Diabetes Standards of Care & Clinical Practice Resources
Nutrition
Healthy eating is an essential component of managing diabetes. All individuals with prediabetes or diabetes should receive nutrition education that considers access to nutritious foods, as well as personal and cultural preferences.
Health care team members are encouraged to provide basic nutrition education. Whenever possible, patients should be referred to a registered dietitian (RD) for individualized medical nutrition therapy (MNT).
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Nutrition Sections
Quickly jump to a section on this page by clicking on one of the links below.
- Section 1 – Clinical Practice Recommendations: Nutrition
- Section 2 – Clinician and Educator Resources: Nutrition
- Section 3 – Patient Education Resources: Nutrition
Clinical Practice Recommendations
Recommendations for Nutrition
It is recommended that patients receive basic nutrition education that supports healthful eating patterns, focusing on a variety of foods in appropriate amounts. Consider using My Native Plate to engage discussion about eating practices such as food choices, meal preparations, and portions.
- Provide basic nutrition education to all patients with diabetes or prediabetes:
- at diagnosis
- then annually
- more often as needed
- Refer patients to an RD, whenever possible, for MNT for diabetes and other health conditions that need individualized nutrition recommendations (e.g., hypertension, dyslipidemia, kidney disease).
- at diagnosis
- then annually
- more often as needed
- Assess a patient’s access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious foods. Screen for food insecurity using the Food Insecurity Assessment Tool and Resource List [PDF – 230 KB].
Clinician and Educator Resources
Food Insecurity Assessment Tool and Resource List [PDF – 230 KB]
Integrating Case Management Into Your Practice [PDF – 290 KB]
Integrating DSMES Into Your Practice [PDF – 275 KB]
My Native Plate: Nutrition Tips for Educators
SDPI Diabetes Prevention Toolkit
IHS Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020
Department of Health and Human Services
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition Practice Guideline for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in Adults: Systematic Review of Evidence for Medical Nutrition Therapy Effectiveness and Recommendations for Integration into the Nutrition Care Process – 2017
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes – 2020
Diabetes Care 2020;43(Supplement 1):S48-S65. doi:10.2337/dc20-S005
Starting the Conversation: Performance of a Brief Dietary Assessment and Intervention Tool for Health Professionals
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Patient Education Resources
Online Catalog: Free Nutrition Resources
IHS Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention
American Indian/Alaska Native Fat and Calorie Counter [PDF]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
DASH Eating Plan [PDF]
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute