Idaho Plate Method for Diabetes

Meal Planning

What is the Idaho Plate Method?

The Idaho Plate Method is an easy way to

set up healthy meals for yourself and your
family. No weighing, no carrying around
measuring cups, and no expensive “Special
Foods”.

It can be used to help you eat healthy, lose

weight, lower cholesterol, and manage your
diabetes. Planning your food intake is the 1st
step in controlling your blood sugars, and
diabetes. When you eat healthy you feel
better and your family eats better also. It
helps them learn good eating habits for life.

The Idaho Plate Method meal plan does not

take the place of visiting your health Care
professional.

To begin with you need a basic plate. Guess

what? Plates have gotten bigger, so the
amount of food we eat has increased, and
waist lines have followed.

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A basic sized plate is 9 inches. Take a ruler
and measure across your plate, if the part
where you put your food is 9 inches across,
you have the right sized plate . . . if not,
measure your salad plate. It may be just
what you are looking for.

DO not use an oversized plate and plan on

only filling it part way – you will be more
tempted to overeat.

Now let’s look at your bowl for cereal &

soup. A good sized bowl is the one you get a
cup of soup in at a restaurant. You need a
small bowl that holds about 1 cup.

Next, you need a small dish, the type you

get desserts in at buffet restaurants. It holds
about 1/2 cup.

If you are not sure what size bowl and dish

to use, use measuring cups to find out
exactly how much the bowl will hold.
Measure out 1 cup of dry rice (or cereal)
into a bowl. If the bowl looks fairly full, it
is the perfect size bowl. Now measure out
½ c of dry rice (or cereal) into a small dish.

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If the dish looks fairly full it is the right size
dish to use.

Now that you are using the right dishes, you

are ready. Make sure and put the oversized
dishes & bowls out of sight so you do not
use them again.
- the hard stuff is over -

Let’s look at your PLACEMAT, the side

with Lunch and Dinner on it.

The pictures of foods show some examples

of food you can put on each section of the
plate

**********
Let’s look at each part of the plate

**********

Vegetables
Vegetables stay on this ½ of the plate. This
may be more vegetables than you are used
to. That’s O.K. By increasing your
vegetables, you are bringing your meals
back into balance and adding fiber, vitamins
and minerals you might have been missing.

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Vegetables also help to fill you up without
filing you out!

It’s best not to fill the ½ plate with only 1

veggie. You get tired of even your favorite
foods that way. Try a small salad and ½ a
cooked vegetable so you have more variety.

*Some vegetables are higher in starch/

carbohydrate. These vegetables belong in
the Bread and Starch section of the plate.
Corn, Peas, Yams, Potatoes, & Winter
Squash fit in this section, not on the
Vegetable Section (Winter Squash is squash
that has a hard shell). So just to review-
Corn and Peas are not on the vegetable
section of the Plate.

Enjoy Vegetables!
**********

Meat/Protein
This 1/4th of the plate is where you put your
meats. You can use any type of meat, fish,
poultry, tofu, eggs, and nuts. These are high
in protein, but are sometimes high in fat.
Remove visible fat before cooking & eating.

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Remember, low fat foods are better for your
heart and your waistline. Healthier cooking
choices include baked, broiled and boiled
items with little fat added. Healthier fats
can be found in fish such as salmon and
mackerel, and nuts (except coconut).
**********

Bread/Starch/Grain
This 1/4th of the plate is where your Breads/
Starches/ and Grains stay. You can eat a
variety of foods in this group. Examples are
noodles, rice, bread, cereal, crackers, small
tortillas, potatoes, and dried beans (chili).
For cereal and soup use the small bowl; it
fits right on this 1/4th of the plate. Some
vegetables are higher in starch/carbohydrate.
These also belong in this group and include
corn, peas, yams, and winter squash.
**********

Milk
Find a small coffee cup or glass that holds
about 1 cup for foods in this section. Fat
Free milk, Skim milk, 1% milk, and Lite
yogurt are your best choices.

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Use a small dish for servings of Lite ice
cream and sugar-free pudding to add variety.
You will need 3 servings per day from this
group to get enough calcium. Teens and
adolescents need 4 servings. If you do not
drink milk talk to your Registered Dietitian/
Educator about ways to add calcium to your
diet. Calcium from milk products can help
control blood pressure and help you lose
weight easier. Calcium is also important for
strong bones.
**********

Fruit
A serving of fruit is 1 small piece, like a
small apple, small orange, or small orange.
Use your small dish to hold fruits like
applesauce and fruit cocktail. It holds a ½
cup. When using canned fruit, lite-packed
and juice-packed are the best choices. Juice
servings are about ½ of a small coffee cup.
Remember, juice does not fill you up. You
will feel fuller if you eat a small orange
instead of drinking juice.

