Ref no: AHCP110516
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ACCU-CHEK K itchen C orner
For delicious r ecipes visit the Accu- Chek K itchen C or ner on w w w.diabetes .co. za
Alcohol
Artificial Sweeteners
Drink alcohol in moderation and use good sense. 1 drink for females or 2 drinks for males,
such as 1-2 light beers, 120-240ml dry wine or 25-50ml spirits will have little effect on your
blood sugar level.
You can use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar to sweeten food and drinks. Artificial
sweeteners contain very few calories (energy) so eaten by themselves will not cause
weight gain and will also not affect your blood sugar level. Remember however, that many
products that use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar, such as biscuits, pastries, muffins,
scones, cakes, yoghurts etc, still contain calories and carbohydrates from other sources and
can increase your blood sugar level and cause weight gain.
Alcoholic drinks that contain carbohydrate will push your blood sugar level up straight after
drinking them. Examples include ciders and fruity alcoholic drinks, margaritas, sweet wines,
liqueurs and other alcoholic drinks made with syrup, fruit juice, Red Bull and regular drinks
such as tonic water, lemonade or coke.
Alcohol together with insulin or certain diabetes medications can cause your blood sugar
level to go too low (hypoglycaemia) several hours after drinking. Be aware that the symptoms of hypoglycemia may be confused for drunkenness. To prevent hypoglycemia, test your
blood glucose level more often, eat a meal that contains carbohydrate before or while you
are drinking alcohol and eat a snack that contains carbohydrate before going to bed.
Examples of artificial sweeteners include: Aspartame, Saccharin, Acesulfame K or Sucralose.
These can be used safely by people with diabetes, including children and pregnant women.
There is no scientific proof that artificial sweeteners cause cancer, epileptic fits, headaches,
tumours etc. If you choose to use them, then use a variety of different sweeteners and eat
them in moderation (between 6-10 sachets or tablets per day and between 1-2 cold drinks
per day).
Alcohol should be avoided if you have high triglyceride levels (a type of fat in the blood),
uncontrolled blood sugar levels, if you are trying to lose weight and if you are pregnant.
Diabetic Products
Foods such as chocolates, biscuits, ice-cream, rusks, cereals, etc that are labeled “Suitable
for diabetics”, “Sugar-free’, “No sugar added”, “Sucrose free”, are only free of added sugar
and are not recommended. They contain other types of sugars which can increase your
blood sugar level just as normal sugar does and may even cause diarrhea. They are also
high in fat and calories which can cause weight gain, and they are very expensive. If you
do choose to eat them, then make sure that you don’t eat them regularly and that you eat
them in moderation as you would regular foods that contain sugar (i.e. 1-2 small biscuits or
2-3 squares of chocolate or 1 small rusk or 1 scoop of ice cream at a time).
Hypoglycaemia occurs when blood glucose levels drop too low, which can happen when the
body gets too much insulin or not enough food, when meals or snacks are missed or eaten late,
when you exercise more than you planned or when you drink alcohol without eating.
Symptoms of Hypoglycaemia include: shaking, trembling, blurry eyes, weakness, dizziness, pale
skin, sweating, rapid pulse, hunger, nausea, irritability and feeling confused.
To treat Hypoglycaemia immediately eat or drink something that is high in sugar such as ½ tin
regular coke (not Coke Light) OR ½ glass fruit juice OR 5 Super C sweets OR 1 Tablespoon jam or
honey OR 3 teaspoons sugar in water. This will push your sugar level up quickly (within ~10 – 15
minutes).
Experience what’s possible.
