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A diabetic can eat almost any food that other people normally eat provided the food is balanced and within the permissible caloric limits. The daily requirement should be well distributed between the different meals. One may say that a diabetic nutrition plan (diet) is a balanced diet which helps you attain and maintain normally weight appropriate for your height, age and sex; helps maintain blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible and gives a feeling of well being and satisfaction. A diabetic nutrition plan would most likely permit you to eat almost any normal food of your choice except those containing sugar, glucose, jaggery and honey. Even these can be permitted once in a while after appropriate adjustments. But you must always remember that over indulgence can lead to problems.

'Being on diet', does it mean eating the same food day in and day out? Can there be no flexibility? There is no need for a diabetic to have the same food day in and day out. You can vary the type of food but the caloric content should remain constant. You can do this by understanding the food exchange system and using it intelligently to suit your special needs.

What are food exchanges?

Food exchanges are food equivalents designed to facilitate easy variation in diet. By learning the use of these food exchanges you can make the diet flexible and exciting to match your taste and needs. Food can be divided into major groups which are called food exchanges.

Cereals

Meat, Fish and Pulses
Milk and Milk products
Vegetables
Fruits
Oils, fats and nuts

A single unit of exchange within the group has the same caloric value and therefore can be interchanged e.g., in a cereal exchange, one medium chappati is equivalent to one small katori of cooked rice or one idli (medium size) or one large slice of bread or half cup cooked dalia (Porridge). So, if during lunch, you are permitted two chappaties, you can instead have six tablespoonfuls cooked rice or two idlies or two slices of bread. 

Foods to be avoided, unless permitted by the doctor:

Non-Proprietary foods

Sugar, Jagger (Gur), Honey, Glucose, Sweets, Oily Pickles, Sherbets, Mithai, Pastries, Cakes, Ice Cream, Jams, Jelly, Marmalade, Soft drinks, Candy, Sweet Chutney, Beer, Sweet wines.

Proprietary Foods

Horlicks, Bournvita, Drinking Chocolate, etc. Do not add sugar or gur to vegetables and dals while cooking

Calorie Count: Cooked Food 

Source: Anil Kapur and Kavita Kapur