mEat Healthy 

Foods

Why do you need to eat

healthy foods? 

• For energy to learn, play, and live.

• To grow at a healthy rate.

• To help keep your blood sugar or glucose

(GLOO-kos) levels in balance—not too 

high or too low.

• To help you lose weight slowly if you 

need to.

• To keep your body working properly.

• To help you avoid other health problems 

caused by diabetes.

Do kids with diabetes need 

special foods?

No, they don’t! Meals that are healthy 

for kids with diabetes are great for everyone

in the family.

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How does food affect your body?

Food is the fuel that our bodies use for 

energy. The three main sources of fuel are

carbohydrates (CAR-boh-HY-drate), protein,

and fat. The body changes them into glucose

for energy or stores them as fat. A car 

uses gas for energy—we use glucose! Eating 

a balance of foods that contain carbohydrate

(carbs), protein, and fat every day will help

your blood glucose stay in balance and keep

your weight where you want it to be.

Carbs are a good source of energy for our

bodies. Many foods contain carbs. Some are

better for you than others. If you eat too

many carbs at one time, your blood

glucose may go up too

high. Learn to eat the

right amount at meal 

and snack times to keep

your blood glucose 

in balance.
These are good carb choices. They have

lots of fiber.

• Whole grain foods

• Fresh fruits and vegetables from every color

of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, white,

green, blue, and purple.

Choose these carbs less often:

• White bread 

• White rice

• Sweetened fruit drinks

• Sweets and desserts.

Protein foods help to build strong muscles

and bones. Protein foods do not make 

the blood glucose go up like some carbs do.

Having protein in your meal can help you feel

less hungry.

Foods that are a good source of protein

include:

• Meat and poultry without the extra fat or skin

• Fish, low-fat cheese, and eggs

• Dried peas or beans such as kidney, white,

split, or blackeye 

• Soy products and nuts.

Fats are a good source of fuel for the body

and help you grow. Fat does not make blood

glucose go up but too much fat can make you

gain weight.

Choose fats that keep your heart healthy:

• Small portions of salad dressing, low-fat 

mayonnaise, and margarine in a plastic tub

• Nuts, olives, and vegetable oil

• Avocados.

Choose these high fat foods less often.

They are not healthy for your heart:

• Butter, stick margarine, and 

regular mayonnaise

• Fried foods such as potato chips 

and french fries

• Meats with fat on them, including 

bacon and lunch meats

• Cakes, cookies, pies, and other desserts.

What about sugar, sweets,

and desserts?

Everyone likes the taste of sweet foods!

Small amounts of foods that contain

sugar can be part of a healthy meal

plan. Sugary foods include soda pop, sweetened fruit drinks, syrup, honey, and candy.

Desserts such as cakes, muffins, pies,

cookies, and ice cream contain a lot of fat

as well as sugar. If you choose to eat any 

of these sweet foods, just have a small

amount at the end of a healthy meal. Have

a piece of fruit if you are still hungry.

Drink water, sugar-free soda pop,

and sugar-free fruit drinks if you are

thirsty—instead of regular soda pop,

sweetened fruit drinks, and sports drinks

that are all high in sugars.

How much should you eat?

Your height, weight, age, whether you 

are a boy or a girl, and how active you are

will affect how much food you need to 

eat each day to stay at a healthy weight.

Everyone is different. Talk to your doctor

or dietitian about how much to eat,

specially if you need to lose weight.

It’s best to spread your food out over

the day and eat breakfast, lunch, and

dinner and a couple of snacks as well.

You will have a ready supply of energy

and you won’t get too hungry.

If you take in more food than your

body burns, you will gain weight.

If you take in less food than your body

burns, you will lose weight. Being active

and eating smaller amounts of food and

fewer sweet or fatty foods can help overweight kids lose weight in a healthy way.

You will keep your heart healthy, too.
For fun, take the “Portion Distortion Quiz”

at http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion/. You

will learn how today’s portions compare 

to the portions 20 years ago and how

much physical activity you will need to 

do to burn up the extra calories in today’s

food portions.

What should you eat?

