What To Put on Your Plate

There are so many opinions these days!

Don’t eat carbs.

Avoid white carbs.

Eat whole grains but not too many.

So … what the heck do you do?

Today we will look at a simple method of eating that will have you feeling confident in your choices whether you eat at home, at a buffet, a party, or your favorite Italian restaurant!

The Plate Method

This easy method is called the plate method. You’ll find it’s simple to implement and you can mix and match so many foods that you’ll be satisfied with your meals every time! Or, at least most of the time. I'm not promising that you'll never overcook your eggs!

There are three sections of the plate in this method: Non-starchy vegetables, protein, and carbohydrate foods. Each section should take up a specific portion of your plate or meal.

• 50% non-starchy vegetables
• 25% protein
• 25% carbohydrate foods

Non-Starchy Vegetables

Half, or 50%, of each plate should be filled with non-starchy vegetables. These vegetables are filled with fiber to help you stay satisfied. While fiber is indeed a carbohydrate, it won't break down into glucose in our bodies, so it won't increase your glucose levels.

Protein

Protein is a group you may be very familiar with since most people consume plenty in their everyday lives!

Protein should make up a quarter (25%) of each plate you make.

Protein can be powerful when trying to manage your blood glucose because it can help keep you fuller longer and also can limit the blood glucose spike after a meal or snack!

However, this doesn’t mean that you should eat too much protein! Stick to that quarter of your plate for now, unless you’ve been instructed to increase your intake beyond that by your medical team.

Carbohydrate Foods

While some people fear this group, there are carbohydrates in most foods we eat! Even in those non-starchy vegetables we discussed in a section above!

It's not so much about avoiding these foods, but rather, making smart choices with them and limiting them to 25%, or a quarter, of your plate!

Don't Forget Beverages!

Many beverages may contain carbohydrates!

This doesn't mean that everything is off limits, but just that you may need to consider the serving size (and possibly adjusting your plate) depending on what you choose to put in your glass!

Here are a few ideas for calorie free beverages!

Your beverages don't need to be calorie free, but choosing those without added sugars can really help you manage your glucose.

Let's Eat!

There are many different things to consider when you're building each plate. It can get confusing and it's easy to overcomplicate things.

Instead of thinking about complex details, like "how many grams of carbohydrates are in this scoop of pasta?", try focusing on putting that pasta on only a quarter of your plate. Then, use a protein for another quarter of your plate and make the other half of your plate non-starchy vegetables.

Then, meal planning becomes easy and you can quickly make up a meal that should keep your blood glucose in check no matter where you go!

Check out the worksheet with this lesson to see how you can make a healthy plate using foods you already know you love!

Meal Ideas

I've included a few ideas for meals in addition to your meal plan sample this week. As always, these are just suggestions, not requirements!

You need to find what works for you, but I understand that sometimes it's hard to come up with ideas that help you without getting bored! Between this handout and the meal plan sample of the week, you'll hopefully be inspired!

Additional Resource

This additional resource was not created by me and is focused on those with diabetes. However, there are many recipes included that may help you if you're trying to develop new ideas for each section of your plate.

This was a free resource I found online from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/managing/tasty_recipes_for_people_with_diabetes-508.pdf