The diabetes food pyramid is a food educational diagram aimed at simplifying the food choices that diabetics have to make. A new version of the food pyramid was released by the United States Department of Agriculture in 2005. The American Diabetics Association has commented that the diagram is useful for diabetics and can help non-diabetic people make sensible food choices that can serve to prevent further cases of the disease occurring.

Sugar is the enemy for all diabetics. This does not mean that they cannot eat it because most diabetics can eat sugar from time to time. Their ability to enjoy some sugar is dependent on the severity of their diabetic condition. Once diagnosed with diabetes a person can no longer enjoy high sugar food the way they used to and the diabetic food pyramid helps them sort out what foods to eat and which to avoid.

The diabetic food pyramid is broken into six categories with the main group at the bottom. These are the foods that diabetics should eat the most of and include whole grains, starchy vegetables, and beans. These types of foods are composed of complex carbohydrates that provide an even sustained release of glucose into the blood stream.

The diabetic food pyramid works similar to the normal food pyramid but there is obviously more importance placed on following this pyramid’s guidelines because it really does deal with the health of a diabetic person. The pyramid is shaped just like it sounds, in the form of a pyramid with the foods listed at the top as items that someone with diabetes should only eat in strict moderation. These food groups would include those foods that are sweet in nature or fatty foods. As the pyramid base expands more and more foods are added safely to the diabetic diet.

The diabetic food pyramid is different from the Food Guide Pyramid put out by the USDA in that it groups foods based on the levels of carbohydrates and proteins, rather than by food classification. Portion sizes also tend to be different, in order to have similar carbohydrate content for each individual serving. Examples of this are cheese, which can be found in the meat group rather than in its typical home in dairy, and potatoes can be found in the starchy foods group rather than with the rest of the vegetables. These differences have been created in order to make the carbohydrate levels approximately equal between each food group.

Vegetables are the next critical part of your daily nutrition, between three and five servings daily. Go for fresh vegetables in preference to canned or even frozen, and try to eat a rainbow - orange carrots, purple cabbage, green peppers, red tomatoes. Eat corn and starchy vegetables sparingly, as these are high in carbs. If you must eat canned or frozen veggies, read the package to assure yourself that there’s no added sugar.