What is the “right” diet for someone with diabetes? That is a question that has been debated for thousands of years. The diet now recommended for people with diabetes is basically the same as the healthy diet recommended for everyone. It contains about 50 percent carbohydrates (including foods with plenty of natural fiber, such as fruits and whole-grain cereals), about 20 percent proteins, and 30 percent or less fats. People with diabetes should try to avoid refined sugars, such as table sugar, which pass quickly into the blood.

The amount of food that a person with diabetes eats is particularly important, both for those taking insulin and for those being treated with diet alone. There should be enough food to provide nourishment without causing weight gain (except in actively growing children). Obese people need a diet that will help them lose weight, because in Type II diabetes lowering the weight to normal will often decrease or even eliminate the need for any other therapy.

Many people with diabetes go to a dietitian or a nutritionist to help them develop a dietary program. A dietitian may be recommended by a physician or local diabetes group such as the American Diabetes Association.

Helpful diet plans for treating diabetes have been drawn up. These plans operate on the basis of “exchanges,” portions of foods that are equivalent in type and amount of nourishment. Substitutions may be made within exchange groups. For example, a person might eat a portion of cereal or spaghetti instead of bread. An ounce of lean beef could be exchanged for an ounce of fish. Some of the equivalents are not so obvious—starchy vegetables like peas, for example, are more similar in nutrient value to breads and cereals than to vegetables like green beans. The diet may allow larger amounts of leafy green vegetables, which are very low in calories and carbohydrates, and high in fiber.

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