When discussing diet planning with a type 2 diabetic who uses insulin, the nurse should encourage him to:

Question

1. Subtract several servings of carbohydrates from his daily meals and use them for snacks.
2. Add several servings of carbohydrates as snacks throughout the day without adjustments to meals.
3. Adjust his carbohydrates for snacks, but only eat them if he feels hungry between meals.
4. Eat a larger snack if he gets hungry in the middle of the day and skip his next meal.

Answer 1

1
Rationale: Daily insulin doses are calculated on the number of calories consumed per day, so snacks should be subtracted from the carbohydrates allowed for meals to maintain the same intake. Adding additional calories throughout the day may necessitate an insulin adjustment to maintain good glucose control. Skipping meals can result in an overabundance of insulin and result in a hypoglycemic episode. Calorie intake should be as consistent as possible to maintain optimized levels of blood sugar.