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Quantity of Carbohydrates in Our Diabetes Meal Plan
We recently received a comment from one of our diabetes menu users who was puzzled by the amount of carbohydrates in the menu. It seemed to him higher than the official recommendations… What at first glance may seem true, is in fact due to the exceptional precision of our system. I take this opportunity to discuss the difference between our menus and the recommended carbohydrate intake and to explain a little more about how our menus are built.
In theory, almost all foods contain at least a little bit of carbohydrates… In practice, it would be too complicated to calculate carbohydrates for ALL foods that are consumed in a day. Carbohydrate exchanges have been designed to simplify these calculations.
The calculation of carbohydrates, or carbohydrate exchanges, are based on 15g portions of carbohydrates. To simplify the lives of people living with diabetes, carbohydrate exchanges are only calculated for the food groups that contain the most; i.e. starchy foods (cereal products, legumes and certain vegetables), fruits, dairy products and alternatives, and other products with added sugar. The majority of vegetables, fats, and meats (including substitutes) are not included in total carbohydrates because they only contain small carbohydrate amounts. This system makes it relatively easy to estimate the carbohydrate content of a meal and thus makes it easier to take insulin and control blood sugar.
The difference between this system and the calculation of carbohydrates at SOSCuisine? We calculate (to the nearest hundredth!) the carbohydrates of ALL foods that are found in a meal. Indeed, in order to have the clearest idea and to make menus that meet more than 40 nutritional targets, we must take into account several parameters, including the amount of carbohydrates. That’s why our menus seem to be higher in carbohydrates as compared to the recommendations.
However, all our menus are reviewed by the nutrition team, and respect the recommended portions of starchy foods, fruits, dairy products and alternatives, and other products with added sugar, within each meal and all along the day. In the Nutritional Info tab of all our recipes we also calculate the exchanges, so you can check that a recipe or a meal corresponds to your needs, and make adjustments if necessary.
Author
Member of the Quebec College of Dietitians (ODNQ) and Dietitians of Canada,Jef graduated from McGill University in December 2014. Recently graduated and passionate about culinary arts, Jef poses a simple, effective and practical look at daily meal planning. With this in mind, she works in conjunction with the mission of SOSCuisine...
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