Diabetes: 1,500-Calorie Sample Menus and Portions
SAMPLE MENUS
Breakfast (1)
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2 starches 1 cup whole-grain cereal
1 milk 1 cup fat-free milk
1 fruit 1/2 banana
Free Free water, coffee, tea
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Breakfast (2)
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2 starches 2 slices whole wheat toast
1 fat 2 tablespoons light margarine
1 fruit 1/4 cantaloupe
1 meat 1 or egg
2 or egg whites
1/4 cup egg substitute
Free Free water, coffee, tea
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Midmorning Snack*
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1 milk 1 100-calorie, fat-free or
low-fat yogurt
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Lunch (1): Sandwich
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2 starches 2 slices whole grain bread
2 to 3 meats 2 to 3 ounces low-salt turkey breast
1 fat 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 fruit 1 medium apple
Free Free lettuce and tomato
Free Free water, coffee, tea, diet drink
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Lunch (2): Chicken Salad
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1 starch 10 low-fat croutons
1 starch 1 small dinner roll
2 to 3 meats 2 to 3 ounces grilled or baked skinless
chicken slices
2 fats 4 tablespoons light dressing
1 fruit 1 medium apple
Free Free salad greens with tomato
Free Free water, coffee, tea, diet drink
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Afternoon Snack*
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1 starch 10 low fat croutons
1 starch 1 small dinner roll
2 to 3 meats 2 to 3 ounces grilled or baked skinless
chicken slices
2 fats 4 tablespoons light dressing
1 fruit 1 medium apple
Free Free salad greens with tomato
Free Free water, coffee, tea, diet drink
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Dinner (1)
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2 starches and
2 meats 1 cup chili with beans
Free 2 cups green salad
1 fat 2 tablespoons light dressing
2 fruits 1 cup berries
Free Free water, coffee, tea, diet drink
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Dinner (2)
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2 starches 2/3 cup cooked rice
2 to 4 meats 3 to 4 ounces skinless chicken breast or fish
1 milk 1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
Free Free broccoli, cauliflower, carrots,
or mixed vegetables
Free Free water, coffee, tea, diet drink
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Nighttime Snack*
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1 starch 3 cups or light popcorn
3 squares graham crackers
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* The need to eat between-meal snacks depends upon your
preference and blood sugar levels. It is typically OK to
move a snack into the meal preceding it.
FOOD LISTS
The sample menus are based on a meal plan that can be used with the following food lists for starch, fruit, milk, fat, vegetable, and meat. The serving sizes of the foods on each list have similar amounts of calories, protein, carbohydrate, and fat content. Foods from each list can be traded or substituted for any other food on the same list because they all have a similar nutritional value. For example, you could trade a piece of toast for 1/2 cup of cereal because they are both on the starch list. Once you get used to the menu provided, add more variety by making substitutions to your menu using the foods lists.
STARCHES
Examples of 1-starch portions are:
- bread (1 slice)
- tortilla (one 8-inch tortilla)
- hamburger or hot dog bun (1/2)
- pasta or rice (1/3 cup)
- fat-free or low-fat popcorn (3 cups)
- crackers: 3 saltines, 3 graham cracker squares, 3 of most other crackers
- pancake or waffle (one 5-inch)
- fat-free or baked potato or corn chips (15 to 20).
Starchy vegetables also count as starch portions. Examples of 1-starch portions are:
- corn (1/2 cup or 1/2 cob)
- white potato (1/4 large baked or 1/2 cup mashed)
- yam or sweet potato (1/2 cup)
- green peas (1/2 cup)
- winter squash (1 cup).
FRUITS
Examples of 1-fruit portions are:
- grape juice (1/3 cup)
- apple or pineapple juice (1/2 cup)
- orange or grapefruit juice (1/2 cup)
- apple (1 small)
- orange or peach (1)
- banana (1/2)
- raspberries (1 cup)
- cantaloupe (1/3 of small one)
- watermelon (1 slice).
MILK
Examples of 1-milk portions are:
Fat free (0 to 3 grams of fat)
- skim or nonfat milk (1 cup)
- 1% milk (1 cup)
- flavored fat-free yogurt sweetened with sugar substitute (1 cup)
- fat-free plain yogurt (1 cup).
Reduced fat (5 grams of fat)
- 2% milk (1 cup)
- low fat yogurt flavored yogurt (sweetened with sugar substitute) (1 cup)
- buttermilk (1 cup).
Whole milk (8 grams of fat)
- whole milk (1 cup).
VEGETABLES
One-half cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of raw vegetables is a good measure for 1 portion of most vegetables. Nonstarchy vegetables can be eaten without restriction and include, for example, lettuce, spinach, tomato, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers.
MEAT AND MEAT SUBSTITUTES
Meats are divided into very lean meats, lean meats, medium-fat meats, and high-fat meats. You should try to eat more lean and medium fat meats and stay away from the high fat choices.
Very lean meat examples (0 to 1 gram of fat per ounce)
- 1 ounce of white meat chicken or turkey without skin
- 1 ounce of fresh or frozen fish and shellfish (except mackerel and salmon)
- 1 ounce of tuna canned in water
- 1 ounce of fat-free cheese or cottage cheese
- 2 egg whites.
Lean meat examples (2 to 3 grams of fat per ounce)
- 1 ounce of dark meat chicken or turkey without skin
- 1 ounce of lean pork
- 1 ounce of USDA Select or Choice grades of lean beef
- 1 ounce of cheese (3 grams of fat per ounce or less).
Medium-fat meat examples (5 grams of fat per ounce0
- 1 ounce of ground beef, most cuts of beef, pork, lamb or veal
- 1 ounce of cheese (5 grams of fat or less per ounce)
- 1 egg
- 1 ounce of fried fish
- 1 ounce of tuna canned in oil
- 1 ounce of fish (mackerel, salmon).
High-fat meat examples (8 grams or more per ounce)
- 1 ounce of pork sausage
- 2 large spare ribs
- 1 ounce of regular cheese (American, Swiss, cheddar, etc.)
- 1 ounce of lunch meat
- 1 hot dog
- 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.
FATS
Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are better for you than saturated or trans fats. Examples of single fat portions are:
Monounsaturated fat
- 1/8 avocado
- 6 almonds
- 1 teaspoon (tsp) of oil (olive, peanut, canola)
- 2 teaspoon of peanut butter (no trans fats).
Polyunsaturated fat
- 1 teaspoon of margarine
- 1 tablespoon of light margarine
- 1 tablespoon of light mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon of any vegetable oil (except coconut or palm).
Saturated fat
- 1 teaspoon of butter
- 1 strip of bacon
- 2 tablespoon of cream (half and half)
- 1 tablespoon of cream cheese.
FREE FOODS
Examples of free foods are:
- calorie-free beverages (for example, diet soft drinks, sugar-free Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, coffee, and tea)
- mustard
- sugar-free gelatin.