Some fruits have less starch/carbohydrate,

so you can eat a little more of them. These

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bonus foods are melons and berries, use
your small bowl for the right serving size.

Now you can set up Lunch & Dinner

meals
You can put any meat you want on the 1/4th
plate for meat.
Place any Bread/Starch food you want on
the 1/4th Plate for Breads
Any vegetable can go on the 1/2 for Veggies
(except vegetables which are a starch, and
go on the 1/4th plate for Breads/ Starches/
Grains).
Any Fruit can go in the small dish for fruits.
Any Milk product goes in the Milk section

Need ideas for more meals?

Take a minute to look at your Idaho Plate
Method guide (English & Spanish food
guides are available).

They show more examples of everyday

meals using your plate to set up meals. See
how to use pizza and other favorite foods for
a healthy meal.

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Now let’s look at the Breakfast side
of the Placemat

You have a 1/4th of the plate for meat

A 1/4th of plate for Breads / Starch / Grain
A dish of fruit, any kind you want
And milk serving.

To set up a Breakfast meal

You can choose to put any meat you want on
the 1/4th plate for meat.
Any Bread/Starch / Grain food you want on
the 1/4th plate for Breads.
Any Fruit which goes in the small dish for
fruits.
Any Milk serving which goes in the Milk
section.

Now you know how to set up

Breakfast-Lunch- & Dinner Meals

1 Fruit = 1 Milk = 1 Bread/Starch

Milk, Fruits and Breads/Starches/Grains all
affect your blood sugar levels about the
same amount. That is why these foods can
be traded for one another. So, if you do not
want fruit for lunch, you could have another
serving of milk. These foods each break

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down into sugar, a natural fuel, in the body.
Maybe you are thinking you should avoid
these food groups? No. You need a variety
of foods from all the food groups to be
healthy.

With the Idaho Plate Method you can start to

control your blood sugar levels. When you
eat about the same amount of food on your
plate at each meal, you can help avoid blood
sugar swings. It is best not to skip a food
group. You need the nutrients from each
food group to stay healthy. A diet low in
fruits and whole grains is also low in fiber
and many vitamins and minerals.

You can not trade meat and vegetable

servings.

What are Basic Portion Sizes?

for 1/4th a plate, or small dish, or small coffee cup
• One deck of cards – ½ chicken breast,
small pork chop, steak, hamburger
patty, fish filet
• One piece - one slice toast, or one
small apple, or small banana
• One half - hamburger bun, English
muffin, large banana, or grapefruit

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 • 1/2 cup - mashed potatoes, cut up
fruit, or juice
• One cup - milk, yogurt, melon,
berries, or soup

Need More Ideas for Meals?

Take a minute to look at your Idaho Plate
Method Guide, available in English. If you
need ideas for Spanish foods use the Idaho
Plate Method Spanish edition guide

Both show examples of everyday meals,

including breakfast, lunch and dinners using
the plate. Learn how to include pizza and
other favorite foods in your meal plan.

Question – What about snacks?

Plan on saving the fruit serving at meals and
have it later between meals as a snack.

Question – What about desserts?

Your fruit can be traded for a small dessert -
use the small dish to help watch the serving
size. If you trade too often, your weight
may suffer. Also make sure the serving size
of desserts is small so it does not raise your
blood sugar.

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Question - I’m not a big eater. I
can’t eat that much food.
You do not need to fill the parts of the plate
top full. Remember the key is
CONSISTENCY. Eat about the same
amount of food on each section of the plate
at each meal. If you have your favorite
mashed potatoes one day, you should not
have more on that section of your plate than
the day when you had plain noodles. This
will help you even out your blood sugars.

• For very small eaters and kids try

eating 1/4th plate of vegetables
• Kids may need an extra snack of fruit
or bread or milk between meals

Question – My husband needs more

food than me?

For men we usually add an extra Bread/

Starch/ Grain serving at each meal. Just use
a 2nd small dish like you use for fruits for
the extra Bread /Starch/ Grain serving. You
can add the extra serving between meals as a
snack. Your Registered Dietitian/Educator
can help you tailor the diet to your exact
needs.

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Question – We eat more meat than
that.
 Yes, most people eat more protein and fat
than we need.
 By using only a 1/4th a plate of meat you
may lower your weight & cholesterol.
It’s the healthy thing to do!

Question - My husband drinks

large glasses of Milk with
meals.
• Often we get too many calories from
our beverages. If he needs to lose weight, try
cutting down to the smaller size of milk, or 2
small cups of milk.
• Remember to drink more water. Try
at least 3 glasses a day. (Many people
recommend 8 glasses of water a day).

