Carbohydrate Counting or Healthy Eating Plan: Which to Use?

What can I eat? It's one of the most frequently asked questions people have after being diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes care and education specialists have a multitude of meal pattern options to offer. The 2018 Lifestyle Management: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes recommends that meal plans be individualized and states there is no one-size-fits-all meal pattern for all persons with diabetes. The Standards go on to say that a variety of eating patterns ranging from low-carbohydrate to low-fat are acceptable to manage diabetes. This article examines 2 leading meal pattern options to help people with diabetes achieve health and glycemic goals carbohydrate counting and the healthy eating plan. It also provides some guidance as to which factors might influence which pattern to select when counseling people with diabetes about nutrition and diabetes management.