How to Understand a Diet Plan for a Child With Diabetes

Diabetic children and their families often feel overwhelmed with meal planning and diet restrictions, according to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. Under the guidance of a qualified dietitian, however, your family can learn to manage diabetes by watching carbohydrates, protein consumption and monitoring serving sizes. Having a quick guide to planning your child’s diet may help.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Watch Carbohydrates. When a child with diabetes eats too many carbohydrates, it causes her blood sugar to rise – which can be dangerous. According to Children’s Hospital Boston, each child’s carbohydrate consumption will vary, but as a general rule, expect half of her calories to come from carbohydrates. Examples of carbohydrates include: vegetables, dairy products, fruit, breads, pastas, cereals, sugar and jelly.
   
   A large misconception about diabetes is children can’t eat any sugar. Although sugar should be limited, children with diabetes can eat sugar as long as they’re counting it towards their daily allotment of carbohydrates, explains the Children’s Hospital Boston.

2. Understand Protein Consumption. Protein consumption doesn’t affect blood glucose levels as much as carbohydrates, but you’ll need to watch fat consumption. A diabetic child who eats too much fat is at higher risk for health issues, such as heart disease, according to Children’s Hospital Boston. Choose lean protein sources, such as fresh water fish, peanut butter, low-fat diary, tofu and lean cuts of meat.

3. Watch Portion Control. According to the U.S. Library of Medicine, portion control is important for children living with diabetes. Help your child monitor servings by pre-measuring serving sizes in small zip lock baggies. This will prevent the child from doubling or tripling her consumption.