August 31, 2002
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from Dubuque, Iowa, USA:
My 14 year old son, who has had has type 1 diabetes for about six years, is a freshman in high school, plays football and wrestles. He does fairly well with management of his blood sugars, but he is constantly hungry and is looking to put on weight without messing up his blood sugar or having to use more insulin. Mostly, he is a typical teenager and is always hungry. He is a pretty picky eater and doesn’t eat vegetables if he doesn’t have to. Any suggestions as what he can eat to help fill him up more?
Answer:
You walk a fine line with you son’s appetite and blood sugar control. If he is still hungry after meals or snacks, I would suggest lower carb/slightly higher protein snacks that are lower in fat (or higher in mono-unsaturated fats) — such as part skim mozzarella cheese sticks, occasional protein powder shake, nuts, non-starch vegetables with a low-fat ranch dressing for dipping, etc. These will satisfy the hunger and provide adequate calories for an active young man without compromising blood sugar control.
JMS
