Diabetic Carb Counting & Exchanges

Why are "free vegetables" limited portions when cooked? When you measure a cooked vegetable, more cooked vegetable (weight) fits in a 1/2 cup compared to the raw version. Serving size and whether a vegetable is counted as free, vegetable or starch exchange is dependent on the number of grams of carbohydrate per serving (around 1/2...

I am a diabetic. I love peanut butter. What is in peanut butter that you have to give up one fat exchange? The usual ingredients in peanut butter are peanuts and salt. Some brands add hydrogenated vegetable shortening or sugar. Hydrogenated vegetable oil is a saturated fat which may be added to prevent the peanut...

I am an adult nurse practitioner who sees many persons with diabetes. I am in need of a reference for exchange lists for my patients who eat predominantly Asian / Oriental foods and one for my orthodox Jewish patient who is out of the country 200 days per year. Can you help me? This same...

I'm a new diabetic and I would like to hear from you as to what you would suggest. Occasionally I like to have a brandy and seven. Since I can't drink regular pop, I've changed to diet pop. What about the brandy? How many can I have? While I do not recommend that anyone drink...

I have been recently diagnosed as prediabetic on October 18. I gave up sugar that day. My next appointment was December 17. My fasting blood sugar went from 123 to 106 milligrams percent. My A1c was 6.1. It had not been measured before so that was with only 2 months of no sugar etc....

My husband was just diagnosed as having diabetes. He's not taking any shots or pills. His doctor suggested we see a registered dietitian to get a diet. The hospital dietitian gave him a book called "Exchange List" and explained it. The list is pretty complicated and so different from the way we eat. Couldn't...

Visitors note: Updated 2008 diabetic exchanges The following answers are based on "Choose Your Foods: Exchange Lists for Diabetes" published in 2008 by the American Diabetes Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

I am a little confused about cheese and I am a diabetic. I know that 1/4 cup of low-fat cottage cheese is permissible, but what about the hard cheeses like cheddar, American and so on? What is in them that we cannot have? You can have hard cheeses and exchange cheese for meat in your...

My husband is a diabetic and I work for a physician where I help other diabetics and their spouses learn how to change their method of eating. I also have recently started teaching a program that focuses on healthy eating and has learned to convert recipes to exchanges. Is there a software program that...