Madeleine Hull
There is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for people with diabetes, but there are some general guidelines that can help. The optimal amount of carbs varies by individual, but eating fewer carbs can help to reduce mealtime insulin dosage and lower blood sugar levels. Research suggests that a low-carbohydrate diet (120 to 225 grams of carbs) or a very low-carbohydrate diet (20 to 60 grams of carbs) per day can produce dramatic results. The typical American diet provides around 2,200 calories per day, with 50% of them coming from carbs, which is equivalent to 275 grams of carbs per day. For diabetes meal planning, one carb serving is about 15 grams of carbs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrate intake | 120-225g per day (low) or 20-60g per day (very low) |
| Calorie intake | 2200 per day (typical American diet) |
| Carbohydrate percentage | 45-65% of daily calories |
| Carbohydrate serving | 15g |
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What You'll Learn
Carbohydrate intake varies by individual
There is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for people with diabetes. The optimal amount of carbohydrates varies by individual. It is important to eat the number of carbs at which you feel best and that you can realistically maintain in the long term.
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45%-65% of daily calories come from carbohydrates. However, some studies suggest that if you have diabetes, eating a little less than that may be beneficial for two reasons. Firstly, the fewer carbohydrates you eat, the lower your blood sugar levels. Secondly, eating fewer carbohydrates equates to eating fewer calories—if you don't replace the carbohydrates with calories from protein or fat—and eating fewer calories (within reason) can result in weight loss.
Research suggests that many different levels of carb intake may help manage blood sugar. For diabetes meal planning, one carb serving is about 15 grams of carbs. This isn't always the same as what you think of as a serving of food. For example, most people would count a small baked potato as one serving. However, at about 30 grams of carbs, it counts as two carb servings. Try to eat about the same amount of carbs at each meal to keep your blood sugar levels steady all day. This isn't necessary if you use an insulin pump or give yourself multiple daily injections.
According to a 2020 research review, a low-carbohydrate diet (120 to 225 grams of carbs) or a very low-carbohydrate diet (20 to 60 grams of carbs) per day appears to produce the most dramatic results. When tracking carb intake, experts sometimes recommend focusing on your net carbs instead of the total amount of carbs you eat.
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Carbohydrates and blood sugar levels
There is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for people with diabetes. The optimal amount of carbohydrates varies by individual. It is important to eat the number of carbohydrates at which you feel best and that you can realistically maintain in the long term. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45%-65% of daily calories come from carbohydrates. However, some studies suggest that if you have diabetes, eating a little less than that may be beneficial for two reasons. Firstly, the fewer carbohydrates you eat, the lower your blood sugar levels. Secondly, eating fewer carbohydrates equates to eating fewer calories—if you don't replace the carbohydrates with calories from protein or fat—and eating fewer calories (within reason) can result in weight loss.
For diabetes meal planning, 1 carb serving is about 15 grams of carbohydrates. This isn't always the same as what you think of as a serving of food. For example, most people would count a small baked potato as 1 serving. However, at about 30 grams of carbohydrates, it counts as 2 carb servings. Try to eat about the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal to keep your blood sugar levels steady all day. This isn't necessary if you use an insulin pump or give yourself multiple daily injections. You'll take a fast-acting or short-acting insulin at mealtimes to match the amount of carbohydrates you eat.
Research suggests that many different levels of carbohydrate intake may help manage blood sugar. Given that people with type 1 diabetes are unable to produce insulin, they need to inject insulin several times a day, regardless of what they eat. However, eating fewer carbohydrates can significantly reduce their mealtime insulin dosage. The typical American diet provides around 2,200 calories per day, with 50% of them coming from carbohydrates. This is equivalent to 275 grams of carbohydrates per day.
According to a 2020 research review, a low-carbohydrate diet (120 to 225 grams of carbohydrates) or very low-carbohydrate diet (20 to 60 grams of carbohydrates) per day appears to produce the most dramatic results. When tracking carbohydrate intake, experts sometimes recommend focusing on your net carbohydrates instead of the total amount of carbohydrates you eat.
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Calorie intake and weight loss
There is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for people with diabetes. The optimal amount of carbs varies by individual. It is important to work with your healthcare provider and dietitian to figure out what percent of carbohydrates, fat and protein you should be eating each day.
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45%-65% of daily calories come from carbohydrates. However, some studies suggest that if you have diabetes, eating a little less than that may be beneficial for two reasons. Firstly, the fewer carbohydrates you eat, the lower your blood sugar levels. Secondly, eating fewer carbohydrates equates to eating fewer calories—if you don't replace the carbohydrates with calories from protein or fat—and eating fewer calories (within reason) can result in weight loss.
