The American Diabetic Association is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The association is committed towards improving the lives of all the diabetic persons. To achieve its aim, the association updates the people with the crucial information about the risk factors associated with this disease, how to prevent the disease and what measures should be taken if diagnosed. It provides us with a menu plan that is good for health.

If you are a diabetic then diet is a part of your treatment and this is strongly advocated by the American diabetic association menu plans. In any meal planning the first step is to get knowledge about the carbohydrates content in the food. Another important factor is the glycemic index of the foods. The glycemic index is a tool to measure the rise of blood sugar level due to intake of a carbohydrate containing food. The diabetes menu plan suggests the food items that have a low or medium glycemic index, for example all non starchy vegetables, dried beans, legumes, most fruits and whole grain breads and cereals. It is important to note that meats and fats don’t have a glycemic index as they do not contain carbohydrate.

According to the American diabetes menu plan, the percentage of carbohydrates in your meal should not be more than 30 to 33 and it also suggests at least 4 meals should be consumed everyday. As far as breakfast is concerned, it should contain fresh fruit, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup oatmeal, one slice of bread with margarine. Dairy products play a vital role in the menu plan. Talking about lunch, it should comprise of vegetables with low carbohydrate content like cabbage, cauliflower along with salad like onions, cucumber and tomato. Following the American diabetes menu plan is a step forward towards a healthy life for the individuals affected with diabetes.