Using Nutrition Labels to Help You Plan a Healthy Diabetes Diet

Because diet plays a critical role in the development and management of Type 2 Diabetes, it is important for diabetics to pay close attention to food labels when grocery shopping and planning meals. Healthy meal choices can help regulate blood sugar levels, and, along with daily exercise, help you lose weight.

Calories per Serving

The most important information on a food label is calories. If you take in more calories than you expend each day, you will gain weight. It's that simple. And all it takes is 10 to 20 extra pounds to bring on Type 2 Diabetes, especially if it runs in your family. To lose weight, it's generally recommended that man eat no more than 1,800 calories per day and women eat no more than 1,500 calories per day.

When you look at calories on a food label, you have to take note of the serving size. A product might look promising at first glance, but when you see how many servings are in the package, you might be shocked at how many calories the food REALLY has.

Saturated and Trans Fat

Food labels contain information about the amounts of several types of fats found in foods. Saturated fat and trans fat increase LDL, or bad cholesterol, which is why it's best to eliminate them from your diet altogether. Saturated fats should total 10% or less of your total daily calories and cholesterol less than 300 milligrams per day. If your LDL is already high, you should aim for 7% or less saturated fat and 200 mg or less of cholesterol.

Unsaturated Fat

Unsaturated fat, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, are "healthy" fats that can boost your HDL, or good cholesterol. Moreover, they can help slow the digestion of food which keeps blood sugar levels from spiking. Examples of unsaturated fats include olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. Oily fish is also a healthy choice, as it contains omega-3 fatty acids that help decrease a dangerous fat in the body called triglycerides.

Sodium

Too much salt in your diet can lead to high blood pressure. And people with diabetes who also have high blood pressure are at a higher risk for kidney failure. That's why the target blood pressure for diabetics is lower than for those who don't have diabetes. As a general rule, you should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, but 1,500 milligrams or less is optimum for reducing your risk of high blood pressure.

Sugar, Fiber and Carbohydrates

Many people with diabetes use the glycemic index to help them choose foods and plan their meals. While food labels don't have a specific line item for a food's glycemic index, you can use a combination of the sugar, fiber and carbohydrate count to estimate it. Fiber helps regulate blood sugar levels, so high-fiber foods typically have a lower glycemic index. Foods high in sugars tend to spike blood glucose levels, so they would have a higher glycemic index. On average, you should consume about 25 grams of fiber and approximately 130 grams of healthy carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits and whole grains) daily.