Exchange Diet

The American Diabetes Association Exchange Diet is a way for diabetics to easily track the food they eat.

The exchange list is much like the food groups. It divides food into six categories: starches, meat and meat substitutes, milk products, vegetables, fruit, and fat. Each food is categorized so that it is worth a certain number of exchanges.

You then plan to eat a balanced meal based on the exchanges: you want to have many starch, fruit, and vegetable exchanges, and far fewer fat exchanges. You can also exchange any food for another food in its category. You simply need to know the serving portions for each food in order to make the proper exchange.

For more information on the diabetic exchange diet, visit your doctor or dietician.