16
Good food for people with diabetes DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILIES www.nt.gov.au/health
Good food for people with
diabetes
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILIES
www.nt.gov.au/health
What is diabetes?Everyone has some sugar in their blood to help them think and move about. The name for the sugar in blood is glucose. People with diabetes have too much glucose in their blood. Some people call diabetes sugar sickness.
Why worry about diabetes?The amount of glucose in your blood is called your blood glucose level (BGL), and when this is higher than eight for a long time it can damage your body in the following ways:
- Your kidneys can become weak- Your eyes can be damaged
- Your heart may not be as strong and you could develop heart problems
- Your hands and feet may get sores on them that don’t heal well.
What can you do to stop the damage caused by diabetes?- Eat healthy food low in fat and sugar
- Eat regularly throughout the day, try to have at least 3 meals each day- Be active everyday- Go to the clinic for regular health checkups and take your medications.
Good food for Diabetes
www.nt.gov.au/health
It’s good to do at least 30 minutes of exercise everyday.
Activity and movement can help diabetesActivity helps control your BGL and is good for your heart. It can also make you feel better in yourself.
Remember to drink plenty of water when active.
Good food for Diabetes
www.nt.gov.au/health
The foods in the bottom right corner are high in fat, sugar and salt and should only be eaten sometimes and in small amounts.
Good foods for diabetesTry to eat foods from each of the five food groups everyday.
ADAPTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING (1998, COMMONWEALTHDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND AGED CARE)
D E PA R T M E N T O F H E A LT H A N D F A M I L I E S
nt.gov.au/health
Good food for Diabetes
www.nt.gov.au/health
Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables everyday
Eat breads, cereals, rice and pasta everyday
Choose from fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits and vegetables.
Eat some of these with each meal. Choose wholegrain and wholemeal foods.
Good food for Diabetes
www.nt.gov.au/health
Eat less fatEating too much fat and fatty food can make your diabetes hard to control. It can also make you put on weight and cause you to get heart disease.
How to eat less fat:- Cut the fat off meat before cooking, or buy meat with very little fat- Take the skin off chicken- Boil or grill sausages- Use low fat or skim milk- Grill meat and fish instead of frying in oil- Have a sandwich or stew instead of fatty take away like pies,
chips and deep fried fish
The following pictures show how many spoons of fat are in different foods:
425g NET
12
6
8
3
3
1
www.nt.gov.au/health
Good food for Diabetes
Foods high in fat are not good
Good food for Diabetes
www.nt.gov.au/health
Eat less sugarFood and drinks high in sugar can cause your blood glucose levels to go very high. When this happens you can feel tired, dizzy and sick. The high glucoselevels can do long term damage inside your body.
How you can eat less sugar:- Avoid foods high in sugar - these include icecreams, lollies, chocolates,
cakes, sweet biscuits, sugars, honey, jam and golden syrup.
- Drink water instead of sweet drinks like cordial and fruit juice.- Try diet soft drinks or diet cordial.- Use artificial sweeteners in tea or just a small spoonful of sugar.
55g
200ml, prepared
3
0
The following pictures show how many spoons of sugar are in different foods and drinks:
6
600ml
12
40
www.nt.gov.au/health
Good food for Diabetes
Foods high in sugar are not good
G o l de nS y ru p
Good food for Diabetes
www.nt.gov.au/health
750ML
Plant and animal bush foods are fresh and have plenty of good nutrients. Most are low in fat and sugar.
www.nt.gov.au/health
Good food for Diabetes
Eat More Bush Foods
When choosing breakfast cereals
Here are some good choices
Try not to eat these
Bran flakes
sultanas with
500g NET
H igh in F ibre
M ade with grains
750gNET
www.nt.gov.au/health
Good food for Diabetes
When choosing biscuits
Here are some good choices
Try not to eat these
LO
WIN
FAT
250g NET
Rice crackers Original flavour
C R A C K E R S
www.nt.gov.au/health
Good food for Diabetes
When choosing snack foods
Here are some good choices
Try not to eat these
Rice crackers Original flavour
www.nt.gov.au/health
Good food for Diabetes
What can I eat for BREAKFAST if I have diabetes?
Fruit
Cereal with milk
Yoghurt
Baked beans on toast
Grain bread toast with one of the following toppings:
Peanut butter Cheese Tinned fish Eggs
Smooth
Here are some good choices
Good food for Diabetes
www.nt.gov.au/health
What can I eat for LUNCH if I have diabetes?
A sandwich with one of these fillings:
Cheese and salad
Chicken, tomato and cucumber
Tinned fish
Ham and tomato
Egg and lettuceCheese and grated carrot
Try to use grainy bread or some healthy biscuits
Or have a cooked meal with lots of vegetables
Or some tinned stew from the store
You can also have a cup of tea, glass of water or diet cordial or diet soft drink
LO
WIN
FAT
Here are some good choices
Good food for Diabetes
www.nt.gov.au/health
How to make a healthy stew for dinner
Cut up some meat. You can use chicken, red meat, or fish. Trim the fat off before you put the meat in.If you use sausages, boil off the fat first.
Add plenty ofvegetables. You will need to chop 1 cup of vegetables per person
Try to use different coloured vegetables. You can use fresh, frozen or canned vegetables.
Cook the stew until the meat and potatoes are soft. You can eat it with one of these.
Grainy bread Rice Pasta Damper
To add flavour to your stew try adding the following: - canned tomatoes- pasta sauce - tomato paste - fr ench onion soup.
www.nt.gov.au/health
Good food for Diabetes
