Don’t use sugar!

• Avoid table sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, honey, dextrose, fructose, corn syrup and molasses.
• Meet with a Registered Dietitian to safely work small amounts of sweets into your meal plan. To make an appointment, please call (800) 789-PENN (7366). You can also request an appointment online.

Use a sugar substitute!

These are all fine:

• Equal®/Nutrasweet®, NatraTaste®
• Sweet ’n Low®/Saccharin
• Sugar Twin®, Sweet One®, DiabetiSweet®, Sunette®
• Splenda®/Sucralose
• Stevia® (Stevia is only available in natural/health food stores)

Eat 3 balanced meals per day!

For menu ideas, view these sample menus for:

• women (1200-1500 calories per day)
• men (1800-2000 calories per day)

Do not skip meals or go more than five hours without eating during the day!

This can cause a low blood sugar attack (if you are taking medicine) or make you overeat at the next meal.

If you can’t have a meal, at least eat something light
such as:

• Sandwich or
• 6 peanut butter crackers or
• 1 can of lower carb Slim Fast® or a Glucerna® weight-loss shake.

Don’t drink regular soda or juice!

Instead, use in moderation:

• Diet soda
• Diet Very Fine® juices
• Ocean Spray® Light
• Diet V-8 Splash®
• Crystal Light®
• Diet Snapple® or diet iced tea mix
• Unsweetened Kool-Aid®, sweetened with Equal® or Splenda®
• Tropicana Twister® Light
• Fruit2O® or flavored seltzer water (either sweetened with aspartame/Equal® or unsweetened) or Waist Watchers® diet soda.
• Hood Carb Countdown® orange drink

Eat small portions of lean protein with each meal!

Examples of lean protein include:

• White-meat chicken or turkey
• Eye roast, sirloin steak, or 95% lean ground beef
• Pork tenderloin or a lean pork chop
• Alpine Lace®, Healthy Choice® or Slender® American cheese, Cabot Light, Heavenly Light Swiss, Jarlsberg Light, Sargento Light
• Eggbeaters® or egg whites omelet
• Healthy Choice® lunchmeat
• Albacore tuna, (packed in water) OR
• Fish (baked, grilled or broiled)
  

Eat small servings (1/2 - 1 cup) of high-fiber starchy food at each meal!

Choose one of the following:

• Bran flakes, Kashi® Go Lean Crunch, shredded wheat, or oatmeal
• High-fiber bread (100 % whole wheat, rye, or oatmeal bread)
• Brown or wild rice
• Whole wheat spaghetti
• Small baked sweet potato with skin
• 1/2 -1 cup cooked of peas, corn, or kidney beans

Eat 1 small piece of fruit with each meal

Have an apple, peach, pear or plum the size of a tennis ball or baseball OR have 1 cup of skim or 1% low fat milk or a light yogurt with meals.

Eat lots of non-starchy vegetables!

Fill half of your plate with vegetables such as greens, spinach, green beans, red beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, zucchini, summer squash, brussels sprouts or eggplant, OR have a tossed salad with canola or olive oil & vinegar or light dressing.

Exercise daily, if OK with your doctor.

Mall walk, ride a bike, use a stepper or treadmill, garden or do yard work, hike, or swim.

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Sample Menu for Women
(1200-1500 calories per day)

Breakfast (30 to 45 grams of Total Carbohydrate)

• 1 cup bran flakes, Cheerios®, shredded wheat, or Kashi® Go Lean Crunch cereal (23-30 grams of carbohydrate
• 1/2 cup of 1% low fat or skim milk (6 grams of carbohydrate)
• 1/2 banana  (15 grams of carbohydrate)

Lunch (30-45 grams of Total Carbohydrate)

• 2 slices of 100% whole wheat bread  (30 grams of
  carbohydrate)
• 2 slices of turkey breast (not smoked) & 1 slice of Alpine Lace® or Healthy Choice® cheese
• 1 small pear or apple (15 grams of carbohydrate)
• 1 Tbsp of light mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 cups of tossed salad and raw veggies (bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, broccoli)
• 1 Tbsp light dressing

Dinner (30-45 grams of Total Carbohydrate)

• 2 chicken thighs or drumsticks or 3 oz. chicken
  breast (baked & skinless with lemon and pepper)
• 1 small ear of corn (30 grams of carbohydrate)
• 1 cup of steamed collard greens or spinach with soft spread margarine (10 grams of carbohydrate)
• 1/2 cup Sugar Free Jell-O® w/ 1 tbsp light Cool Whip® (2 grams carbohydrate)

Snack (15 grams of Total Carbohydrate)

• 1 small apple, orange or pear OR
• 12 unsalted pretzel nuggets OR
• 1 Healthy Choice® frozen fudge bar

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Sample Menu for Men
(1800-2000 calories per day)

Breakfast (45 to 60 grams of Total Carbohydrate)

• 1 egg, cooked in non-stick cooking spray (PAM® or Mazola No-Stick®)
• 1 slice Alpine Lace® or Healthy Choice® cheese
• 2 slices wheat toast (30 grams of carbohydrate) or 1
  whole-wheat English muffin
• 1 small orange (15 grams of carbohydrate)

Lunch (45 to 60 grams of Total Carbohydrate)

• Turkey burger or lean hamburger on a hamburger roll (30 grams of carbohydrate)
• 1-1/2 cup of salad with 1 Tbsp of light dressing
• 1 small apple (15 grams of carbohydrate)
  

Dinner (45-60 Grams of Total Carbohydrate)

• 4 oz. baked pork chop or steak or baked fish
• 1/2 cup steamed brown or wild rice (23 grams of
  carbohydrate)
• 1 cup steamed broccoli or cabbage (10 grams
  carbohydrate)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or 1 cup of berries
  (15 grams of carbohydrate)

Snack Options (30 grams of Total Carbohydrate)

• 1 sandwich (2 slices bread, 1 slice turkey and1 slice of low fat cheese, with mustard) or
• 8 unsalted saltine crackers with 2 Tbsp peanut butter or
• 1 cup (2 scoops) Edy’s® Light ice cream

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