24-hour Nurse Line: 1-888-670-7264 • www.cmpcn.org
• Eat 3 meals every day at about the same time.
Fruit
or
(tennis ball size)
1 carb choice
from blue list
Fat
1-2 tsp.
Diabetes and Pregnancy:
Carb Counting and Meal Planning
• S
pace meals and snacks about 2-3 hours apart.
- Choose lean
meats and
trim the
visible fat and
skin.
- Bake, broil,
boil, or
grill foods
whenever
possible.
- Limit fried
foods (highfat foods may
make blood sugars stay higher longer)
• E
at the right amount of carbohydrate servings at
each meal and each snack.
- Keeps blood sugars stable
- Supplies the right amount of calories and
carbohydrates for you and your baby.
• C
hoose healthy carbohydrates like whole grains,
fruit, beans, and low-fat milk/yogurt most of the
time.
Milk/Yogurt
(1 cup)
or
1 carb choice
from blue list
Diabetes Meal Planning Tips:
•
•
•
•
•
Starches, Fruit, Milk and Sweets are
Carbs (Carbohydrate). Carbs raise
blood sugar more than fat, protein and
non-starchy vegetables.
Eat about the same amount of carb at
regular times to prevent blood sugar
highs and lows.
Use the Diabetes Plate to keep carb
portions in check at meals. ¼ plate
Carbs (blue), ½ plate non-starchy
vegetables (green), ¼ plate meat or
meat substitute (orange)
The amount of carb needed at meals
varies from person to person. An
average meal has around 3-4 carb
choices or 45-60 grams.
Ask your PCP or dietitian if you need a
different amount to keep your blood
sugar in range.
24-hour Nurse Line: 1-888-670-7264 • www.cmpcn.org
Foods in the blue section are counted as “Carbs”
(1-2 cups are free)
Greens (turnip, collard)
Green Beans
Mushrooms
Onions
Peppers
Radishes
Salad greens (lettuce)
Summer Squash
Tomatoes
Tomato Juice
(3 oz. = deck of cards)
Meat/Meat Substitute
Chicken (no skin)
Fish (salmon, tuna, etc.)
Beef (loin/round cuts)
Pork (loin/round cuts)
Cheese (3-5 g.fat /oz.)
Cottage Cheese (low-fat)
Egg (1)
Peanut butter (1 Tbsp. )
Nuts (1/4 cup)
Nonstarchy Vegetables
Starch
Asparagus
Broccoli
Beets
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumber
Eggplant
pasta, rice, potato, beans,
peas, corn, cereal
(1/3 cup to 1 cup)
or
1-2 carb
choices from blue
list
• I f you are taking rapid insulin at each meal
(Humalog/Novolog/Apidra), you may need to
limit between-meal snacks to around 15 grams
of carbohydrate. Larger carbohydrate snacks
may make blood sugars too high before the
next meal.
• P
rotein foods have a very small effect on blood
glucose, so they are not counted as carbohydrate
in your meal plan. Include meat or meat
substitutes like cheese, cottage cheese, peanut
butter, eggs, nuts at each meal and snack. It is
OK to add a little more protein if you are feeling
hungry. To avoid too much fat:
• L imit sweets and sugary foods. If you eat them,
make sure to count them as a carbohydrate in
your meal plan.
• D
rink plenty of water. Avoid regular soda, sugary
drinks and large amounts of fruit juice. Choose
sugar-free soft drinks instead.
• M
ilk is very healthy for you and your baby.
It recommended you get 3-4 cups of milk/
yogurt every day to supply calcium, protein, and
other nutrients. Just make sure to count it as
a carbohydrate in your meal plan: 1 cup (8 oz.)
equals 1 carbohydrate choice.
• N
on-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower,
lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, green beans,
spinach, etc. are free foods. These foods are
low in carbohydrates, calories and fat, but high
in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Eating larger
portions of vegetables at your meals can help
you feel full and prevent excess weight gain.
Notes:
To receive a translated copy of this document, call Member Services.
Para recibir una copia traducida de este documento, llame al servicio para miembros.
Children’s Mercy Pediatric Care Network has partnered with the following health plans to assist in the management of your care:
• Coventry Health Care of Kansas (Member Services: 1-877-347-9363)
• HealthCare USA (Member Services: 1-800-347-9363 [after 7-1-2012: 1-800-566-6444])
Diabetes - Pregnancy and Carb Counting rev 02/2012
HCU321 MHD app 06/06/2012
Coventry app 06/06/2012
1 Carbohydrate cho
oice/serviing = 15 grams tootal carbbohydratee
Starchy Foodss
Beans (red, black, kidney)
Bread (white orr whole wheat 1 oz.)
