Carbohydrates
(Starch)
Starches/Breads (15 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein, 1 gram fat, and 80 calories per serving)
These foods are the
cornerstone of every healthy eating plan.
Most of their calories come from carbohydrates, a good source of
energy. Many foods from this group also
give you needed fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Prepare and eat starch foods with as little added fat as possible by
limiting butter, margarine, shortening, and oil.
This is just a few of the
many available starch foods. Estimate a
single serving size for foods that aren’t on the list as follows:
Serving Size
Starch vegetables,
grains, pasta 1/2
cup
Breads and “Goldfish” 1
oz
Cooked dried beans of all
types 1/3
cup
Cereals/Beans/Grains/Pasta Serving Size
Cereal: cooked (oatmeal,
cream of wheat, rice, etc.) 1/2
cup
Cereal; dry (less than 120
calories per serving) (serving sizes vary)
Beans; cooked or canned (all kinds) 1/3 cup
Rice; cooked (all kinds) 1/2
cup
Pasta; cooked (all kinds) 1/2
cup
Starchy Vegetables Serving Size
Corn; cooked or canned 1/2
cup
Corn meal;/ uncooked (masa or matzo meal) 2 Tbsp.
Corn on the cob (3”
piece) 1
Malanga; cooked 1/3
cup
Peas (green); cooked or
canned 1/2
cup
Plantain (green, mature);
cooked 1/2
Potato; baked, boiled,
steamed 1/2 cup or one small
Squash (winter, acorn, hubbard) 1 cup raw, 1/2 cup
cooked
Yam or sweet potato 1/2
cup or one small
Breads Serving Size
Bread (whole wheat, rye,
white) 1
oz slice
Light Bread (40 – 55 calories
per slice) 2
slices
Bagel 1/2
(1 oz)
Roll (dinner, hard) 1
small
Pita pocket bread (6”-8”
across) 1/2
Low-Carb
Tortilla (6” corn or 8” flour) 1
Dumplings or gnocchi;
steamed 2
small
Mini-bagels or low-carb bagels 1
Crackers/Snacks Serving Size
Graham crackers 1
Cracker (80
calories/serving) 4-6
Pretzels (hard) 3/4
oz
Popcorn (plain, popped) 3
cups
Starches/Breads With Fat (15 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein, 5 or more grams fat, and 125-150 calories per serving)
Count as 1 Starch/Bread
AND 1 Fat serving Serving Size
Biscuit (2 ½”) 1
Corn, taco, or tortilla
chips 1
oz
Potato chips 10
Refried beans 1/3
cup
Rice, fried or Spanish 1/3
cup
Fruits (15 grams carbohydrate and 60 calories per serving)
Fruits provide important
vitamins and minerals and can be a good source of fiber. To get the most fiber from fruits, eat the
edible peelings. You can estimate the
serving size for fruits that aren’t on the list as follows:
Fresh, canned or frozen
fruit, no sugar added 1/2
cup
Dried fruit 1/4
cup
Serving Size
Apple; raw (2” across) 1
Applesauce, no sugar
added 1/2
cup
Banana (medium) 1/2
or one small
Berries (raspberries,
boysenberries) 1 cup
Berries (blackberries,
blueberries) 3/4
cup
Cantaloupe or honeydew
melon 1
cup
Cherries; raw (large) 12
Grapefruit (medium) 1/2
Grapes (small) 15
Mamey (medium) 1/2
Mandarin oranges 3/4
cup
Mango; fresh (small) 1/2
Papaya 1
cup
Peach or pear (2 ¾”
across) 1
whole
Pineapple; fresh 3/4
cup
Plums; raw (2” across) 2
Raisins 2
Tbsp
Watermelon 1
1/4 cup
Fruit Juices Serving Size
Apple, orange, or
grapefruit 1/2
cup
Cranberry, grape, or
prune 1/2
cup
100% Fruit Juice (no
sugar added)
1 cup
Milk and Milk Products
Milk and milk products supply
calcium and other minerals, vitamins, protein, and carbohydrates. Choose low-fat and skimmed varieties for
health. They have less fat, calories,
and cholesterol than whole milk products.
Skim Milk and Skim Milk Products (12 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams protein, 1 gram fate, and 90-110 calories per serving)
Serving Size
Skim, ½%, or 1% milk 8
oz
Buttermilk (low-fat) 8
oz
Yogurt (nonfat, plain or
artificially sweetened) 8
oz
Hot cocoa from mix
(artificially sweetened) 1
envelope
Low-Fat Milk and Low-Fat Milk Products (12 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams protein, 3 or more grams fat, and 120-150 calories per serving)
Serving Size
2% Milk 8 oz
Yogurt low fat, plain 8 oz
Vegetables (5 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein, and 25 calories per serving)
Vegetables are a great
source of vitamins and minerals and many also provide some fiber. A serving is ½ cup of cooked vegetables, ½
cup of vegetable juice, or 1 cup of raw vegetables. (Starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and
peas are listed with Starches/Breads.
