April 5, 2003
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from Winsford, Cheshire, United Kingdom:
My dad, who has type 2 diabetes, just had his latest blood tests done, and his levels are high. His doctor told him that unless he gets this under control with diet within the next month, he will have to start having injections, and my dad is phobic about injections! He’s seen the dietitian previously and has received a list of foods, etc. but nowhere can we find a plan of what/how much to eat. At the moment he’s eating anything and everything as long as it’s on the list of good foods! His weight is increasing, and he’s wondering why. We need to find a meal by meal plan of what to eat. Can you help?
Answer:
I recommend you and your dad meet with a registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes meal planning. It sounds as if he was given some general information but nowadays meal plans are much more individualized according to personal food likes/dislikes, diabetes medications, other medical conditions (ex, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, etc). See if you can meet with an RD who can be more specific recommendations with regard to portion sizes (since this has a key effect on blood sugars). Ask your dad’s physician for a referral if needed.
JMS
