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Where's the diabetes section?
How to shop your grocery store

Have you ever hunted for the diabetes section in the grocery store? Although a diabetes section might seem like a good idea, many people would disagree. Imagine the controversy that could surround this. Should there also be a section for cancer, heart disease or arthritis?

Thankfully, the basic guidelines for healthy eating are the same regardless of diabetes or other health conditions. To achieve or maintain good health, follow Canada’s Food Guide. Emphasize fruits and vegetables, whole grains and cereals, low fat dairy products, and lean meat and protein alternatives in your meal plans. Healthy eating is for all. As someone with diabetes, you just have to plan your shopping more carefully.

The goal

Eating balanced nutritious meals at regular intervals and in smaller portions is key in managing diabetes. As you know, using Canada’s Food Guide is recommended for those with this condition. Choose a variety of foods from the basic four food groups. Use foods high in added sugar and fat in moderation. According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, up to 10 per cent of total calories can be in the form of simple sugars.

Small amounts of added sugar can be enjoyed now and then as long as they are counted within the day’s allowance. For instance, you might choose a low sugar jam and use one tablespoon of it, or pick a regular jam and only use one teaspoon of it. Either choice will provide the same amount of sugar.

In general, it is not necessary to pay higher prices, buy specialty brands or products, look for designer labels, or shop in unusual sections of the store.

Shop the perimeter

Shopping for groceries along the perimeter (outside edges) of the store gives you access to foods from all four food groups. Here are some practical tips for being a smart shopper. Anyone interested in good health can use them.

• Select a wide variety of fresh, frozen, or tinned vegetables and ‘no sugar added’ fruits.
• Limit juice and dried fruits.
• Choose whole grains, cereals, and breads with a high fibre (three grams or more per serving) content.
• Try skim or one per cent milk products, and cheeses with less than 20 per cent milk fat content.
• Choose low sugar and low fat yogurt.
• Have fish more often.
• Try tofu and soy products as protein alternatives.
• Buy lean meats and poultry pieces. Allow about 100 grams of raw weight for each person per meal.
• Look for natural (no sugar and non-homogenized fats) peanut butter.
• Save money with dried beans, peas and lentils.
• Choose plant-based oils (such as canola or extra virgin olive oil).
• Buy fewer baked goods and snack items.
• When possible, plan your shopping trip ahead of time to save yourself time and money.
• Plan your menus, make a list, eat before shopping, shop the perimeter, and avoid peak busy periods.
  

Know what you are buying

Unfortunately, many tempting foods and gimmicks on the market may confuse and frustrate you. Products may claim to have ‘no sugar added,’ be ‘light,’ ‘fat free,’ or ‘unsweetened,’ but still be poor choices for someone with diabetes. Though you might think ‘no added sugar’ products do not affect blood glucose levels, in fact they often do. Such products often use concentrated fruit juice as the sweetening agent. Some ‘no added sugar’ jams, cookies, chocolates and candies have as much sugar as the regular versions.

‘Light’ or ‘lite’ can mean less fat, calories, colour, weight, salt, flavour, or something else. Sometimes light means less sugar, but not often. ‘Fat free’ or ‘low fat’ products may be low in fat but have more sugar than the original product. Unsweetened fruit juices or fruit pies still have large amounts of natural sugar.

Stores may group these products with other diabetes supplies, which can be confusing and misleading. Know how to read labels so you can decide for yourself whether the product is worth the carbohydrate content and the price. Do not be tricked. Check food labels and learn to be label smart.

Look for the Nutrition Information panel on the label. Most products have one. Be sure to note the serving size, and carbohydrate and calorie contents. Do not be distracted by the sugar content – instead, look at the total carbohydrate content.

The carbohydrate content adds up all sugars, starch and dietary fibres in the product for a specified serving. You need this information to evaluate a product or when comparing two products. The carbohydrate content of the food directly affects your blood glucose readings. Carbohydrate is sugar. Sugar is glucose. The higher the carbohydrate content of the food, the more your blood glucose will rise.

Many products contribute very little or zero carbohydrate and can be included in a meal without affecting blood glucose. It is generally wise for those with type 2 diabetes to keep the meal size at 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates, and allow up to five grams of added sugar. In other words, most carbohydrates should come from a combination of vegetables, fruits, grains and milk products.

About extras

‘Sugar-free’ pop, gum, candies and Jell-O™ are examples of extras. Sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners are used in these products to lower the carbohydrate count. An ‘extra’ food can have up to five grams of carbohydrate and up to 20 calories per serving. Jam B in the sidebar uses sucralose, has 2. 4 grams of carbohydrate and 10 calories, so one tablespoon would be considered an extra. Jam A is more than an extra, unless the serving size is reduced to one teaspoon, which would have 4. 3 grams carbohydrate and 17 calories.

Most no added sugar, light, fat free and unsweetened products are mistaken for extras, when in fact they are not. Instead, they contribute a significant amount of carbohydrate and calories, which need to be monitored.

Meeting the challenge

Grocery shopping with healthy eating in mind can be challenging. The grocery store offers many choices, some good and some not. Many foods fall into Canada’s Food Guide’s four food groups and are wise choices for your diabetes meal plan. As a result, there is no need for a special diabetes aisle! Living with diabetes involves far too many choices to group in one section. Became label smart and use the tips in this article to stay on track with your health and your diabetes.