Meal Planning

It can be hard to start living a healthier lifestyle. Planning your meals ahead of time can help you put together balanced meals without stressing about making last-minute decisions on what to eat. Here are some guidelines to follow for meal planning.

• Make sure your meals are balanced. This means including breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks.

• Include fruits and vegetables. Your meals should have about eight servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
• Count your calories. Your calorie level will vary based on your age, gender, activity level and weight goals. Find out how many calories you need to eat per day.
• Pay attention to carbohydrates. About 45% of your daily caloric intake should come from carbohydrates.
• Limit “bad fats”. People with diabetes have a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Try not to eat a lot of foods with saturated fats.
• Watch your cholesterol. People with diabetes should have 300 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol or less per day. Look for foods that can help lower your cholesterol.
• Get more fiber. You can get fiber from plant-based foods like whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans.
• Decrease sodium. Watching sodium is important for blood pressure control. People with diabetes should have 2300 mg of sodium or less per day.

Starting with your plate

A good place to start is by learning how to fill your plate with foods that are healthier. Here’s how to make a healthy and balanced plate.

Inspiration

Looking for some ideas? Check out some healthy recipes. You may also get some healthy inspiration on American Diabetes Association’s website. Each month, they publish a one-day meal plan with suggestions for adjusting carbohydrates and calories. Check out this month’s plan and view older ones for some inspiration.