Healthy Diabetic Eating
The keys to healthy diabetic eating are as follows:
* Eat three balanced meals each day at regular times and space your meals every 4 to 6 hours apart.
* If you eat snacks, eat healthy snack 2 hours away from main meals.
* Limit sugars and sweets such as sugar, pop, desserts, candies, jam and honey.
* Limit the amount of high fat foods such as fried foods, chips and pastries.
* Eat more high fibre foods (whole grain breads and cereals, lentils, dried beans, peas, brown rice, fruits and vegetables)
* Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.
* Limit coffee and tea to no more than 3 cups a day.
* Drink moderate amount of alcohol and watch your salt intake
* Be physically active.
How much and what to eat?
Your hand can be very useful as a guide.
Your hand can be very useful as a guide.Grain and starches: Choose an amount up to the size of your fist. These include whole grain bread, cereals, rice (brown rice is preferred) , pasta etc.
Fruits: Choose an amount up to the size of your fist. Fruits include: oranges, bananas, grapes, pears, cantaloupes etc.
Meat and alternatives: Choose an amount up the size of the palm of your hand and as thick as your little finger. These include lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, soy products, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, nuts and seeds.
Vegetables: Choose as much as you can hold with two hands,
Fats: Limit fat to the size of the tip of your thumb (1tsp or 5 ml). Fats include butter, margarine, vegetable oil, mayonnaise, salad dressing, sour cream, cream cheese, nuts and seeds, avocado, bacon, chicken skin.
Based on these principles, we should be able to figure out meal plans.
Meal plan for smaller appetites 
Breakfast:
Cold cereal (1/2 cup, 125 mL)
Toast (whole grain bread; 1 slice)
1 banana or orange
Milk ( 1 cup, 250 mL)
Peanut butter (1 tbsp, 15 mL)
Tea or coffee
Lunch:
Sandwich
-1- 2 slices of whole grain bread
- lean meat, chicken, fish (2-3 oz, 60-90g)
- magarine or butter (1tsp, 5mL
Carrot Sticks or Green Salad.
Skim yougurt or milk (1 cup, 250 mL)
Tea or coffee or water
Dinner:
Potato (medium) or rice (2/3 cup, 160 mL)
Vegetables
Non-hydrogenated magarine or butter (1 tsp)
Lean meat, chicken or fish (2 oz, 60g)
Cantaloupe, or grapes (1cup, 250 mL)
Milk (1 cup, 250 mL)
Coffee, or tea.
Evening Snacks:
Low fat cheese (1 oz, 30g)
Whole grain crackers (4)
For Larger Appetites: 
Breakfast:
Cold cereal (1/2 cup, 125mL)
Whole grain toast (2 slices)
1 banana or orange
Milk (1 cup, 250 mL)
Low fat cheese (2oz, 60g)
Tea or coffee
Lunch:
Soup (1 cup, 250mL)
Sandwich:
- 2 slices of whole grain bread
- lean meat, chicken or fish (3oz, 90g)
- tomato slices
- non-hydrogenated margarine
Carrot sticks or green salad
Skim yougurt or milk (1 cup, 250ML)
Tea or coffee
Afternoon snack
1 medium apple, banana or orange
Dinner:
Potato ( 1 large), cooked noodles (1.5 cup, 375 mL)
Vegetables
Green Salad with low fat salad dressing (2 tbsp, 25-30 mL)
Lean meat, chicken or fish (4oz, 120 g)
1 pear, apple, banana or 1 cup of grapes
Milk ( 1 cup, 250 mL
)
Evening snack:
Peanut butter (4 tbsp, 50 mL) or low fat cheese (2oz, 60g)
Crackers (4) or Melba toast
Milk (1 cup, 250 mL)
**** Most important avoid Fast Foods as much as possible****