Bun (hamburger or hotdog)
Cereal
C
(dry, unsweetened)
Cereal
C
(hot, oatmeal, cream of
o wheat)
Chips
C
(potato or corn)
Corn
C or peas
Crackers,
C
saltinne type
Pasta (cooked))
Popcorn (poppped
Potato (baked, 3 oz.)
Potatoes (mashhed or boiled)
Rice
R (brown or white)
w
Tortilla (flour or corn, 6 inch)
Waffle
W
or Panccake (4 inch)
Portion sizee counted as 1 carb choicce (15 grams))
½ cup
1 slice
½
¾ cup
½ cup
12-15
½ cup
6
1/3 cup
3 cups
1 (woman’s fisst = 2)
½ cup
1/3 cup
1
1
Milk
M / Yogurt
Milk
M (whole, 2%
%,1% or skim)
Milk
M (rice, soy, or
o plain)
Yogurt
Y
(plain orr artificially sweeetened)
Fruit
Apple,
A
orange, peach, pear (tennis ball sizze)
Banana (mediuum)
Berries (blueberries, strawberrries, raspberriees)
Canned
C
fruit (w
water or juice packed)
Grapefruit
G
Grapes
G
or Cheerries
Fruit juice (limit)
Melon
M
(watermeelon, cantalouppe, honeydew)
Prunes, dates (limit)
Pineapple (fressh)
1 cup
1 cup
66-8 oz.
1
½ banana
1 cup
½ cup
½
12-15
1/3-1/2 cup
1 cup
3
¾ cup
Sample Meal Plan
Breakfast
5
2 small
1 (3-inch)
½ cup
½ cup
Combination
C
Foods
Casserole
C
(tunaa noodle, lasaggna, chili)
Pizza (thin crust, medium 1 sliice)
Soup (broth type)
½ cup
1
1 cup
Customer Service: 1-800-347-9363 (MO) 1-877-347-9363 (KS)
1 Carbohydrate choice (15 grams)
Protein
Dinner
• 3-4 Carbohydrate choices (45-60 grams)
• Protein: 2-3 ounces
• Vegetables (non-starchy): free
• Fat: 1-2 teaspoons.
Test blood sugar _____ hours after dinner
A.M. Snack
• 1 Carbohydrate Choice (15 grams)
• Protein
Bedtime Snack
• 1-2 Carbohydrate choices (15-30 grams)
• Protein
Lunch
• 3-4 Carbohydrate choices (45-60 grams)
• Protein: 2-3 ounces
• Vegetables (non-starchy): free
• Fat: 1-2 teaspoons.
Test blood sugar _____ hours after lunch
Serving Size:
All of the information listed
on the food label is based on
this portion.
“Servings per container” lets
you know how many servings
are in the package.
Total Carbohydrate:
Other
O
Carbohyydrate
Vanilla
V
Wafer
Cookie
C
(sandwiich type)
Cookie
C
(homem
made)
Icce cream (reguular, light, or noo sugar added))
Pudding (sugarr-free)
P.M. Snack
Test blood sugar before eating
• 3-4 Carbohydrate choices (30 grams of
carbohydrate)
• Protein: 1-2 ounces
• Vegetables (non-starchy): free
• Fat: 1-2 teaspoons
Test blood sugar ____ hours after breakfast
This number shows the total
grams of carbohydrate in
one serving. Sugars and
fiber are included in the total
carbohydrate, so you do not
need to count them.
Reminder:
One Carbohydrate choice equals
15 grams of total Carbohydrate.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Cup (228g)
Servings Per Container 2
Amount per serving
Calories 90
Calories from fat 30
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g
Saturated Fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 140mg
Total Carbohydrate 13g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugar 3g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 80% 
Calcium 4%
5%
3%
0%
6%
4%
12%
Vitamin C 60%
 Iron 4%
* Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on
your calorie needs:
Calories:
2,000
2,500
Total Fat
Less than
65g
80g
Sat Fat
Less than
20g
25g
Cholesterol
Less than
300mg 300mg
Sodium
Less than
2400mg 2400mg
Total Carbohydrate
300g
375g
Dietary Fiber
25g
30g
Fat 9

Calories per gram:
Carbohydrate 4

Protein 4
Use this chart to convert grams
to carbohydrate choices.
Carbohydrate
Conversion Guide
Total
Carbohydrate
Grams
Choices 0-5..................0
6-10................½
11-20.............1
21-25.............1 ½
26-35.............2
36-40.............2 ½
41-50.............3
51-55.............3 ½
56-65.............4
66-70.............4 ½
71-80.............5