Research suggests that many different levels of carb intake may help manage blood sugar. It is important to eat the number of carbs at which you feel best and that you can realistically maintain in the long term. The typical American diet provides around 2,200 calories per day, with 50% of them coming from carbs. This is equivalent to 275 grams of carbs per day. According to a 2020 research review, a low-carbohydrate diet (120 to 225 grams of carbs) or very low-carbohydrate diet (20 to 60 grams of carbs) per day appears to produce the most dramatic results.
For diabetes meal planning, 1 carb serving is about 15 grams of carbs. This isn't always the same as what you think of as a serving of food. For example, most people would count a small baked potato as 1 serving. However, at about 30 grams of carbs, it counts as 2 carb servings. Try to eat about the same amount of carbs at each meal to keep your blood sugar levels steady all day. This isn't necessary if you use an insulin pump or give yourself multiple daily injections.
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Carbohydrate serving sizes
There is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for people with diabetes. The optimal amount of carbs varies by individual. It is important to eat the number of carbs at which you feel best and that you can realistically maintain in the long term. The typical American diet provides around 2,200 calories per day, with 50% of them coming from carbs. This is equivalent to 275 grams of carbs per day.
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45%-65% of daily calories come from carbohydrates. However, some studies suggest that if you have diabetes, eating a little less than that may be beneficial for two reasons. Firstly, the fewer carbohydrates you eat, the lower your blood sugar levels. Secondly, eating fewer carbohydrates equates to eating fewer calories—if you don't replace the carbohydrates with calories from protein or fat—and eating fewer calories (within reason) can result in weight loss.
According to a 2020 research review, a low-carbohydrate diet (120 to 225 grams of carbs) or very low-carbohydrate diet (20 to 60 grams of carbs) per day appears to produce the most dramatic results. When tracking carb intake, experts sometimes recommend focusing on your net carbs instead of the total amount of carbs you eat.
For diabetes meal planning, one carb serving is about 15 grams of carbs. This isn't always the same as what you think of as a serving of food. For example, most people would count a small baked potato as one serving. However, at about 30 grams of carbs, it counts as two carb servings. Try to eat about the same amount of carbs at each meal to keep your blood sugar levels steady all day. This isn't necessary if you use an insulin pump or give yourself multiple daily injections.
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Carbohydrates and insulin dosage
There is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for people with diabetes. The optimal amount of carbohydrates varies by individual. It is important to work with your healthcare provider and dietitian to figure out what percentage of carbohydrates, fat and protein you should be eating each day. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45-65% of daily calories come from carbohydrates. However, some studies suggest that if you have diabetes, eating a little less than that may be beneficial for two reasons. Firstly, the fewer carbohydrates you eat, the lower your blood sugar levels. Secondly, eating fewer carbohydrates equates to eating fewer calories, which can result in weight loss.
For diabetes meal planning, one carb serving is about 15 grams of carbohydrates. This isn't always the same as what you think of as a serving of food. For example, most people would count a small baked potato as one serving. However, at about 30 grams of carbohydrates, it counts as two carb servings. Try to eat about the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal to keep your blood sugar levels steady all day. This isn't necessary if you use an insulin pump or give yourself multiple daily injections. You'll take a fast-acting or short-acting insulin at mealtimes to match the amount of carbohydrates you eat.
Research suggests that many different levels of carbohydrate intake may help manage blood sugar. Eating fewer carbohydrates can significantly reduce mealtime insulin dosage. The typical American diet provides around 2,200 calories per day, with 50% of them coming from carbohydrates. This is equivalent to 275 grams of carbohydrates per day. According to a 2020 research review, a low-carbohydrate diet (120 to 225 grams of carbohydrates) or very low-carbohydrate diet (20 to 60 grams of carbohydrates) per day appears to produce the most dramatic results.
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Frequently asked questions
There is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for people with diabetes. It's important to work with your healthcare provider and dietitian to figure out what percent of carbohydrates, fat and protein you should be eating each day. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45%-65% of daily calories come from carbohydrates. However, some studies suggest that if you have diabetes, eating a little less than that may be beneficial for two reasons. First, the fewer carbohydrates you eat, the lower your blood sugar levels. Second, eating fewer carbohydrates equates to eating fewer calories—if you don't replace the carbohydrates with calories from protein or fat—and eating fewer calories (within reason) can result in weight loss. Research suggests that many different levels of carb intake may help manage blood sugar. The optimal amount of carbs varies by individual. It’s important to eat the number of carbs at which you feel best and that you can realistically maintain in the long term.
The typical American diet provides around 2,200 calories per day, with 50% of them coming from carbs. This is equivalent to 275 grams of carbs per day.
For diabetes meal planning, 1 carb serving is about 15 grams of carbs. This isn't always the same as what you think of as a serving of food. For example, most people would count a small baked potato as 1 serving. However, at about 30 grams of carbs, it counts as 2 carb servings.
According to a 2020 research review, a low-carbohydrate diet consists of 120 to 225 grams of carbs per day, while a very low-carbohydrate diet consists of 20 to 60 grams of carbs per day.
