Easy Meal Plans for Diabetic Kids

Every growing child benefits from healthy nutrition, but for a child with diabetes proper diet is absolutely paramount.

Like all youngsters, they need to eat foods that will give them energy and promote overall physical health; however, diabetic kids have other dietary requirements that cannot be ignored. They also need to balance their carb intake with their insulin levels (in order to keep blood sugar levels under control) and they need to avoid foods that could raise the lipid levels in their blood.

Easier said than done, right? For many parents, especially those who don’t have diabetes themselves, handling their child’s diet can be a frustrating and stressful task. But we are here to provide you with a pair of very simple diet plans that will save you a headache – and, more importantly, keep your kids happy and healthy!

The Exchange Meal Plan

In the exchange plan, foods are divided into six groups: starch, fruit, milk, fat, vegetables, and meat. Each food group is assigned a daily serving size, and each serving is assigned a daily allowance of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Once the diving is done, each daily meal becomes a matter of checking boxes: Did Timmy eat all of his starch for the day? Check! On this plan, kids can eat what they enjoy so long as it falls into the guidelines you’ve laid out, making their diabetes a little easier - a win for everyone!

Carbohydrate Counting Plan

The carbohydrate counting meal plan is exactly what it sounds like: counting carbs. Carbohydrates account for the rise in blood sugar after a meal, and most diabetics need to closely monitor their carbohydrate intake on a daily basis. One “carb” typically amounts to 15g of carbohydrate; the number of carbs a child consumes in a meal will correlate to the amount of insulin he or she should take afterward. This keeps you from rigidly dictating what your child eats, but it does require that you or someone else who can take his or her insulin is keeping close watch on every snack.

Both of these plans are easy to follow and very flexible, which is great with especially picky little ones. Do you know of any other meal plans that have worked for you or your children? Share them with us!