What are the
exchange lists?
The exchange lists show you portions of food
that equal 1 exchange. Foods are divided into food lists.
The foods on each list are called exchanges because they
have a similar number of calories, protein, carbohydrate,
and fat content. Foods from each list can be traded or
"exchanged" for any other food on the same list because they
all have a similar exchange value. A dietitian will help you
plan how much food your child should eat at each meal and
from what lists the foods should come from.
At first you should measure your food until
you are able to make good estimates about serving sizes. The
following list is a sample of foods found on the exchange
lists.
For more information, you can buy the
Exchange Lists for Meal Planning from:
The American Diabetes Association
P.O. Box 930850
Atlanta, GA 31193
1-800-342-2383
http://www.diabetes.org
Carbohydrate
group
Starch List:
One starch exchange contains about 15 grams of carbohydrate,
3 grams of protein, 0 to 1 grams of fat, and 80 calories. A
starch exchange is sometimes called a carb exchange.
Examples of one starch (carb) exchange are:
- one slice of bread
- 1/2 hamburger or hot dog bun
- 3/4 cup of unsweetened cereal
- 1/3 cup pasta
- 3 cups popcorn
- crackers (6 small saltines, 3 squares
of graham crackers, 3 of most other crackers)
- 1 pancake or waffle (5 inch)
- 15 to 20 fat-free or baked potato or
corn chips.
The vegetables included in the starch exchanges include:
- corn (1/2 cup or 1/2 cob)
- white potato (1/4 large baked with
skin or 1/2 cup mashed)
- yam or sweet potato (1/2 cup)
- green peas (1/2 cup)
- squash, winter (1 cup)
- lima beans (2/3 cup).
Fruit List: 1 fruit exchange contains about 15
grams of carbohydrate and 60 calories.
Examples of one fruit exchange are:
- grape juice (1/3 cup)
- apple or pineapple juice (1/2 cup)
- orange or grapefruit juice (1/2 cup)
- 1 small apple
- orange or peach
- 1/2 banana
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1/3 of a small cantaloupe
- 1 slice of watermelon.
Milk List: 1 milk exchange contains about 8 grams
of protein and 12 grams of carbohydrate. Items on the milk
list are divided into fat-free, reduced fat, and whole milk
depending on the number of fat grams in the exchange.
Examples of one milk exchange are:
Fat-Free (0
to 3 grams of fat)
- 1 cup of skim or non-fat milk
- 1 cup of 1% milk (also includes 1/2
fat exchange)
- 6 ounces flavored fat-free yogurt
Reduced-Fat (5 grams of fat)
- 6 ounces of plain, low-fat yogurt
- 1 cup 2% milk (also includes one fat
exchange).
Whole Milk (8 grams of fat)
- 8 ounces of plain yogurt (made from
whole milk)
- 1 cup whole milk.
Vegetable List: One vegetable exchange has 5 grams
of carbohydrate, 2 grams of protein, no fat, and 25
calories. One-half cup of cooked or a cup of raw vegetables
is a good measure for 1 exchange of most vegetables. Raw
lettuce may be taken in larger quantities, but salad
dressing usually equals 1 fat exchange.
Other Carbohydrates
List: One "other carbohydrate" exchange has 15
grams of carbohydrate. Many of these foods count as a starch
exchange and one or more fat exchanges.
- brownie (2 inch square) = 1 carb, 1
fat exchange
- fruit snack roll = 1 carb exchange
- granola bar = 1 and 1/2 carb exchanges
- ice cream (1/2 cup) = 1 carb, 2 fat
exchanges
- frozen yogurt (1/2 cup) = 1 carb, 0 to
1 fat exchanges
- tortilla chips (6-12) = 1 carb, 2 fat
exchanges.
Meat and Meat Substitute Group
Meats are divided into very lean meats, lean
meats, medium-fat meats, and high-fat meats. People with
diabetes should try to eat more lean and medium fat meats
and stay away from the high fat choices.
The Very Lean
meat group includes foods that contain 7 grams of protein, 0
to 1 gram of fat, and 35 calories for 1 exchange. Examples
include:
- 1 ounce chicken or turkey (white meat,
no skin)
- 1 ounce fresh fish
- 1 ounce fat-free cheese
- 2 egg whites
The Lean
meat group includes foods that contain 7 grams of protein, 3
grams of fat, and 55 calories for 1 meat exchange. Examples
include:
- 1 ounce chicken or turkey (dark meat,
no skin)
- 1 ounce fish
- 1 ounce lean pork
- 1 ounce USDA Select or Choice grades
of lean beef
- 1 ounce cheese (with 3 grams of fat or
less per ounce).
The Medium-Fat
group includes foods that have 7 grams of protein, 5 grams
of fat, and 75 calories for 1 meat exchange. Examples
include:
- 1 ounce of ground beef, most cuts of
beef, pork, lamb or veal
- 1 ounce of cheese (5 grams of fat per
ounce or less)
- 1 egg
- 1 ounce fried fish.
The High-Fat
foods have 7 grams of protein, 8 grams of fat, and 100
calories for 1 meat exchange. This group includes:
- 1 ounce of pork sausage
- 1 ounce of spare ribs
- 1 oz of regular cheese (American,
Swiss etc.)
- 1 oz of lunch meat
- 1 hot dog (turkey or chicken).
Fat Group
Fat List:
Fat is necessary for the body and is particularly important
during periods of fasting (overnight), when it is very
slowly absorbed. 1 fat exchange contains 5 grams of fat and
45 calories. The monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated
fats are better for us than saturated fats. The fat list
includes:
1 exchange of monounsaturated fats equals:
- 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter
- 6 almonds
- 1 tsp of oil (olive, peanut, canola).
1 exchange of polyunsaturated fats equals:
- 1 tsp margarine
- 1 tsp of any vegetable oil (except
coconut).
1 exchange of saturated fat includes:
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 strip of bacon
- 2 Tbsp of cream (half and half).
Free Foods
A free food contains less than 20 calories
or less than 5 grams of carbohydrate per serving. If the
food has a serving size listed on its package, it should be
limited to 3 servings spread throughout the day. Examples of
free foods include:
- 4 Tbsp fat-free margarine
- 1 Tbsp fat-free Miracle Whip
- sugar-free gelatin
- diet soft drinks
- catsup
- soy sauce
- spices.
Combination Foods
Many foods, such as casseroles, are mixed
together. Your dietitian can help you figure out how many
exchanges to count for combination foods. For example:
- lasagna (1 cup) = 2 carb exchanges and
2 medium-fat meat exchanges
- spaghetti with meatballs (1 cup) = 2
carb exchanges and 2 medium-fat meat exchanges
- pizza, cheese (1/4 of 12 in.) = 2
carbs, 2 medium-fat meats
- chicken noodle soup (1 cup) = 1 carb
exchange
- frozen entrée (less than 300 calories)
= 2 carbs, 3 lean meat exchanges
- macaroni and cheese (1 cup) = 2 carb
exchanges and 2 medium-fat meat exchanges.
