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Exchange list: Free foods
By Mayo Clinic staffSome products in the diabetes exchange system are considered free foods. What counts as free? Any food or drink that has less than 20 calories and 5 grams or less of carbohydrate a serving is a free food.
Enjoy the free foods listed below in any moderate amount as often as you'd like.
| Type | Food |
|---|---|
| Beverages | |
| Bouillon, broth, consomme | |
| Club soda | |
| Coffee, unsweetened or with sugar substitute | |
| Diet soda, sugar-free | |
| Drink mixes, sugar-free | |
| Flavored water, carbohydrate-free | |
| Tea, unsweetened or with sugar substitute | |
| Tonic water, sugar-free | |
| Water: plain, carbonated, mineral | |
| Condiments | |
| Horseradish | |
| Lemon juice | |
| Mustard | |
| Vinegar | |
| Seasonings | |
| Cooking spray | |
| Cooking wine | |
| Flavored extracts: almond, peppermint, vanilla | |
| Garlic | |
| Herbs | |
| Hot pepper sauce | |
| Pimento | |
| Spices | |
| Worcestershire sauce | |
| Other | |
| Gelatin, sugar-free or unflavored | |
| Gum | |
| Salad greens |
Modified with permission from "Choose Your Foods: Exchange Lists for Diabetes." American Diabetes Association and American Dietetic Association; 2008. While designed primarily for people who have diabetes and others who must follow special diets, the exchange lists are based on principles of good nutrition that apply to everyone.
Enjoy the free foods listed below up to three times a day in the amounts listed. To prevent a rise in blood sugar, spread these foods out during the day instead of eating them all at once.
| Type | Food | Serving size |
|---|---|---|
| Condiments | ||
| Barbecue sauce | 2 teaspoons | |
| Cream cheese, fat-free | 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) | |
| Creamer, liquid nondairy | 1 tablespoon | |
| Creamer, powdered nondairy | 2 teaspoons | |
| Dill pickles | 1 1/2 medium | |
| Gherkin pickles | 3/4 ounce | |
| Honey mustard | 1 tablespoon | |
| Jam or jelly, light or no sugar added | 2 teaspoons | |
| Ketchup | 1 tablespoon | |
| Margarine spread, fat-free | 1 tablespoon | |
| Margarine spread, reduced-fat | 1 teaspoon | |
| Mayonnaise, fat-free | 1 tablespoon | |
| Mayonnaise, reduced-fat | 1 teaspoon | |
| Mayonnaise-style salad dressing, fat-free | 1 tablespoon | |
| Mayonnaise-style salad dressing, reduced-fat | 1 teaspoon | |
| Miso | 1 1/2 teaspoons | |
| Parmesan cheese, freshly grated | 1 tablespoon | |
| Pickle relish | 1 tablespoon | |
| Salad dressing, fat-free Italian | 2 tablespoons | |
| Salad dressing, fat-free or low-fat | 1 tablespoon | |
| Salsa | 1/4 cup | |
| Sour cream, fat-free or reduced-fat | 1 tablespoon | |
| Soy sauce, regular or light | 1 tablespoon | |
| Sweet and sour sauce | 2 teaspoons | |
| Sweet chili sauce | 2 teaspoons | |
| Syrup, sugar-free | 2 tablespoons | |
| Taco sauce | 1 tablespoon | |
| Fruits and vegetables | ||
| Cabbage, raw | 1/2 cup | |
| Carrots, cauliflower or green beans, cooked | 1/4 cup | |
| Cranberries, sweetened with sugar substitute | 1/2 cup | |
| Cucumber, sliced | 1/2 cup | |
| Rhubarb, sweetened with sugar substitute | 1/2 cup | |
| Other | ||
| Cocoa powder, unsweetened | 1 tablespoon | |
| Hard candy, regular or sugar-free | 1 piece | |
| Whipped topping, light or fat-free | 2 tablespoons | |
| Whipped topping, regular | 1 tablespoon |
Modified with permission from "Choose Your Foods: Exchange Lists for Diabetes." American Diabetes Association and American Dietetic Association; 2008. While designed primarily for people who have diabetes and others who must follow special diets, the exchange lists are based on principles of good nutrition that apply to everyone.
- Daly A, et al. Choose Your Foods: Exchange Lists for Diabetes. Alexandria, Va.: American Diabetes Association and American Dietetic Association; 2008.
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