The Diabetes Food Choice: Fat
The amount of fat you consume should be tailored to your food preferences and your health and blood lipid (blood fats) and glucose control goals. You need a personalized eating plan. For instance, a young athlete with type 1 diabetes might require 4,000 calories per day during the football season. He may need to derive 40% of his calories from fat to meet his calorie needs. Even though he's consuming more calories from fat, he should still choose foods with lower saturated fat and cholesterol and higher monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil, canola oil, avocado, nuts, or olives.
Conversely, a small woman with type 2 diabetes who wants to lose weight may need to limit her fat intake to around 25% of calories or less to achieve her nutritional and diabetes goals. One of the key nutritional guidelines for diabetes is to restrict saturated fat to less than 7% of calories. Why? Because saturated fat raises blood cholesterol levels. High blood cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, which is more common in people with heart disease. Reducing saturated fat intake could lower the risk of this diabetes complication. Also, individuals with abnormal blood lipids (fat) and high triglycerides might benefit from consuming more monounsaturated fats. When it comes to cholesterol, aim to keep it at 200 mg or less per day. Foods high in cholesterol include egg yolks and organ meats like liver or kidney.
How to reduce saturated fat:
Focus on decreasing the consumption of:
Meats:
Choose lean cuts.
Trim off all visible fat before cooking.
Use cooking methods that remove excess fat, such as grilling.
Consume 2-3 small portions (cooked). A serving should be about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards.
Poultry:
Remove the skin either before or after cooking.
Seafood:
Prepare with small amounts of fat.
Consume 2-3 ounce portions (cooked).
Cheese:
Limited consumption.
Choose part-skim or reduced-fat cheeses.
Butter:
Use margarine.
Use butter on occasion, perhaps in a recipe.
Milk/Yogurt:
Choose the fat-free (skim) varieties.
Processed Foods:
Read the labels of processed foods and check for tropical oils (such as palm or coconut) and see how far down on the ingredient list they fall. Ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance in the product. The ingredient used in the greatest quantity is listed first, and the ingredient used in the smallest quantity is listed last.
How to increase monounsaturated fats:
Monounsaturated fats are known as the good fats. They help lower cholesterol without decreasing the body's good cholesterol (HDL).
Stock up on canola and olive oil. Use these oils for sautΓ©ing, cooking, preparing salad dressing, or baking.
Add nuts to your meals, such as salads, desserts, and stir-fries.
Use a slice or two of avocado to garnish salads or casseroles.
Add olives to relish plates, salads, or as garnish.
Choose canola or olive oil-based commercial salad dressings, canola-based margarine, and mayonnaise, or make your own with olive or canola oil.
Easy ways to reduce and skim the fat:
Use fat-free or no more than 1% milk.
Opt for light and reduced-fat cheeses. Find the products you enjoy the most. Sometimes using less of the regular product can provide the taste you desire.
If a recipe calls for cheese and you prefer regular cheese, choose a sharp variety and use a smaller quantity. The stronger flavor provides more taste with less amount.
Select low-fat, light, and fat-free products that suit your taste. You may need to experiment with various options, such as margarine, butter (or blends), cream cheese, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Remember,