The Diabetes Plate Method

The Diabetes Plate Method was created to help a person with diabetes effectively plan meals for long term health and disease management. Managing your diabetes by the plate method can support your diabetic journey for managing your blood sugar during meal time.

What is the Diabetes Plate Method?

The Diabetes Plate Method is a tool you can use to help with portion control. The CDC defines it this way: “Fill half with nonstarchy vegetables, such as salad, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and carrots. Fill one quarter with a lean protein, such as chicken, turkey, beans, tofu, or eggs. Fill one quarter with carb foods.”
CDC

Eating with these food groups in mind was designed to help make meal time easier for the person with diabetes to understand the ideal meal plan. Whether you have diabetes or not, learning portion control can be a great way to help attain your own fitness goals.

Who Created The Diabetes Plate Method?

Back in the 1980’s, Swedish Dietitians created The Diabetes Plate Method. At the time it was actually called “The Swedish Plate Method”. (Plate Method see also National Library of Medicine) Developing The portion plate has helped those with Diabetes to have an easier time understanding how to manage their health using this divided plate.

How to portion meals according to the Diabetes Plate

I’ve been recommending this style of eating for many years. The tl;dr is:

Make half your plate veggies
Make 1/4 of your plate carbs (fruit, grains, starchy veggies)
and make 1/4 of your plate lean proteins.

I have a ZILLION meal ideas with those portions in mind, specificially:

Here’s 12 lunch ideas with 1/2 veggies, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 carbs.
Here’s a recent 1300 calorie day with the same portions.

BBQ turkey and rice sq with calories and macros

There are so many different tools to use when it comes to your health.

In choosing what will work best for your situation, I think it is helpful to not get discouraged if you try something, and it doesn’t pan out the way you were hoping it would.

You could first try to divide your plate into the recommended sections, and see how that feels. Remember that you will want to stick with whatever you try for longer than a couple of days. Trying something new is like trying to write with the non-dominant hand! You will not feel comfortable in a day, or probably even in a week of trying this. If it seems like it’s something you are enjoying, then you may want to invest in a plate.

1/2 your plate for veggies

Veggies are to fill half your plate. This is the best way to get all your micro nutrients and fiber. The veggies that can go in this portion of your plate can include:

Artichoke
Arugula
Asparagus
Avocado
Basil
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chives
Cilantro
Corn
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger
Green Onions
Kale
Lettuce/greens
Mushrooms
Onions
Peppers, Bell
Peas
Spaghetti squash
Spinach
Sprouts
String Beans
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Zucchini

1/4 your plate for protein

Proteins should fill 1/4 of your plate. These should include

Nuts such as Almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, walnuts
Beans, such as Black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lima beans, pinto beans, lentils, soy beans/ Tofu
Seeds, such as flax, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds.
Eggs
Ground Beef
chicken Breasts
Deli Meats
Fish
Steaks
Tuna
Turkey
Greek yogurt, regular yogurt
Cottage cheese

1/4 of your plate for carbs

Aim to fill 1/4 of your plate with healthy, whole food carb sources. These include fruits, grains, and starchy vegetables. Some of those foods can include

Fruit

Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Coconut
Cranberries
Dates
Figs
Grapefruit
Grapes
Kiwi
Lemons
Limes
Melon
Nectarines
Oranges
Papaya
Peaches
Pears
Pineapple
Plums/ Prunes
Pomegranate
Raspberries
Strawberries
Watermelon

Grains

Buckwheat
Corn Tortillas
Couscous
Oats
Orzo
Popcorn
Rice, Brown
Rye
Quinoa
Taco Shells
Whole wheat Bagels
Whole Wheatt breads
Whole Wheat Flour
Whole Wheat pasta
Whole Wheat Tortilla

Starchy Vegetables

sweet potatoes
white potatoes
butternut squash
pumpkin

And that’s it! Use these lists to prepare a combination of healthy meals.