Diabetes: Using A Plate Format For Eating

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Introduction

A plate format is a simple way to plan a balanced diet. It helps people with diabetes see how much space each food should take on a plate. Anyone can use the plate format to maintain a healthy diet and to decrease the chances of having heart disease and other conditions.

Key points

• Using a plate format will help you spread carbohydrate throughout the day, which will help keep your blood sugar level within your target range.
• A plate format is an easy and simple way to plan meals until you have more time to learn about other meal planning methods for diabetes.
• It can be used along with other meal-planning methods, such as carbohydrate counting or the food guide for diabetes.

 What is a plate format?

 Why would I use a plate format?

 How to use a plate format

 Where to go from here

More information about diabetes can be found in these topics:

• Type 1 Diabetes
• Type 1 Diabetes: Recently Diagnosed
• Type 1 Diabetes: Children Living With the Disease
• Type 1 Diabetes: Living With the Disease
• Type 1 Diabetes: Living With Complications
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes: Recently Diagnosed
• Type 2 Diabetes: Living With the Disease
• Type 2 Diabetes: Living With Complications
• Type 2 Diabetes in Children
• Gestational Diabetes

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Last updated:	February 10, 2008
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition, Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Diabetes Educator
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC