February 25, 2001
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from San Antonio, Texas, USA:
My 10 year old granddaughter was diagnosed with type�1 diabetes three months ago. Does it matter how many carbohydrates she has? She is supposed to have so many for breakfast and so many for each meal, but does it matter if she has a lot of carbs. Is Splenda (sugar substitute) okay?
Answer:
Yes, it does matter. She should follow the indicated number of carbohydrate servings on her meal plan at the designated times in order to help balance the insulin. Consistency in eating helps us establish insulin doses so that you don’t end up chasing blood sugars with extra insulin.
Splenda (sucralose) is sugar that has been altered and cannot be absorbed. It is okay for her to use in moderation, as holds true for other sweeteners.
JM