One exchange is about half a cup of cooked or raw vegetables which contains carbohydrates and protein. When used with salad dressing, however, add one fat exchange. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are a vital component of any diabetic diet because they are your body’s major source of energy. Half of your daily calorie intake should come from this food group. Any of these foods may be exchanged or swapped, depending on your needs or preference: One-half hot dog or hamburger bun or one slice of bread 1/3 cup of cooked pasta or a single 5-inch pancake. 3/4 cup cereals (unsweetened) or cup cooked oatmeal or grits one tortilla or six small saltine crackers or 15 pcs. of fat free corn chips 1/4 bagel or one-half pita bread Fruits Fruits can be an excellent source of fiber, water, and natural sugar. The fruits listed below contain about sixty calories each with zero fat. 1/4 cup watermelon or one-third small cantaloupe or 1/2 cup berries 1/2 cup orange/grapefruit juice or 1/2 cup of pineapple or apple juice or 1/3 cup grape juice 1/2 banana or one small apple Meats Meats are an important source of protein. Choose only lean meats and skinless portions for poultry. High-fat meats can increase your cholesterol level. 1 oz. tuna or one egg or two egg whites 1 oz. ground beef or 1 oz. of low-fat cheese or cottage cheese 1 oz. of fish or 1 oz. of dark meat poultry (skinless) 1 oz. lean pork or 1 oz. lean beef Milk and Milk Products 2/3 cup of fat free yogurt or 3/4 cup of yogurt sourced from 2% milk one cup nonfat or skim milk or one cup 1% milk (2% milk will also do) Sweets The foods listed below are a reliable source of both carbohydrates and fats, but they can also be great for your dessert in case you have the craving. 1/3 cup low fat frozen yogurt or 1/2 cup ice cream 1 2-inch square brownie or two small cookies or one granola bar More Details on The Diabetic Food Exchange List There are listings of food exchange lists available on sites such as diabetes.org for free but if you want a more comprehensive exchange list, you can also opt to buy them. Simply log on to the sites and order your own diabetic food exchange list online. Up-to-date news has reported cases of respiratory disease in workers that have been linked to the chemicals in butter flavoring for popcorn, but research shows knowledge of this linkage isn’t “new.” Harmful for the workers A May 7th article in the Washington Post reports that 44-year-old Irma Ortiz was diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans, an exceedingly rare and life-threatening disease. Her job in the food-flavoring industry is what landed her in a whole group full of workers with this lung-obstructing disease. While news of another victim has turned up in the media as of late, news of the linkage between the chemical used in the butter flavoring, diacetyl and this life-threatening lung disease has been around for almost 7 years. In 2001, academic studies have proved diacetyl’s harmful effects, according to the Washington Post, and since then major popcorn companies have paid out over $100 million in lawsuits over this issue. However, there seems to be no known regulation for the use of diacetyl. Washington Post reported in May that the Occupational Safety and Health administration is still deciding on standards for workers who handle this chemical. In the meantime, affected workers and their families have not been quiet. There have been movements set up to fight against what they label as “popcorn worker’s lung.” In fact, a Web site called ButterFlavoringLungInjury.com claims that the problem has been going on since 1992. Harmful for the consumers Recent research conducted by Denver’s National Jewish Medical and Research Center claims that the fumes from microwaving a bag of popcorn at home can be just as harmful as working in the facilities with the fumes. They warn against going near the bag when it is still steaming, as the vapor form of the diacetyl is what’s harmful. Diacetyl is used as a flavoring agent and produces the butter-flavored smell of popcorn and breathing in these fumes (and smelling includes breathing through your nose) is what can cause this life-threatening lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans. But a recent article in the Boston Globe claims that due to the recent uproar, these major popcorn companies like Orville Redenbacher, Pop Secret, Jolly Time, and Act II have decided to halt the use of diacetyl in their products. They are looking for alternatives to butter flavoring but suggest that consumers try regular popcorn or other flavors without butter.