"Free Foods"

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Article from Healthcastle.com. I am tired of reading about what I CANNOT eat! This tells us what we can eat!! yea! :drinker:

Add "Free"dom to
Your Diabetes Meal Plan
Written by Sejal Dave, MS, RD/LD, CDE
Published in April 2008

(HealthCastle.com) A person with diabetes may feel like their food choices are totally restricted. It's true that you have to pay more attention to what you eat when you have diabetes. But that doesn't mean you have to keep track of every single calorie and carb that you eat. Surprisingly, there are certain foods, called "free" foods, that can add flexibility to your meal plan.

What is a Free Food?
A free food is any food or drink that has less than 20 calories per serving and less than 5 grams of carbohydrates. They are different from sugar-free foods, which may still contain a significant amount of carbohydrates. Free foods do not affect your blood glucose levels. You can include free foods in your meal plan to help feel full without adding more carbs or calories. Free foods can be used to give spice and flavor to foods and be substituted for high-calorie foods that could jeopardize your diabetes management goals.

Free foods are included in the ADA (American Diabetes Association) Exchange Lists, a tool that's used for diabetes meal planning. Here's a list of free foods from ADA that can be part of any diabetes meal plan. The items without a serving size can be used in unlimited amounts. Other items that have a serving size are "free" as long as you eat no more than 2-3 servings per day.


Drinks


Bouillon** or broth without fat
Bouillon, low sodium
Carbonated drinks, sugar-free (cola, ginger-ale, etc.)
Carbonated water
Club soda
Cocoa powder, unsweetened (1 tbsp.)
Coffee/tea
Drink mixes, sugar-free
Tonic water, sugar-free
Fruit


Cranberries, unsweetened (1/2 cup)
Rhubarb, unsweetened (1/2 cup)
Diabetes Diet



Find out if the All-New Diabetes Living Plan is right for you. Try a free Diet Analysis now.

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Vegetables (raw, 1 cup)

Cabbage
Celery
Chinese cabbage*
Cucumber
Green onion
Hot peppers
Mushrooms
Radishes
Zucchini*
Salad Greens

Endive
Escarole
Lettuce
Romaine
Spinach
Sweet Substitutes

Candy, hard, sugar-free
Gelatin, sugar-free
Gum, sugar-free
Jam/jelly, sugar-free (less than 20 cal/2 tsp.)
Pancake syrup, sugar-free (1-2 tbsp.)
Sugar substitutes (saccharin, aspartame)
Whipped topping (2 tbsp.)
Condiments

Catsup (1 tbsp.)
Horseradish
Mustard
Pickles** dill, unsweetened
Salad dressing, low-calorie (2 tbsp.)
Taco sauces (3 tbsp.)
Vinegar
*3 or more grams of fiber per serving
** 400 mg or more of sodium per serving

pmkelly409

Article from Healthcastle.com. I am tired of reading about what I CANNOT eat! This tells us what we can eat!! yea! :drinker:

Add "Free"dom to
Your Diabetes Meal Plan
Written by Sejal Dave, MS, RD/LD, CDE
Published in April 2008

(HealthCastle.com) A person with diabetes may feel like their food choices are totally restricted. It's true that you have to pay more attention to what you eat when you have diabetes. But that doesn't mean you have to keep track of every single calorie and carb that you eat. Surprisingly, there are certain foods, called "free" foods, that can add flexibility to your meal plan.

What is a Free Food?
A free food is any food or drink that has less than 20 calories per serving and less than 5 grams of carbohydrates. They are different from sugar-free foods, which may still contain a significant amount of carbohydrates. Free foods do not affect your blood glucose levels. You can include free foods in your meal plan to help feel full without adding more carbs or calories. Free foods can be used to give spice and flavor to foods and be substituted for high-calorie foods that could jeopardize your diabetes management goals.

Free foods are included in the ADA (American Diabetes Association) Exchange Lists, a tool that's used for diabetes meal planning. Here's a list of free foods from ADA that can be part of any diabetes meal plan. The items without a serving size can be used in unlimited amounts. Other items that have a serving size are "free" as long as you eat no more than 2-3 servings per day.


Drinks


Bouillon** or broth without fat
Bouillon, low sodium
Carbonated drinks, sugar-free (cola, ginger-ale, etc.)
Carbonated water
Club soda
Cocoa powder, unsweetened (1 tbsp.)
Coffee/tea
Drink mixes, sugar-free
Tonic water, sugar-free
Fruit


Cranberries, unsweetened (1/2 cup)
Rhubarb, unsweetened (1/2 cup)
Diabetes Diet



Find out if the All-New Diabetes Living Plan is right for you. Try a free Diet Analysis now.

Advertisement


Vegetables (raw, 1 cup)

Cabbage
Celery
Chinese cabbage*
Cucumber
Green onion
Hot peppers
Mushrooms
Radishes
Zucchini*
Salad Greens

Endive
Escarole
Lettuce
Romaine
Spinach
Sweet Substitutes

Candy, hard, sugar-free
Gelatin, sugar-free
Gum, sugar-free
Jam/jelly, sugar-free (less than 20 cal/2 tsp.)
Pancake syrup, sugar-free (1-2 tbsp.)
Sugar substitutes (saccharin, aspartame)
Whipped topping (2 tbsp.)
Condiments

Catsup (1 tbsp.)
Horseradish
Mustard
Pickles** dill, unsweetened
Salad dressing, low-calorie (2 tbsp.)
Taco sauces (3 tbsp.)
Vinegar
*3 or more grams of fiber per serving
** 400 mg or more of sodium per serving