• Only order one course per meal and ask for ½ portions where possible
• Salads that contain croutons, olives, avocado, cheese, nuts, seeds, salad dressing and
mayonnaise are high in fat. Order a plain green salad with separate salad dressing and
drizzle a little on yourself or use vinegar and a dash of oil or a squeeze of lemon
• Order tomato or vegetable based soups instead of cream based soups
• Order grilled meat (beef or veal), chicken (without the skin) or fish with no extra oil. Keep
away from deep-fried, crumbed (battered) and sweet and sour dishes as well as gravies,
cream-based or butter-based sauces – rather squeeze fresh lemon for flavour
• Roast, sautéed or mashed potatoes, fried chips and onion rings are high in fat, so choose
boiled rice or plain baked or boiled potatoes instead (no sour cream or butter)
• Order steamed, grilled or boiled non-starchy vegetables instead of butternut (which often has
sugar added) and spinach (which often has cream added)
• Toasted sandwiches are often very high in fat - rather order an open sandwich or burger,
prego, wrap or pita with no or less butter, sauce, dressing or mayonnaise and with salad
instead of chips or potato wedges
• Order a small vegetarian pizza with less cheese and extra vegetables
Salt
Eating too much salt in your diet can cause a high blood pressure (hypertension) which can
cause damage to the kidneys, heart, brain and eyes. A high blood pressure has no signs or symptoms so the only way to know if you have a high blood pressure is to have it checked at every
visit to your doctor or nurse.
Reducing salt in your diet can help to reduce your blood pressure.
1.Do not add salt or salt-containing spices to food during cooking or at the table. Use spices
that do not contain salt e.g. herbs, pepper, onions, garlic, curry powder, chilli, lemon juice, vinegar, ginger, rosemary etc
2.Avoid meat tenderizers, stock cubes, soya sauce, convenience and instant meals, as well as
ready-made sauces, salad dressings, soups and gravies
3.Avoid ingredients such as salt, sodium, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium chloride,
sodium bicarbonate, or any sodium containing additive
4.Eat small amounts or avoid processed foods (boerewors, viennas, sausages, polony, cold
meats, fish cakes, hamburger pates, bully beef), tinned and smoked foods, spreads (marmite,
Bovril, fish paste, liver or meat spreads, pate, cheese spread), most cheeses and salty snacks
(crisps, salty biscuits, biltong, salted nuts, salted popcorn, olives, pickles, anchovies)
Drinks
Drinks that are allowed: diet drinks such as Coca-Cola Light, Coca-Cola Zero, TAB, Sprite Zero, Fanta
Zero, 7 Up Free, Pepsi Light, Pepsi Max, cordials such as Brookes Low-Cal and Sweeto, non-carbonated
sugar-free drinks such as Lipton Ice Tea Light and Manhattan Lite Ice Tea as well as tea and coffee
with low-fat or fat-free milk instead of full-cream milk and with a sugar substitute instead of regular
sugar. For the healthiest option, drink about 6-8 glasses of water per day!
Keep some of the following ideas in mind when eating out or getting take-aways:
(Hypoglycaemia)
After 15 minutes, you need to eat a healthy carbohydrate such as a peanut butter or cheese
sandwich OR a small bowl of cereal with milk.
Avoid drinks that are high in sugar such as Energade, Powerade, Lucozade, Coca-Cola, Sprite,
Fanta, cordials, powdered drinks such as milo or hot chocolate (including the sugar-free) and
Fruit Juice (even if the fruit juice is 100% pure and has no sugar added). These drinks push your
sugar level up too high very quickly. Only when your blood sugar level is too low should you
drink a small amount (about ½ a glass) of any of these drinks.
Take Aways
Choose any ONE of the following as a snack in between meals:
Any fruit the size of ONE of your closed fists OR
1 cup (250ml) cut up watermelon or melon or paw-paw or berries OR
10 small grapes or cherries or strawberries OR
1 small banana or ½ papino or 2 small plums or apricots OR
1 cup (250ml) low-fat or fat-free milk, buttermilk, mageu, plain
yoghurt or fat-free Gero D yoghurt
100ml low-fat sweetened yoghurt OR
175g Parmalat Fabulite yoghurt or DairyBelle In-Shape yoghurt OR
150ml Woolworths fat-free sweetened yoghurt
• These healthy snacks still contain natural (and sometimes added) sugar! Eating too much at a time will increase your sugar level too high
• A small amount of milk or amasi can also be added to cereal or porridge
at a meal
5.Make sauces, salad dressings, soups and gravies at home and eat unprocessed and fresh
meat, fish, chicken, fruit, vegetables and beans regularly
Accu-Chek Diabetes Portion Plate and Placemat have been developed in collaboration with
Mandy Marcus: Registered Dietitian B.Sc (Wits) Med (Hons) Nutrition & Dietetics (UCT)
Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology
ACCU-CHEK is a trademark of Roche. © Roche Diagnostics.
