My 16 month old daughter has just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. What kind of a diet should she be on? What should and shouldn’t she eat? Can you give me an example of a daily meal chart? Since my daughter is so young I do know you’re not supposed to put toddlers on a diet, so naturally I’m concerned about what I can and can’t give her.

You ask a good question regarding your daughter’s food intake. I see your dilemma — you want your daughter to have optimal blood sugar control, but you don’t want to restrict food intake unnecessarily at such an early age.

I would recommend that you schedule an appointment to meet with a registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes meal planning so you can work a meal plan that works well with your young daughter’s needs. If you need a referral to a diabetes dietitian, ask your physician to provide one for you. I am reluctant to give you a meal plan because meal planning is best done individually nowadays to account for the patient’s likes/dislikes, meal times, etc.

JMS

[Editor’s comment: If your daughter is not currently being followed by a pediatric diabetes team, please ask for a referral to one. Children this age are difficult to manage and require this expertise.

SS]