Managing diabetes: Looking beyond carbs

Date Updated: 03/06/2020

Answer Section

No, don't eat unlimited amounts of foods just because they're free of carbs (carbohydrates). Carbs aren't your only dietary consideration.

Eating a healthy, portion-controlled diet helps you manage your blood sugar levels and reduces your risk of diabetes-related conditions, such as heart disease and stroke. The best way to do this is to choose a variety of nutritious foods — those rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber — and limit foods that are high in saturated fat and sodium.

Consider the following sample breakfast menus. Although they provide almost the same number of carbs, breakfast No. 2 is a better choice because it's considerably higher in nutrients and lower in calories, fat and sodium.

Breakfast No. 1
	Carbs (g)	Sodium (mg)	Fat (g)	Calories
2 fried eggs	1	190	13.5	180
2 sausage links	1	374	12.5	150
3/4 cup hash browns	41	400	14.5	310
1 slice white toast	15	145	1	78
2 teaspoons butter	0	61	8	68
1/2 cup orange juice	14	2.5	0	61
1 cup black coffee	0	5	0	2
Totals	72	1177.5	49.5	849

Breakfast No. 2
	Carbs (g)	Sodium (mg)	Fat (g)	Calories
3/4 cup cornflakes	18	153	0	75
1/2 medium banana	13.5	1	0	44
1 cup low-fat milk	12	107	2.5	102
1 slice whole wheat toast	13	141	1	76
1 tablespoon peanut butter	4	68	8	96
1/2 cup orange juice	14	0	0	59
1 cup black coffee	0	5	0	2
Totals	74.5	475	11.5	454