Roche Products (Pty) Ltd Diagnostic Division
PO Box 1927, Randburg
080-Diabetes ( Dial 080-34-22-38-37)
www.accu-chek.co.za
www.diabetes.co.za
Ref: AHCP110318
ACCU-CHEK K itchen C orner
Vegetables
FATS
PER MEAL:
PER MEAL:
Fill the top ½ of the plate (GREEN SECTION) with any of these non-starchy vegetables
OR
Eat as many of these vegetables as you can hold in both hands
Artichokes
Broccoli
Bean sprouts Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower Cucumber
Egg plant (brinjal) Green beans Leeks
Mushrooms
Patty pans
Radishes
Spinach
Tomato
Asparagus
Baby marrow
Beetroot
Cabbage
Celery
Carrots
Gem squash
Lettuce
Morogo
Onions
Peppers
Snap peas
Turnips
Fill the circle in the middle of the plate (YELLOW SECTION) with any of these healthy fats
OR
Eat any fat the size of the tip of your thumb (top of your thumb to your knuckle)
OR
Eat half a small avocado
OR
Add 1 teaspoon of fat
OR
Add 1 teaspoon of fat per person when making stews or curries
Avocado Mayonnaise
PLACE YOUR ACCU-CHEK PLATE HERE.
Ref no: AHCP110516
• Eating too much fat will increase your sugar level about 8 or
more hours later and will also cause weight gain
FAT
Proteins
Starch
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Fill the bottom right ¼ of the plate (RED SECTION) with any of these
proteins
OR
Eat any protein the size of the palm of your hand and the same thickness as your baby finger
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•Eating the correct amount of starch at a meal will not push your sugar level up too high BUT eating too much starch at a meal will increase your sugar level too high straight after eating
•Eat brown or whole wheat foods instead of white foods as they contain more fibre
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Mealies
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These vegetables are higher in starch and belong in this section of the plate:
Experience what’s possible.
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Bread
Cereal
Crackers
Couscous
Dried beans
Lentils Macaroni Mabele Maltabella Oats
Pasta
Rice
Spaghetti
Sorghum
Mealie meal (pap, phutu, porridge) Stampmealies (samp)
Sweetcorn
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Fill the bottom left ¼ of the plate (PURPLE SECTION) with any of
these cooked starchy foods
OR
Eat any cooked starch the size of ONE of your closed fists
OR
Measure 1 cup (250ml) of any cooked starch or high fibre cereal
OR
Measure ½ cup (125ml) muesli
OR
Eat 2 slices bread or 6 provita biscuits
PER MEAL:
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PER MEAL:
Sweet potatoes Corn Pumpkin
Butternut
Margarine Oil
Peanut butter
Salad dressing
• Healthy cooking methods: grill, bake, pan-fry, stir-fry, roast, poach,
microwave, steam, boil – add the correct amount of fat or use
spray ‘n cook or use a non-stick pan
•These vegetables affect your blood sugar level the least
•Include a colourful variety of raw and cooked vegetables
(fresh or frozen)
•Vegetables contain fibre as well as vitamins and minerals
Potatoes Peas
Nuts Seeds
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Chicken and turkey (no skin or wings)
Cheese (low fat or fat free)
Red Meat (no fat)
Eggs
Fish (fresh, frozen or tinned)
Dried beans and lentils
Chickpeas
Tofu (Soybean curd)
• Eating the correct amount of protein will have a very small effect on your sugar level
BUT eating too much protein will push your sugar level up too high about 4 hours later
• Dried beans and lentils also contain starch so when you eat beans as your
protein, fill the starch section of the plate with less starch