Basic diet guidelines

1. Eat a variety of foods from the four basic food groups: grains and cereals, fruits and vegetables, meat and meat alternatives, dairy products.
2. Meals should be consumed at regular times, three main meals with snacks in between meals.
3. Reduce the consumption of sugar and desserts.
4. Portion size of grain and cereals should match with oral hypoglycaemic agent or insulin and activity.
5. Eat more fibre and fibre containing food.
6. Use less oil and reduce animal fat.
7. Use less seasoning and reduce salt intake.

Eat these food freely:

1. Fresh, frozen and tinned vegetables.
2. Soup: clear vegetable soups.
3. Drinks: tea and coffee (use skimmed milk), lemon tea, distilled water and mineral water.
4. Condiments: herbs, spices and vinegar.
5. Artificial sweeteners
   Add in artificial sweetener after food is removed from heat because the sweetness is decreased by heat and brands containing aspartame is heat intolerant
   Pay attention to the safe dosage (see table below)
   
   
   

   Artificial sweeteners Product Safe dosage Aspartame Equal, Slimmers, Pal Sweet, Hermesetas Gold, etc. 2 tablets/1kg Body Weight # Saccharin Hermesetas original, Sweet & Low 1/2 tablet/1kg Body Weight Acesulfame-K Balance 2 tablets/1kg Body Weight Fructose 怡適、 Dietade Fruit Sugar Safe dosage not established. Do not over use Sugar alcohol 甜且宜、 Extract Safe dosage not established. Do not over use

   
   # According to ADA position paper (1998) on use of "Nutritive and Non-nutitive Sweeteners", pregnant women should consider careful use of saccharin.
   
   
6. Diet soft drinks.

1. Cereal products: congee, rice, noodle, wholemeal bread, oat and biscuit.
2. Lean meat, fish, seafood, poultry and eggs.
3. Milk products: skim milk, low fat milk or milk powder, low fat cheese, unsweetened soymilk, plain yogurt.
4. All kinds of fruit and fresh fruit juice.
5. Starchy vegetable: potato, lotus root, taro, arrowhead, kudzu/fun kot, sweet potato, carrot.
6. Beans: mung beans, broad beans, chick pea, red kidney beans, soy beans, sweet corn, bean products like soy bean sheet and vermicelli.
7. Nut and seeds: peanuts, sunflower seed, cashew nut, walnut, chestnuts, pistachio nuts, hazelnuts, almond, etc.
8. Cooking oil, margarine, salad dressing and cream.
9. Condiments: salt, soy sauce, Worcester sauce, MSG..

Food to be reduced or avoid

1. Sugar, syrup and honey.
2. Candies, chocolate and sweetened dried fruit.
3. Drinks:
   • Soft drinks.
   • Fruit juice.
   • Lucozade, ribena, cordial, squashes, fizzy drinks.
   • Condensed milk, chocolate milk, ovaltine, horlick, milk shake syrup, sweetened yogurt drinks.
4. Sweet roll and bread, sweet biscuits such as cookies, wafer.
5. Cakes, egg custard tart, puddings, ice-cream, jelly.
6. Alcoholic drinks
7. Canned food such as luncheon meat, sardine, cream soup, fruit soaked in syrup.
8. Fatty meat, poultry skin, sausages.
9. Others like oyster sauce, tomato sauce, salad dressing, jam and jelly, sweet plum sauce, chutney, marmalade, treacle.