Children who are suffering from diabetes don’t require being on strict diets. However, they do need to pay attention to when they eat and what’s in their meal. Read this blog to find easy dietary tips to manage your child’s blood sugar.
Why? This is because it assists them in keeping their blood sugar levels under control. Therefore, proper meal planning for diabetic children is very essential.
Your dietitian or doctor can assist you in coming up with the finest meal plan for your kid, but there’s information all fathers & mothers of children with this condition should know.
Important Dietary Tips for Children With Diabetes
Like all diabetics, kids require nutrient-rich foods that assist them to grow and keep them at a controlled weight. Your kid should get about 50-60% from carbohydrates, 25-30% calories from healthy fats & about 10-20% of his calories from protein daily.
Also, we all are familiar with the fact that carbohydrates are found in most foods and not just potatoes & bread. They supply the required energy that a child’s body & brain require to work at their best.
- Drive your kid towards complex carbs like whole grains & vegetables. They have minerals & vitamins that will keep them fit & possess fiber, which aids in controlling glucose levels.
- It is always advisable to avoid simple carbs, like pasta & white bread & other processed grains, toffees and frosting since they can raise the glucose level quickly in the blood.
- Several families keep their kid’s glucose levels balanced by calculating the number of carbs consumed at every meal, then altering insulin doses for it. On packaged foods, the number of total carbohydrates per serving is listed on the label. One can deduct the grams of dietary fiber, as this is not digested. Then multiply the total by the number of servings of that meal that your kid consumes. Whether you’re eating out or cooking at home, you can look up carbohydrates counts & portion sizes for diets online.
Conclusion
With an “exchange plan,” your kid’s menu will comprise the amount he can consume from 6 different food groups: vegetable, fruit, milk, starch, meat & fat. One food can be swapped for another with the same amount of protein, fats carbs, and calories. For diabetic kids, dietitians often will emphasise carbohydrates exchanges since this affects blood glucose levels the most.
Read More: Type 2 Diabetes in Kids: Symptoms and Causes
Individuals suffering from diabetes have a higher risk of developing various heart diseases. Since of that, it’s good to drive your kid away from fatty foods that contain saturated fat, cholesterol & trans fat. Last but not the least; prevent foods that are high in salt. Consuming too much sodium can even lead to high blood pressure. Limit sugary foods like frosting, candy, cookies or soda that raise glucose quickly.
Try to keep a check on their sugar levels using a glucometer.
