Controlled Carbohydrate

DC-302

Section 3: Therapeutic Diets

Compendium Definition

Note:
Who is this diet for?
– Type 1 diabetes
– Type 2 diabetes
– Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and Impaired Fasting Glucose in Pregnancy
– Pre-diabetes including: Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and Impaired fasting glucose (IFG)
Purpose of the diet?
– To help the patient or resident have the best blood sugar and blood fat levels.
– Restriction of some portions and some foods can help achieve these levels, but it is also important to recognize the need for quality of life choices especially in Long Term Care.
– Provide the right number of calories and nutrition for good health.
How is this diet different from other diets?
– The Grains & Starch group includes grains as well as starchy vegetables such as potatoes, yams and corn. All other vegetables are free and can be served liberally.
– Fruit, Grain Products, Soups and Milk & Alternatives Groups: 1 Carb Choice/Serving is = to 15 grams of Carbohydrate.
– Cheese is not included in the Milk & Alternatives Group as it has less carbohydrate than milk and yogurt. It is included in the Meat and Alternatives group.
– The Meat and Alternatives Group is based on 1 ounce servings not 3 ounce servings. Therefore, 2 servings = 2 ounces not 6 ounces.

Caution: xx

Vegetables

(these vegetables have little carbohydrate so can be added in as extras)

Allowed

asparagus
bean sprouts
beans (yellow or green)
beets
broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
celery
cucumber
eggplant
lettuce
mushrooms
onions
parsley
parsnips
peas
peppers
radishes
rhubarb
spinach
squash
tomato (fresh or stewed)
tomato juice
turnips
zucchini

NOT allowed:

salted or sweetened vegetables
breaded vegetables

Fruits

1 Carb Choice

Allowed

banana – 1 small
canned fruit in water or juice – ½ cup
grapes or cherries – 15
mango – ½ medium
melons including watermelon – 1 cup
orange, apple or pear – 1 medium
other berries – 1 cup
peach or nectarine – 1 large
plums, kiwi, prunes, dates – 2 medium
raisins – 2 tbsp
strawberries / raspberries, fresh – 2 cups
strawberries / raspberries, frozen – 1 cup

NOT allowed:

canned fruit (in light syrup) – ½ cup
grape or prune juice – ⅓ cup
grapefruit or grapefruit juice is not recommended due to common drug interactions
juice (unsweetened) – ⅓-½ cup
salted or sweetened fruits

Grain Products

1 Carb Choice

Allowed

bagel – ¼ large
baked potato – ½ medium
bannock – 1.5 x 2.5 inch
barley – ⅓ cup cooked
bran muffin – small (2-inch)
bread, whole grain – 1 slice
bretons – 3
cereal, cold – ½ cup
cereal, hot – ¾ cup
corn – ½ cup or ½ an ear
english muffin – ½
hamburger/Hotdog bun – ½
mashed potato – ½ cup
pancakes / waffles – 1 (4-inch)
pasta – ½ cup cooked
perogies – 1 large
pita bread – ½ (6-inch)
pizza crust – ⅛the (12-inch)
plain roll – 1 small
popcorn (air popped) – 3 cups
rice – ⅓ cup cooked
rice cakes – 2
soda crackers – 7
tortilla – ½ (10-inch)
yams or sweet potatoes – ½ cup

NOT allowed:

French fries – 10
granola – ¼ cup
pie crust (1/16), single
pie crust (1/32), double
potato chips – 10
sweetened cereals – ¼-⅓ cup
white bread or white grain products

Soups

1 Carb Choice

Allowed

soups made with noodles, rice, barley, potatoes, legumes, corn or milk – 1 cup

NOT allowed:

rich cream and salty soups

Milk & Alternatives

1 Carb Choice

Allowed

milk, canned evaporated – ½ cup
milk, powdered milk – 4 tbsp
milk, skim, or 1% milk – 1 cup
pudding, no-sugar added – ½ cup
soy beverage flavoured, unsweetened – ½ cup
yogurt, plain non-fat yogurt – ¾ cup
yogurt, plain or artificially sweetened –1 cup

NOT allowed:

chocolate milk – ½ cup
cream
milk, 2% or homogenized
pudding, regular – ⅓ cup
yogurt, sweetened – ½ cup

Meat & Alternatives

1 Protein Choice

Allowed

baked beans – ⅓ cup
beans / split peas / lentils – ½ cup
cheese, light (less than 20% MF) – 1 oz (30 g)
cooked poultry, lean meat , fish or shrimp – 1 oz (30 g)
cottage cheese (2% or 1% MF) – ½ cup
egg – 1
fish, canned – ¼ cup
peanut butter or nut butters – 2 tbsp
tofu – ¾ cup (150 g)

NOT allowed:

cheese, regular fat – 1 oz (30 g)
fatty meats such as bologna, salami, pepperoni, wieners, sausage, spareribs, chicken wings, corned beef, liverwurst

Oils & Fats

1 Fat Choice

Allowed

Use in moderation:

avocado – ⅙
margarine (non-hydrogenated) – 1 tsp
mayonnaise, light – 1 tbsp
nuts and seeds – 1 tbsp
oils (canola, olive, soybean) – 1 tsp
salad dressing, low calorie – 2 tbsp

NOT allowed:

Choose less often:

bacon, side – 1 strip
butter – 1 tsp
cream (10%) – 2 tbsp
gravy – 2 tbsp
lard or shortening – 1 tsp
mayonnaise, regular – 2 tsp
sausages – 1-2 links

Desserts & Sweets

Allowed

These have little or no sugar so can be added into diet as extras:

sugar-free gelatin
diet (no sugar added) jam or syrup – 1 package (15 mL)

NOT allowed:

These are occasional Carb Choices that can be substituted for a fruit, milk or starch choice:

brownie, unfrosted – 2-inch square
cake, unfrosted – 2-inch square
cookies, small, such as arrowroot or gingersnaps – 3
cookies with cream filling or chocolate chips – 2
cranberry sauce – 2 tbsp
granola bar, oatmeal (28 g) – 1
honey, syrup – 1 tbsp
ice cream or sherbet – ½ cup
jam, jelly, marmalade – 1 tbsp
Jell-O®, regular – ½ cup
ketchup – 3 tbsp
muffin – ½ medium or 2-inch
white / brown sugar– 1 tbsp

NOTE: one piece of double crust pie = 4 carbohydrate choices so is not recommended on the diabetes menu

Fluids

Allowed

water
Crystal Light, diet Kool-Aid, diet beverages

NOT allowed:

soft drink, regular – ½ cup
tonic water – ¾ cup

Miscellaneous

Low Calorie Sweeteners

Allowed

Splenda (sucralose),
Equal (aspartame),
Sugar Twin (aspartame)

NOT allowed:

low-calorie sweetener made with saccharin and cyclamates are NOT recommended

References:

Canadian Diabetes Association Beyond the Basics: Meal Planning For Healthy Eating, Diabetes Prevention & Management. 2006

Health Canada Nutrient Value of Some common Foods. 2008

Diabetes Canada: Clinical Practice Guidelines, 2018