Vegetables with fewer than 20 calories per serving are listed with Free
Foods.)
Beans (green, waxed,
Italian, snap) Greens
Beans sprouts Jicama
Beets Mushrooms
Broccoli Okra
Cactus leaves (nopales) Peas
pods or snow peas
Cabbage Peppers
Carrots Sauerkraut
Eggplant Spinach
Squash (summer, crook
neck, zucchini, calabazita)
Tomato
Tomato or vegetable juice
Water chestnuts
Other Carbohydrates (15 grams carbohydrate, or 1 Starch, or 1 Fruit, or 1 Milk)
Sugars can be included in
your meals without losing blood sugar control if they are counted
appropriately. Follow Food Guide Pyramid
guidelines for keeping the amounts of Sweets and Fats in your overall diet
small compared to more nutritionally valuable foods. Portion sizes of foods high in refined sugar
are often very small. Read the label.
Serving Size
Cranberry sauce, jellied 1/4
cup
Fruit juice bars frozen,
100% juice 1
bar (3 oz)
Fruit spreads, 100% fruit 1
Tbsp
Gelatin, regular 1/2
cup
Gingersnaps 3
Ice cream, fat-free, no
sugar added 1/2
cup
Jam or jelly regular 1
Tbsp
Pudding, regular (made
with low-fat milk) 1/4
cup (or 1/2 cup if less than 110 calories)
Pudding, sugar-free (made
with low-fat milk) 1/2 cup
Yogurt, frozen, fat-free,
no sugar added 1/2 cup
Meat and Meat Substitutes
Small
servings of meat and meat substitutes provide enough protein to meet most
people’s daily needs. For better health,
choose very lean and lean meat, fish, poultry, and cheese more often than
medium and high-fat types.
Very Lean Meats Serving Size
Cheese (1-3 grams fat or less/oz) 1 oz
Lean beef (round, flank,
sirloin) 3
oz
Menudo (tripe soup) 1/2
cup
Cottage cheese (4.5% fat) 1/3
cup
Medium-Fat Meats
Serving Size
Beef, most cuts when
trimmed 3
oz
Cheese (5 grams fat or
less/oz) 1
oz
Chicken/turkey (dark
meat, skin) 3
oz
Eggs 1
Pork (top loin, chop,
cutlets) 3
oz
High-Fat Meats (Count as 1 meat & 1 fat)
Serving Size
Cheese,
all regular (American, Swiss, etc.) 1 oz
Pork (spareribs,
barbecue) 3
oz
Chitterlings 1
oz
Fats
(5 grams fat and 45 calories per serving)
Fats add flavor and
moisture to food but have few vitamins and minerals. Serving sizes of all fats
are small. Choose mono and
polyunsaturated fats more often than saturated fats for better heart health and
to lower blood cholesterol levels.
Monounsaturated Fats Serving Size
Avocado, 4” across 1/8
Oil (canola, olive,
peanut) 1
tsp
Pesto sauce 2
tsp
Polyunsaturated Fats Serving Size
Margarine: stick, tub, or
squeeze 1
tsp
Mayonnaise, regular 1
tsp
Mayonnaise, reduced fat 1
Tbsp
Oil (corn, safflower,
soybean) 1
tsp
Light butter or light
margarine 1
tbsp
Saturated Fats Serving Size
Bacon 1
slice
Butter 1
tsp
Chicken or beef fat, lard 1
tsp
Cream (light, coffee,
sour) 1
Tbsp
Free Foods
Each free food or drink
contains fewer than 20 calories per serving.
Eat as much as you want of the free foods that list no serving
size. Eat up to 3 servings per day of
free foods that have serving sizes listed.
For better blood sugar control, spread your servings of these extra
foods through the day.
Drinks Sweet Substitutes
Bouillon or broth, fat
free Gelatin,
sugar-free
Coffee or tea Jam
or jelly, sugar-free (2 tsp)
Soft drinks, calorie-free Light
Whipped topping (2 Tbsp)
Sugar
Free Syrup (2 Tbsp)
Fruits
Spreadable fruit, no sugar (1 tsp)
Cranberries or rhubarb,
no sugar added (1/2 cup)
Vegetables Condiments
Celery Catsup
(1 Tbsp)
Cilantro Dill
pickles, unsweetened
Cucumber Horseradish
Onions Hot
sauce
Peppers (hot, chili) Mustard
Radishes Salad
dressing, low calorie (2 Tbsp)
Salad greens (all types) Taco
sauce (2 Tbsp)
Salsa (all kinds) Vinegar
Seasonings – Seasonings
can be used as desired. If you are on a
low-sodium diet, read labels to avoid seasonings that contain sodium or salt.
Flavoring extracts
(vanilla, etc.) Onion
powder
Garlic or garlic powder Paprika
Herbs, fresh or dried Pepper
Lemon or lemon juice Soy sauce,
Worcestershire sauce