Question - What about eating out?

 When eating out, simply order smaller
servings and follow the Idaho Plate
Method set up.

 Fill a to-go box with the extra food

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 items before you begin your meal. It
makes it easier to avoid over eating.

 Salad bars are a great way to get your

vegetables but make sure to limit
those with lots of mayonnaise.
Remember potato salad and macaroni
salad go on the Bread/Starch/Grain
section of your plate- Not the
Vegetable portion

Question - What about FATS:

Margarine, Salad dressings,
Whip cream, Sour cream and
Spray Pam?
 Try to use less! Be skimpy
• Mayonnaise- Try Lite or Fat Free.
• Try Lite Salad Dressings or Fat Free,
always add on the side, even
at home.
• Sour Cream- Try Lite or Fat Free.
• Spray Pam- count 1, 2, 3 & stop
Spraying.
• Gravy- use Fat Free, or use fat free
broth, & always be skimpy and serve in a
small side dish. When making homemade,

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skim the fat off the meat broth.

Remember people with Diabetes are at a

higher risk for heart attacks and strokes so
try to limit fat intake, especially hard
(saturated) fats. Your MD should check
your cholesterol at least once a year. If you
can not lower your cholesterol with your
diet, it is recommended you take medication.

Question - What are the best ways to

cook meats?
 Grilled
 Broiled
 Baked
 Boiled
 Steamed
Limit these methods:
* Fried
* Breaded
* With Sauce
* Sautéed

Question - I’m following the Idaho

Plate Method, what else can I do to
lose weight?
Make sure the food stacked the highest on
the plate is the vegetables. Do not let the

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foods touch each other. Example: my meat
can not touch my mashed potatoes. By
doing this you make the serving size of
foods slightly smaller.

EXERCISE
Activity affects your blood sugars and helps
you use up more energy, which helps you
lose weight. If you spend an afternoon
working in the garden you will use more
energy. You may need an extra serving of
fruit or milk or bread/starch/grain to avoid
problems with low blood sugar. When you
are more active, make sure and check your
blood sugar more often to know if you need
an extra snack. It will also help to talk to
your MD about cutting down on your
diabetes medications when you are doing
extra activity, so you can eat less without
having lows.

Always carry a snack in case of

hypoglycemia / low blood sugar:
 Hard candy
 Small box of raisins
 Juice box
 Glucose tablets

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Daily activity can help you control your
diabetes, use less medication and lose
weight. Talk to your MD before starting any
exercise program. Remember - start slow.
If you have little activity in your day, start
with something easy:

Day 1: Try 5 minutes of walking after one

meal.
Day 2: Increase to 5 minutes after 1 meal.
Day 3: Increase to 5 minutes after each
meal.
Day 4: Try 7 minutes after each meal.
Day 5: Increase to 10 minutes after each
meal.

If you are sore stay at the same time you did

the day before until you feel you can
advance to the next level.
If you have been inactive for a long time,
walking around the perimeter of each room
in your house may be a good workout for
you. Remember to start slow. Try a new
activity with a friend, walking, exercise
class, or water aerobics. Make it fun!
Remember to reward yourself for your extra
effort (Not with food). A night at the
movies, or a new trinket if you have been

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active for 7 days can be fun to look forward
to.

Stress can affect your blood sugar (BS)

levels. Stress usually will cause your BS to
rise.
If you are sick or have an infection your BS
will usually rise, even if you are not eating
much. Make sure to check BS often when
sick, and drink plenty of fluids. Call your
doctor if BS level is elevated. You may
need to take more diabetes medication for a
few days.
Remember many things out side of your
control can affect BS levels. Work to
maintain BS levels in normal ranges. But
know you have not failed if they rise and
you are doing everything you can do to
keep them in normal ranges. That just
means you need more help to control your
BS levels.

Medications:
If you need to have diabetes medications, it
is easier for your doctor to adjust your
medications when your eating habits are not
changing. You need to contact your MD if
your BS levels are elevated. Often people

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will just let their Blood Sugars run high until
the next visit. DON’T DO THIS!
Diagnosis: Lab testing can tell you if you
have diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Pre Diabetes is a fasting Blood Sugar level

of 100 mg/dl and above. If you test above
100 you need to talk with you MD and get
help with your meal plan, exercise, and
maybe medication. The sooner you treat it
the better off you will be.

NORMAL RANGE for Blood Sugar is

about 70-100 mg/dl.

Diabetes can be diagnosed by your MD if

you have a fasting BS above 126 mg/dl. *
Remember there is no such thing as a touch
of sugar. Borderline diabetes means you
need help and treatment.

