Practice Consideration
Dietary Analysis Considerations
Mixed Foods
» It is evident from Mr Robertson’s diet history that occasional choices form a regular part of his diet and make a significant contribution to his total energy consumption. He eats some occasional foods, such as cookies, every day. In the activities ahead, these food items are managed as “mixed foods”
» An exchange list approach requires you to convert commonly-consumed mixed foods into their food-group components.
For example, a ham sandwich with butter can be converted into two starchy food exchanges, one meat exchange and two fats/oils exchanges. Refer to the Introduction for further information on mixed foods
Counting Carbohydrate Exchanges
» One way for dietitians to help people with type 2 diabetes is to provide advice on meal planning and food preparation based on carbohydrate exchanges
» In the “exchange system”, foods with similar amounts of carbohydrate (and other nutrients) are grouped together and meal planning is based on the number of choices from that list per meal or snack throughout the day
One Exchange
» Carbohydrate exchange lists use a unit of measurement called carbohydrate exchange (or carbohydrate choice) as a guide to measuring the carbohydrate content of a food
» The measure of carbohydrate in one carbohydrate exchange (or choice) is either 10 or 15 grams
» Any food item on a carbohydrate exchange list can be “exchanged” or substituted for another food on the same list
» The exchange list includes a serving size for each food item
» One slice of bread can be “exchanged” for a half cup of cooked oatmeal since they both have 15 grams of carbohydrate and appear in the same food group on the same list
Counting Carbohydrate Exchanges
» In practice, when the patient consumes a small amount of a food, such as one-third or less of a carbohydrate exchange (≤5 grams), the dietitian rarely includes it in a diet history
Locate the Carbohydrate Exchange List for the Following Activities
» Use the carbohydrate exchange lists set out the Tool Kit to determine carbohydrate exchanges in the nutrition assessment
» It is evident from Mr Robertson’s diet history that occasional choices form a regular part of his diet and make a significant contribution to his total energy consumption. He eats some occasional foods, such as cookies, every day. In the activities ahead, these food items are managed as “mixed foods”
» An exchange list approach requires you to convert commonly-consumed mixed foods into their food-group components.
For example, a ham sandwich with butter can be converted into two starchy food exchanges, one meat exchange and two fats/oils exchanges. Refer to the Introduction for further information on mixed foods
Counting Carbohydrate Exchanges
» One way for dietitians to help people with type 2 diabetes is to provide advice on meal planning and food preparation based on carbohydrate exchanges
» In the “exchange system”, foods with similar amounts of carbohydrate (and other nutrients) are grouped together and meal planning is based on the number of choices from that list per meal or snack throughout the day
One Exchange
» Carbohydrate exchange lists use a unit of measurement called carbohydrate exchange (or carbohydrate choice) as a guide to measuring the carbohydrate content of a food
» The measure of carbohydrate in one carbohydrate exchange (or choice) is either 10 or 15 grams
» Any food item on a carbohydrate exchange list can be “exchanged” or substituted for another food on the same list
» The exchange list includes a serving size for each food item
» One slice of bread can be “exchanged” for a half cup of cooked oatmeal since they both have 15 grams of carbohydrate and appear in the same food group on the same list
Counting Carbohydrate Exchanges
» In practice, when the patient consumes a small amount of a food, such as one-third or less of a carbohydrate exchange (≤5 grams), the dietitian rarely includes it in a diet history
Locate the Carbohydrate Exchange List for the Following Activities
» Use the carbohydrate exchange lists set out the Tool Kit to determine carbohydrate exchanges in the nutrition assessment
Updated September 20, 2017