Download Diet for Diabetic Gastroparesis

Diet for Diabetic Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis means that food is not able to move from your stomach into your intestines as quickly as it should. Nerves that help your stomach muscles to work may become damaged over time with diabetes.
Due to slow stomach emptying, food stays in your stomach longer than normal. This may cause low blood sugar. When the food moves from your stomach into your intestines, your blood sugar may then go too high. Medication no longer matches up with your meal schedule and blood sugars go up and down. You may need to check your blood sugars more often. Keeping your blood sugar under control is important because major changes in blood sugar can impair gastric emptying.
Symptoms 
Bloating/feeling of fullness 
Poorly controlled blood sugars

Nausea

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Constipation

Poor appetite
Medications that increase stomach emptying may help your symptoms. The times you take your diabetes medicine may need to be changed. Your doctor and dietitian can help you make changes to your medications and diet based on your symptoms. Dietary Changes

Eat 5 to 6 small meals daily – keeping carbohydrates in even amounts.

Choose low fat foods – fat slows down stomach emptying. Fat in liquid form (such as the fat in 2% or whole milk, milkshakes, and in nutrition supplements) may be tolerated and may be a needed source of calories. Do not restrict fat in liquids unless it is not tolerated.

Choose low fiber foods – fiber slows down stomach emptying.

Eat very soft foods to ease digestion.

Remember to chew foods well before swallowing. Solid foods in the stomach do not empty well. 
Drink fluids throughout the meal, and sit upright or walk after meals. These practices may help empty the stomach.
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If symptoms are severe:

Start with a liquid or blenderized diet when symptoms are active. Advance your diet to include soft foods as symptoms improve. 
Include liquid nutrition supplements such as Ensure, Boost, Boost Glucose Control, Glucerna, Carnation Instant Breakfast or Carnation Instant Breakfast No Sugar Added in order to help you consume enough
calories and protein. (Check labels for carbohydrate content and choose according to your needs.)

Blend in ¼ cup dry milk powder into a cup of liquid milk to increase the protein content of milk as needed.

Make a frothy high protein drink by blending ¼ cup pasteurized egg product (such as Egg Beaters) with 8 ounces of juice.
Food Guide
Try These
Limit These
Regular cheese Milk and Dairy foods
Start with skim milk
Try 2% or whole milk as needed
Yogurt with berries
for more calories.
Low-fat cheese, cottage cheese
Low-fat or fat-free pudding
Blended or custard-style yogurt
Broth, blended cream soups
Soups made with high
Soups
fiber foods such as corn,
beans, peas
Meats
Lean beef, pork, fish, poultry with
High fat meats including
skin removed bacon, sausage, bologna,
Breads and Grains
Egg (limit to 1 per day) Egg whites (unlimited)
hot dogs, fried meats, organ meats
Creamy, low-fat peanut butter
Peanut Butter—crunchy
and regular (not low-fat)
White bread and bread products
Whole grain breads and
Dry cereals with less more than
bread products
2 grams fiber per serving
Cereals with more than Cream of Wheat
White pasta, white rice
2 grams fiber per serving
Oatmeal
Saltine crackers, Pretzels
High fat breads such as
donuts, croissants, sweet
rolls, pancakes
Vegetable juices
All raw vegetables
Vegetables
(Puree/blend as needed)
Soft, cooked vegetables such as
Higher fiber vegetables
beets, green or wax beans, carrots
such as corn, peas, dried
potatoes (no skin), mushrooms,
beans and peas, sauerkraut,
summer squash, zucchini
broccoli, winter squash Fried vegetables
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Food Guide
Try These
Limit These
Fruits
(Puree/blend as needed)
Juice without pulp
Prune juice, juice with pulp
Canned fruits without skins such
All raw fruits except
as applesauce, peaches, pears
ripe banana
Ripe banana
Fats and Oils
Berries, dried fruits
Limit all added fats such as oil,
Excessive amounts of added
butter, margarine, salad dressing
fats
gravy, mayonnaise
Sweets and Desserts
Nuts, seeds, coconut
Angel food cake, gelatin, fat-free
Cake, pie, cookies, pastries
or low-fat frozen desserts without
Regular ice cream
nuts or berries
Vanilla wafers
Beverages
Meal
Water, coffee, tea, diet soft drinks
Grams of carbohydrate
Alcoholic beverages
Number of carbohydrate choices
Breakfast
1 slice of white bread or toast
15
1
0
0
15
1
12
1
0
0
42
3
15
1
12
1
27
2
30
2
2-3 ounces sliced turkey
0
0
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
0
0
4 ounces V-8 juice
5
--
1 cup noodle soup
15
1
50
3
1 teaspoon soft margarine
¾ cup corn flakes
8 ounces 2% milk
1 scrambled egg
Morning Snack
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 serving sugar-free, low fat vanilla yogurt Lunch
2 slices white bread
3
Meal
Grams of carbohydrate
Number of carbohydrate choices
Afternoon Snack
6 saltine crackers
15
1
0
0
15
1
30
2
2-3 ounces baked fish
0
0
1 cup mashed potatoes
½ cup cottage cheese
½ cup canned, unsweetened fruit
Dinner
30
2
½ cup cooked green beans
5
--
2 teaspoons soft margarine
0
0
15
1
50
3
30
2
30
2
1 small, ripe banana
Evening Snack
1 can (8 ounce) Glucerna
For more information, visit the website of the Gastroparesis and Dysmotility Association at http://digestivedistress.com.
Rev. 9/06, rev. 8/07, 3/10, 5/13
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©Mount Carmel 2013
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