Eating Healthy with Diabetes

Managing diabetes can be challenging—particularly for older adults—but with some care and planning, you can help keep your blood sugar at healthy levels throughout the day. Here are some things you should know about preparing healthy, diabetes-friendly meals:

How to create your plate

• Use a 9-inch dinner plate. Use half the plate for breakfast and whole plate for lunch and dinner.
• Fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables

• Fill ¼ of your plate with grains and starchy foods—approx. 1/4 of 9-inch plate, depth of deck of cards (or ¾ to 1 cup)

• Fill ¼ of your plate with protein

• Add a serving of fruit (A small piece of whole fruit or ½ cup of fruit salad) and 8 ounces of dairy

• Add healthy fats

• Add a low calorie drink

Even with careful monitoring, your blood sugar can sometimes dip too low. You can treat it quickly by reaching for one of these:

• ½ cup juice
• ½ cup sugared soft drink
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 4 sugar packets
• 3 graham crackers
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 3-4 glucose tablets
• 1 cup skim or low fat milk
• 3-4 hard candy (unless at risk for choking)

Knowing what foods to eat and how to assemble your meal is sometimes half the battle—many older people need assistance with just getting to the store, shopping, putting the groceries away, making their meals, and cleaning up afterwards. A home health aide from an elder home care agency can assist you with these tasks and many more. Whether just for a few hours a week or all day, a home health aide can provide you with the care and support you need to stay safe and independent at home.