1,800 Calorie Diabetic Diets

A diabetic diet differs from person to person for the simple reason that individual calorie requirements and general constitution vary from person to person. Amongst many such diabetic diets, there is the 1,800 calorie diabetic diet that restricts the food intake of the diabetic patient to 1,800 calories. Such restrictions are imposed in order to control the patient's blood sugar and cholesterol levels and also his body weight. However, more than this goal, what is sought to be brought about through this diet is a healthy eating habit.



In a 1,800 calorie diabetic diet, the breakfast should ideally consist of two slices of bread, a cup of skimmed milk, one serving of a fruit like a medium-sized banana or an orange, and a tablespoon of cheese. One can easily substitute the milk with a cup of unsweetened yogurt or the bread with pasta. This particular type of breakfast incorporates all the nutrients that a person can need. There's starch in the form of bread, fat in the form of cheese, and there's the protein from milk and the daily serving of fruit, which everybody needs as a source of vitamins.



At lunch, there should protein in the form perhaps two portions of turkey or chicken or some type of fish, or a portion of a poultry product and a portion of cheese. However, the meat, if taken, should be de-skinned and cooked with as little oil and condiments as possible. In fact, the healthiest way to have poultry is to have it roasted or baked. One can have half a cup of rice or pasta and any fruit during lunch. There should be a cup of fresh vegetables during lunch. The idea is to take all forms of nutrients at every major meal.



The afternoon snack should be something light on the stomach, such as a few crackers and a cup of milk or yogurt. One can also have half a cup of tea, but with a low-calorie sweetener instead of sugar. Sugar is not banned in diabetes, but it should be consumed in moderate quantities. And, it is always a good idea to substitute it with other forms of carbohydrates, such as yogurt, rice or cereal.



For dinner, there should be some protein like fish or meat, vegetables like a cup of carrots, beans or tomatoes, a fruit serving like pear or pineapple or an orange, a cup of rice or two rice cakes. One can have a cup of milk as the nightcap.

1,200 Calorie Diabetic Diets

Obesity is the bane of diabetes. These two conditions occurring in conjunction result in a complicated medical condition, which in turn can have serious repercussions. So when you are diabetic and also obese, counting your calories is a must. And if you are a woman, with either an active or sedentary lifestyle, or a man leading a more or less inactive lifestyle, then a 1,200 calorie diet is ideal for you. The diet is intended to restrict the intake of calories without compromising on the nutritional value of the food partaken.



Breakfast can consist of a cup of cereals, skimmed milk, a cup of any fruit and a muffin. This need not be an everyday affair. A 1,200-calorie diet requires that you stick to the calorie count while eating the right kind of food; how exactly you follow the regime is up to you. For instance, you can substitute the cereals with bread, have a little bit of cheese instead of muffin, and have a different kind of fruit everyday, say blueberries one day and an orange another day. These variations will ensure that you do not run out of steam as you follow the diet.



For lunch, you have the choice of baked chicken, a piece of ham, or a fish of some kind (for example, tuna or salmon), any kind of vegetable (i.e., tomato, lettuce or cucumber). If you want to go light on the midday meal, you can have yogurt, a fruit of some sort, salad tossed with lightweight dressing and some unsweetened coffee. About half a cup of white rice with few servings of vegetables and diet soda would be another choice.



For the afternoon snack you can munch on nuts, cashew nuts or almonds and have a cup of tea. But do not gorge on hamburgers, fries and Coke. This will undo all the good work that you have done during the breakfast and lunch.



If you had a light lunch, you can compensate for it at dinnertime with turkey, two to three kinds of vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, or beans, and maybe one wheat roll. If it was a heavy lunch, the dinner should be easy on the stomach with a few slices of bacon, cornbread and a piece of orange or an apple.



The idea of a 1,200-calorie diabetic meal is not that every time you sit down to eat, you need to have weighing scales or a calorie meter on hand. A 1,200-calorie diabetic diet plan just entails eating right, eating frequently and stopping short of overstuffing oneself.