Patient's question:
How should children with diabetes control their food intake?Doctor's answer:
Hello, diabetic patients should not only eat at fixed times and in fixed quantities but also choose foods with slower and fewer blood sugar spikes. Both coarse and fine grains should be consumed. Chicken, beef, eggs, fish, and milk are recommended, preferably using oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as olive oil, peanut oil, and canola oil. Leafy greens like cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, chives, cucumbers, and bell peppers can be eaten in abundance. Tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, and eggplants also have low sugar content and can replace fruits. However, foods high in fiber like tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers are not ideal for blood sugar control and should be limited. Fruits like watermelon should not be consumed in large quantities and should be avoided at any time. It is recommended to keep a food exchange list.Children, during their growth and development, have high energy consumption and should not be overly restricted in their diet. Sufficient energy should be provided to meet their growth and development needs as well as their daily living requirements. The daily energy needs of children vary with age, calculated as follows: Total daily energy = 1000 + (1000 - 1) × age.
The dietary composition for diabetic children differs slightly from that of adult diabetic patients. Especially for children under 3 years old with diabetes, protein-rich foods should be increased. There should be two to three snacks between meals to avoid excessive fluctuations in blood sugar. The calories of snacks should be included in the total daily calories and should be consumed at fixed times and in fixed quantities.