If your MD has already told you that you

have diabetes, make sure to ask your MD
these questions and write down the answers.

1) What should my blood sugar be before

meals? ______-______.

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2) What should my blood sugar be at
Bedtime? ________.
3) If my blood sugar is high what should I
do?
4) At what High blood sugar number should
I call my MD? ______

If you know the answers to these questions it

can save you problems later. Test your
blood sugar regularly with a blood sugar
meter. If you do not test, you do not know
what your blood sugar level is! DO NOT
believe the old wives tale that I know what
my blood sugar is by the way I feel!

People often say “I feel fine. My BS must

be fine.” Diabetes is a tricky disease.
Usually people feel fine unless their BS
levels are very high. When you ignore
diabetes you put yourself at risk for the
complications of diabetes.
 Blindness
 Kidney disease
 Nerve damage. You might feel
numbness, burning, or tingling in
hands or feet. Nerves to the heart,
stomach and intestine, and genitals
can also be affected.

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  Heart disease

What can I do to take care of

myself?
 Yearly eye exams - more often if
recommended
 Yearly Lipid profile - shows if your
blood fats are O.K.
 Yearly microalbumin - (MD checks
urine sample for proteins). Protein in
your urine can be an early warning of
kidney disease.
 Yearly flu Vaccine
 Pneumonia vaccine- every 5-7 years-
as needed
 Weight- remember each pound you
have needs more insulin - with
diabetes you do not have enough
insulin, so if you can lose weight your
body needs less insulin! Even a small
weight loss can really help you
control your BS levels
 Foot Exam- when you visit your MD
always take off your socks and ask
your MD how your feet are. You can
also look at your feet at home daily.
Just get a cheap unbreakable camping
mirror. Lay it on the floor and put

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 your heel on the floor and look at
your toes. Then put your toes on the
floor and look at the heels. Report
any blisters or sores to MD
immediately. Make sure to put lotion
on feet daily, but not between your
toes. Dry and cracking skin opens a
door to letting infection in. Take good
care of your feet. NEVER walk
around barefoot.
 Hemoglobin A1C test
-Every 3 months if you have had a
change in medication or if your blood
sugars are running too high or too
low.
-Every 6 months if BS levels are
great.

What is Hemoglobin A1C test?-

It is a blood test. Blood can be taken from
your arm or finger tip, depending on the lab
test used. It measures the average BS level
you have had for the last 3 months. It is a
wonderful test, and really shows you your
overall blood sugar control. The A1C test is
usually reported to you as a percent (7%
or…). The next number on the test is your
average BS level for the last 3 months.

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Make sure to ask your health care provider
knows what your average BS level has
been, since this number is most helpful to
you.

HYPOGLYCEMIA – The Idaho Plate

Method Guide reviews ways to treat
hypoglycemia – low blood sugars.

Remember to always keep small cans of

juice by your bedside. If you wake up
during the night shaky, sweaty, dizzy, or
confused, STAY in bed. Keep your BS
meter by your bedside, so you can check
your BS if needed.
If your BS is low or you can not check it -
drink the juice. Stay in bed for 15 minutes
or so until you feel better. Check your BS
again. If needed have a second can of juice.

When your BS is low, your body is not

being fed and you are uncoordinated. It is
easy to fall, so wait until your BS level is
back to normal before walking about. Call a
family member if needed to assist you.

Question - How can I learn more?

• To learn more about your meal plan

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and ways to tailor it to your needs: Talk
with a Registered Dietitian
Carbohydrate Counting
Sometimes milk – fruits - and
bread/starch/grain food groups are called
carbohydrate foods. Some people with
diabetes count carbohydrates at each meal.
That means that they get a certain number
of carbohydrate foods at each meal. Using
the basic Plate you have 3 servings of
carbohydrate foods at each meal, which is
45 grams of carbohydrates at each meal.

All that means is that you have 1 serving of

Milk and 1 serving of fruit and 1 serving of
Bread/Starch/Grain at each meal. Easy,
huh?

1 Fruit = 1 Milk = 1 Bread/Starch/Grain

and they all equal about 15 grams of
carbohydrates, or 1 carbohydrate serving.

Remember this is extra information- it does

not change anything about using the Idaho
Plate Method. It is still recommended to
have the right amount of each food group
at each meal. If someone asks you a
question about carbohydrate counting, you

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know what they are talking about. With the
Idaho Plate Method you are doing
carbohydrate counting the easy way.

I hope this information is helpful to you.

Now you have your eating back in balance.

-Enjoy
--Be Healthy
—Live Longer

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