Caloric Intake

The recommended caloric intake for most people is around 2000 per day. However, due to their condition, people with diabetes need to be more careful about how many calories they get per day. On average, a diabetic should have around 1500-1800 calories per day, depending on his or her target weight. To calculate your target weight, try this:

For women:
Start with 100 pounds for 5 feet tall. Add 5 pounds for every inch over 5 feet. If you are under 5 feet, subtract 5 pounds for each inch under 5 feet. This will give you your ideal weight.
If you have a large frame, add 10%. If you have a small frame, subtract 10%. A good way to decide your frame size is to look at your wrist size compared to other women's.

For men:
Start with 106 pounds for a height of 5 foot. Add 6 pounds for every inch above 5 foot.
For a large frame, add 10%. For a small frame, subtract 10%.

These calculations are for adults, so teens may need to undershoot these goals a bit. You can also use the calorie counter down below.

Because diabetes effects the body's ability to process sugar, the body's main source of energy, carbohydrates, must be handled correctly. Unfortunately, there is still much debate as to what percentage of the calories in a diabetic diet should come from carbs. Some say it should be below 40%, while others say 70% is still healthy. The average percentage is 50-60%.

Its also important to get those carbs from the right places.

Different macro-nutrients provide different types of energy. Here is a list of what percentage of your energy should come from each macro-nutrient, and how many hours your body takes to process it.

10-20% protein (fish > poultry) 3-4 hrs
30% fats (no more than 10% saturated or transitional fat) 6-8 hrs
50-60% carbs 1/2-1 hrs