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The diabetic diet is all about the balance of carbohydrate and insulin levels, keeping blood sugar within a healthy range. Cholesterol also must be managed, even in children. Dietary guidelines for kids with type 1 (or "juvenile") diabetes should be laid out by their pediatrician or a registered dietician. In general a healthy diabetic diet is comprised of 30 percent fats, 20 percent protein and 50 percent carbohydrates. Most diabetic diets include some kind of carbohydrate counting and a limit on sweets, though sweets may be worked into a healthy diabetic diet in moderation.
The Mayo Clinic points out that there is no one diet plan for all diabetics, and there is definitely no need for a healthy diabetic diet to be boring and unappealing to the rest of the family. In fact, a healthy diabetic diet, with its focus on whole grains and fresh vegetables and fruits, is healthy for everyone. It's not only unnecessary to prepare special separate meals for a diabetic child, it's beneficial for the whole family if you don't.
Diabetic Diet Family Dinners
Diabetic diet-friendly meals that the whole family will enjoy can include kid-pleasing comfort foods that have been slightly modified to cut back on fats, such as homemade cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets from Kraft and DLife's spaghetti and meatballs and chicken enchiladas. Desserts that fit into the diabetic diet can include cupcakes, puddings, and even hot fudge sundaes. All recipes listed include dietary exchanges for diabetic diet meal planning.
The Diabetic Diet Lunchbox
While healthy family dinners may be relatively easy to come up with, school lunch can be more challenging. Since it's important to keep track of what a diabetic child eats, lunches usually come from home rather than the cafeteria. Eating something different than their classmates can make some kids feel set apart, but a well-planned bag lunch can be fun and nutritious -- and doesn't have to scream "diabetic diet." Try wrapping up healthy subs, wraps or even a homemade lunch kit, a fresh, healthy version of the processed pre-packaged deli lunch kits. Mom and Dad may want to make extras for themselves to take to work.
Diabetic Diet Breakfasts
Breakfast is an important meal in anyone's diet, and is especially vital for kids following a diabetic diet. Have the family sit down for breakfast together when possible for healthy pancakes, breakfast pizza, oatmeal with fruit and nuts or french toast. Don't skip breakfast on busy mornings -- grab a diabetic diet-friendly muffin or a quick-to-assemble yogurt and fruit breakfast.
Snacks
Keep lots of healthy snacks on hand for the whole family, including fresh and dried fruit, carrot and celery sticks with low-fat dressing for dipping, graham crackers, pretzels, air-popped popcorn, string cheese, and yogurt. Healthy sweets such as Orange Cream Popsicles made with mandarin orange slices and yogurt are a diabetic diet-friendly treat, but try to save most sweets for desserts as part of a balanced meal. Don't keep sugary drinks such as soda in the house -- not only is it off-limits for diabetic kids, it's best to eliminate soda to reduce the risk of other family members developing diabetes in the future.
Email This
The diabetic diet is all about the balance of carbohydrate and insulin levels, keeping blood sugar within a healthy range. Cholesterol also must be managed, even in children. Dietary guidelines for kids with type 1 (or "juvenile") diabetes should be laid out by their pediatrician or a registered dietician. In general a healthy diabetic diet is comprised of 30 percent fats, 20 percent protein and 50 percent carbohydrates. Most diabetic diets include some kind of carbohydrate counting and a limit on sweets, though sweets may be worked into a healthy diabetic diet in moderation. The Mayo Clinic points out that there is no one diet plan for all diabetics, and there is definitely no need for a healthy diabetic diet to be boring and unappealing to the rest of the family. In fact, a healthy diabetic diet, with its focus on whole grains and fresh vegetables and fruits, is healthy for everyone. It's not only unnecessary to prepare special separate meals for a diabetic child, it's beneficial for the whole family if you don't.
Diabetic Diet Family Dinners
Diabetic diet-friendly meals that the whole family will enjoy can include kid-pleasing comfort foods that have been slightly modified to cut back on fats, such as homemade cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets from Kraft and DLife's spaghetti and meatballs and chicken enchiladas. Desserts that fit into the diabetic diet can include cupcakes, puddings, and even hot fudge sundaes. All recipes listed include dietary exchanges for diabetic diet meal planning.
The Diabetic Diet Lunchbox
While healthy family dinners may be relatively easy to come up with, school lunch can be more challenging. Since it's important to keep track of what a diabetic child eats, lunches usually come from home rather than the cafeteria. Eating something different than their classmates can make some kids feel set apart, but a well-planned bag lunch can be fun and nutritious -- and doesn't have to scream "diabetic diet." Try wrapping up healthy subs, wraps or even a homemade lunch kit, a fresh, healthy version of the processed pre-packaged deli lunch kits. Mom and Dad may want to make extras for themselves to take to work.
Diabetic Diet Breakfasts
Breakfast is an important meal in anyone's diet, and is especially vital for kids following a diabetic diet. Have the family sit down for breakfast together when possible for healthy pancakes, breakfast pizza, oatmeal with fruit and nuts or french toast. Don't skip breakfast on busy mornings -- grab a diabetic diet-friendly muffin or a quick-to-assemble yogurt and fruit breakfast.
Snacks
Keep lots of healthy snacks on hand for the whole family, including fresh and dried fruit, carrot and celery sticks with low-fat dressing for dipping, graham crackers, pretzels, air-popped popcorn, string cheese, and yogurt. Healthy sweets such as Orange Cream Popsicles made with mandarin orange slices and yogurt are a diabetic diet-friendly treat, but try to save most sweets for desserts as part of a balanced meal. Don't keep sugary drinks such as soda in the house -- not only is it off-limits for diabetic kids, it's best to eliminate soda to reduce the risk of other family members developing diabetes in the future.