Diabetic Living - Fall 2006

(weight LOSS Continued from page 49

(pattern your plate with combination foods)

When you have mixtures rather than defined meat, starch, and vegetable portions, here’s how to calculate how much to use for the plate method.

DISH

MAIN DISHES

PORTION

HOW TO FIT ON PLATE

Spaghetti and meat sauce, lasagna,

1 cup

Equals starch and protein sections

Frozen entrée, fewer than 300 calories

1 entrée

Equals starch and protein sections Equals starch and protein sections

FAST FOOD

Burrito

1 small

Equals starch and half of protein sections

Chicken nuggets
Fried chicken breast
Fries, thin
Hamburger
Hot dog on bun
Taco

6

1 20 to 25 1 small

1 1

Equals half of starch and all of protein sections Equals half of starch and all of protein sections Equals starch section Equals starch and protein sections Equals starch and half of protein sections Equals starch and protein sections

SOUPS

Bean

1 cup Equals half of starch and half of protein sections

Chili with beans
Cream soups
Tomato soup
Pea soup
Vegetable, noodle, and other broth soups

1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup

Equals starch and protein sections Equals half of starch section Equals half of starch section

Equals starch section Equals half of starch section

Betty sets a carbohydrate limit before she heads for a buffet line at restaurants or potluck gatherings with friends. Howard controls his portions by frequenting the same restaurant. “They know to bring me a take-home box at the same time they bring my meal. I immediately put half into the box; then my server puts it away in the refrigerator until I’m ready to leave,” he says.

Stay in Check
Controlling portion sizes and
monitoring your blood glucose
can add up to weight-loss success.
The key is finding a system that
works for you. These methods
for estimating portions work
most of the time, but occasionally
measure your portions to make
^sure ^they ^aren’t ^getting ^bigger. ^For ^more ^on ^weight ^loss ^and ^weight^Tara ^says ^she ^tests ^her ^measuring ❉loss meal plans, visit our web site at
method about every two weeks www.diabeticlivingonline.com

“or whenever I notice my blood glucose level going up. Then I get it back under control.”

Connie Crawley, M.S., R. D., is a nutrition specialist at the University of Georgia and serves as a member of Diabetic Living’s editorial advisory board.