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July 15, 2007

Meal Planning, Food and Diet

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Question from Rutland, Vermont, USA:

My four-year-old stepson has type 1. His mother feeds him things like prepackaged foods, cheese, foods from cans, no vegetables and very little fruit. She does not stay in a somewhat carbohydrate range; she just gives him food and it does not matter if it is 26 grams of carbohydrates or 100 grams of carbohydrates. It varies for her. She does not cook, so meals are always eaten out of the house of from the cupboard. Nothing is ever fresh. His doctors say this diet is okay for him and that she should just give him shots to match his carbohydrates and that will be fine. Here at his dad’s house we teach him that one bit of a treat food is better than nothing and that he needs to make good, healthy choices and not bad choices. He chooses vegetables or fruit for snacks and not crackers and cheese at every meal. We tell him that to stay healthy he needs to choose good healthy foods most of the time and then he can have a treat once in a while. He will need to limit this treat to one or two bits, but that is better then not having anything at all.

My husband and I do not feel this is bad for us to teach him this way of life and that he needs to choose healthy foods, not junk, when eating. We do give him pre-packaged foods sometimes but not very often and only when we need to such as when we are going on a trip or moving or in a hurry. What is the best thing for my stepson? Are we instilling the right values in him?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

A child with diabetes should eat balanced meals just like anyone else. An occasional sweet can be worked into their meal plan as long as portions are moderated and it is included into their meal plan or covered appropriately with insulin. A diabetes meal plan should include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and protein sources, low fat dairy, healthy fats (olive, canola or peanut oils), cold water fishes, and carbohydrate free beverages (water, artificially sweetened beverages). If problems persist in the family on how to appropriately feed the child, a registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes meal planning may be able to assist. Your stepson will do best with his diabetes and meal planning if everyone in the family is eating healthy and you are modeling healthy eating habits.

JMS