Knowing what to eat can be confusing when you first learn you have diabetes. But with a bit of thought and preparation, a healthy eating plan is simpler than you may think.

Many people think sugar causes diabetes--but that's a myth. So is the belief that people with diabetes shouldn't eat any sugar or sweets. Don't feel bad if you fall for that one. Even experts used to think that eating sugar would send your blood sugar sky-high, says the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

But research has shown that sugar plays no part in developing type 1 diabetes, the ADA now notes. And extra sugar doesn't necessarily cause the weight gain that's the main culprit behind type 2 diabetes. Blame extra calories, whether they come from cookies or casseroles.

So you can give in to your sweet tooth--as long as you don't do it too often and you watch your portion sizes.

All Foods Can Fit
Other myths linger around diabetes and food:

• MYTH: People with diabetes need special diabetic foods. Actually, healthy meals should look pretty much the same whether you have diabetes or not, the ADA says. The menu should rely heavily on whole grains, vegetables, and fruit, with little fat--particularly saturated and trans fat. We should all go easy on sugar and salt. Diabetic and dietetic foods are no magic bullet. The ADA says most cost more and may cause digestive distress--yet they can still raise your blood sugar.
• MYTH: People with diabetes should eat little starchy food, such as bread, pasta, and potatoes. In truth, starchy foods help make up a healthy diet--as long as you limit portion sizes. The ADA recommends that carbs provide about half our calories. For most people with diabetes, this translates to three or four servings a day of whole-grain breads, rice, pasta, and cereals and starchy vegetables like corn, peas, potatoes, and yams.

Weigh the Benefits
If you have diabetes, eating right can help you control your blood sugar and, if necessary, lose weight. Dropping 10 to 15 pounds can help you cut your blood sugar and blood pressure, improve your blood fats, and perhaps even take less medication. If you don't have type 2 diabetes but you're at risk for it, losing a little weight and becoming more active could help you delay or even avoid the disease. To eat right with diabetes, the ADA outlines these strategies:

Divvy Up Your Plate
Nonstarchy vegetables such as peppers, broccoli, green beans, and snow peas should cover half your plate. Lean meat, such as fish or chicken breast, should take up one-fourth. Carbs, including whole grains and starchy vegetables like corn, potatoes, and dry beans, should fill the final fourth.

Round out the meal with low-fat dairy, such as skim milk or yogurt, and fruit, such as an apple or half a cup of berries.

Count Carbs
Your doctor, dietitian, or diabetes educator can help you learn how many carbs you can consume for optimal blood sugar control--and how to track them.

Carbs come in fruit, vegetables, and grain foods such as cereals, rice, pasta, crackers, and breads, as well as milk and yogurt. If your diet plan calls for about 40 g of carbs, for example, you could have two servings of fruit and one serving of rice.

When deciding what to eat, go with healthier carbs. Eat an apple instead of a half-cup of ice cream, even though the carb count is the same.

Watch Portion Sizes
Whether or not you have diabetes, controlling how much you eat is vital. Here's some help visualizing recommended portion sizes:

• Three ounces of meat: a deck of cards
• A serving of pasta or rice: a clenched fist
• A baked potato: a computer mouse
• A cup of veggies or yogurt: a baseball
• A cup of brown rice: a lightbulb
• Two tablespoons of peanut butter: a ping-pong ball
• An ounce of dried fruit: a golf ball
• An ounce of cheese: four dice

Consider Food Types
Aim for the kind of balanced diet recommended for all Americans.

About 50 percent of your calories should come from carbs, 20 percent from protein, and 30 percent from fat. The fats should emphasize monounsaturated fats, such as those in olive and canola oils, rather than saturated fats, found in butter, fatty meat, and full-fat cheese.

Keep Learning
Alternative approaches might work for you. The exchange system, for example, groups foods in categories that offer the same amounts and types of nutrients. Each serving of a food in one category has about the same carb, protein, and fat content as any other food in that category, so you can exchange one item for another.

For example, in the "Bread Exchange Group," a slice of bread (1 ounce) equals 1/3 cup of pasta, 1/3 cup of rice, or half an English muffin. Each contains about 15 g carbs, 2 g protein, 1 g fat, and 80 calories.

You might also consider the glycemic index (GI). This system rates foods such as potatoes (high GI) and apples (low GI) based on how fast they raise your blood sugar levels.

Whichever method you choose, you'll have to put a little extra effort into meal planning. But once you master the basics, it's not that hard. Just focus on the foods you can enjoy.

10 "Superfoods" for Folks with Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association recommends 10 diabetes "superfoods" that mesh well with diabetes meal plans. All have minimal effects on blood sugar levels and deliver key nutrients often lacking in western diets. Those nutrients include calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and E.

• Beans: Black, navy, kidney, pinto, and other beans are rich in protein, fiber, magnesium, and potassium. In half a cup, you'll get as much protein as an ounce of meat--minus the saturated fat. To minimize sodium, first drain and rinse canned beans. Soak dried beans to aid digestion and flavor.
• Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, and other types deliver antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber.
• Citrus fruit: Oranges, limes, grapefruit, and lemons provide soluble fiber and vitamin C.
• Dark green leafy vegetables: Spinach, kale, and collards are low in calories and carbs but high in antioxidants and folate.
• Fat-free milk and yogurt: They don't just provide calcium. A lot of fortified dairy products offer plenty of vitamin D.
• Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon is one good catch. Hook up with 6 to 9 ounces of fish a week, but skip breaded and deep-fried dishes.
• Nuts: One ounce can help control hunger and deliver healthy fats, magnesium, and fiber. Walnuts also offer omega-3 fatty acids.
• Sweet potatoes: Loaded with vitamin A and fiber, these starchy veggies raise blood sugar more slowly than regular potatoes.
• Tomatoes: From purees to sauces, tomatoes provide vitamin C, iron, and vitamin E.
• Whole grains: Processing grains to enrich flour gets rid of the germ, bran, and many of the nutrients you find in whole grains, such as chromium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Grain products are also fortified with folate.

By Bruce E. Beans, a feature writer for Vitality. To learn more about diabetes, including meal planning, carb counting, the exchange system, and the glycemic index, visit the American Diabetes Association website, www.diabetes.org.

© Krames StayWell. Information is the opinion of the sourced authors and organizations. Personal decisions regarding health, diet, and exercise should be made only after consultation with the reader's own medical advisers. This material may not be reproduced for redistribution without written permission from Krames StayWell.