Things You'll Need:
- carbohydrate allowances as recommended by your dietitian
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Step 1
Learn about carbohydrate grams. One carbohydrate serving is 15 grams of carbohydrates. Depending upon your age, weight, and blood sugar levels, you are allowed two to four servings of carbs for each meal.
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Step 2
Factor in the milk and optional fruit. If you have a bowl of cereal, make sure you allow for the carbohydrates in milk and fruit. Four ounces of milk contains 6 grams of carbs. One half a cup of fruit has 15 grams of carbs. Figure 6 grams for the milk and approximately 8 grams for 1/4 cup of fruit. So the fruit and milk is equivalent to one serving of carbs.
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Step 3
Read the serving size on the cereal box. You want a cereal that will allow you to have at least 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cereal. Special K Protein Plus is 14 grams of carbohydrates for 3/4 cup of cereal. It is a good choice for a diabetic diet.
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Step 4
Besides the carbohydrates, check the sugar and fat. You want a cereal that is no more than 3 grams of fat. Sugar should be no more than a few grams.
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Step 5
Check the fiber content. If the cereal is 5 or more grams of fiber, divide the fiber in half and subtract it from the carbohydrate total. A cereal that has 20 grams of carbohydrates but 10 grams of fiber, actually is 15 grams of carbohydrates once you subtract the 5 grams of fiber. That cereal is a good choice because it is one serving of carbohydrates.