Use the Healthy Food Guide below to

make healthy choices. The amounts to eat

will vary for different foods but these will

give you an idea of the right amounts for

most kids aged 9 to 13. If you are older

than 13, go to www.mypyramid.gov to find

the right amounts for you.

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Your Healthy Food Guide

Vegetables •

Aim for 2 to 21⁄ 2 cups a day. Aim for 3 cups a day. Here

Here are choices that equal Milk, Yogurt, are choices that equal 1 cup:

1 cup: and 1 cup nonfat or low-fat milk 

• 1 cup cut up cooked or Cheese or yogurt

raw vegetables • 11

⁄2 ounces cheese 

• 2 cups leafy salad greens

• 1 cup vegetable juice

Choose dark green and orange vegetables as often as

you can.

Aim for 5 to 6 ounces a day.

Here are choices that

Aim for 11⁄ 2 cups a day. equal one ounce: Breads, Cereals, Here are choices that • 1/2 cup of cooked Fruits Rice, and Pasta equal 1 cup: cereal • 1 cup cut up raw or • 1/2 cup cooked rice or 

cooked fruit pasta 

• 1 cup fruit juice • 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal 

• 1/2 cup dried fruit • 1 slice of whole grain bread

Choose fresh whole fruits as often as you can. • 1/2 small bagel or 1 small muffin

Choose whole grain foods for at least 3 of your 6 choices.

Aim for 5 ounces a day. Here are choices that equal 

1 ounce:

• 1 ounce lean meat, fish, or chicken

• 1 egg One serving is

• 1 tablespoon peanut butter • 1 teaspoon vegetable, olive, or canola oil

• 1/4 cup cooked dry peas or • 1 teaspoon tub margarine Meat, Poultry, beans such as kidney, • 5 large olives or 1/8 Fish, Dry white, split, or blackeye avocado Beans, Eggs, Heart-healthy • 1/4 cup tofu • 1 tablespoon low-fat 

and Nuts Fats • 1/2 ounce nuts mayonnaise 

• 2 tablespoons low-fat

salad dressing

How much should you eat? 

You get most of the fat your body needs from other If you choose to eat Soda Pop, foods you eat—so choose only a few extra servings of these foods, have a very Candy, these heart-healthy fats each day. small amount and not Cookies,

every day. and Desserts

Source: USDA (www.usda.gov)
Think Balance— 

in food, 

in being active, 

in all you do!

Putting it all together!

• Eat meals and snacks at about 

the same time each day. Try not 

to skip meals.

• Be physically active for at least 

60 minutes almost every day

• Drink more water instead of juice 

or soda.

• Learn more about foods and how 

much you need to eat.

• Ask your doctor or dietitian for help.

• Take the right amount of insulin or pill

at the right times if you need them to

help manage your diabetes.

It’s not always easy to eat healthy 

foods when others seem to eat 

whatever they want. Follow the

tips in this brochure and

know that it will make a

difference in your life.

Special thanks to the kids who helped us

make this tip sheet.

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To learn more

A registered dietitian or a diabetes 

educator can help you and your family 

make the best food choices.

To find a dietitian near you, contact the

American Dietetic Association.

1-800-877-1600 • www.eatright.org

To find a diabetes educator near you,

contact the American Association 

of Diabetes Educators.

1-800-338-DMED (3633)

www.diabeteseducator.org

Also check out:

National Diabetes Education Program

1-888-693-NDEP (6337)

www.YourDiabetesInfo.org

American Diabetes Association

1-800-DIABETES (342-2383)

www.diabetes.org/wizdom

CDC’s Nutrition and Physical 

Activity website for healthy eating tips and

the Kids Walk to School Program

www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/publicat.htm

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans

that help promote health and reduce disease

risk through diet and physical activity.

http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines

MyPyramid Plan to learn what and how

much to eat.

http://www.mypyramid.gov/

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes

Education Program (NDEP) is jointly sponsored by the National Institutes

of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) with the support of more than 200 partner organizations.

Revised August 2010 NIH Publication No. 07-5295 NDEPI-2