November 27, 2002
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from Rockford, Illinois, USA:
My daughter was diagnosed two weeks ago with type 1 diabetes, and the diet that the dietitian gave us leaving the hospital is too much! My 67 pound child is expected to eat like an adult. She put on four pounds in one week, her stomach hurts because it is over full, and eating has become a chore for her. Can this be adjusted down to meet her needs?
Answer:
Certainly meal plans can be adjusted to your daughter’s appetite. There is nothing worse than forcing food for a child who is not hungry. Please speak with the RD on your daughter’s health care team and ask for the meal plan to be modified.
The reason the caloric level was higher was to replace lost calories and weight while your daughter was in a state of “starvation”. Now that blood sugars are normalizing, appetite usually decreases also. Meal plans are made to be changed and altered, especially during a child’s growth period.
JMS
