THE

FOOD
EXCHANGE
SYSTEM
 WHY?
• Prior to the development of the food exchange
system in 1950, meal planning for persons in
the US with diabetes was chaotic, with no
agreement among major organizations involved
with diabetes and nutrition.
 WHO?
• The food exchange system was created by the
American Diabetic Association, American
Dietetic Association, and the US Public Health
Services, as a meal planning guide primarily for
diabetics.
 WHAT?
• The goal was to develop an educational tool
for persons with diabetes that would provide
uniformity in meal planning and allow for the
inclusion of a wider variety of foods.
• The food exchange system is based on
principles of good nutrition that apply to
everyone. The food exchange system is
updated as necessary.
• The food exchange systems help people learn
how to eat more balanced and nutritious, while
providing a wide variety of foods.
 HOW?
• To solve this problem, the concept of
“exchange”, or “substitution”, of similar foods
was developed.
• Scientist took foods in standard amounts and
analyzed them for their nutrient content and
calories. The results were averaged out and
foods with similar nutrients and caloric content
were placed in the appropriate food exchange
group.
• The word exchange refers to the fact that each
item on a particular list in the portion listed may
be interchanged with any other food item on
the same list. An exchange can be explained
as a substitution, choice, or serving.
• The food exchange system includes six groups
of food, each group of foods are placed in a
food exchange list. The food exchange lists
are: Fruits, Vegetables, Milk, Starches,
Fats, Meats and Meat Substitutes. The
foods in each individual group have a similar
amount of calories and nutrients such as
carbohydrates, fat and protein.
• Some foods in the exchange system are
considered free.
• Any food or drink that has less than 20 calories
and 5 grams or less of carbohydrate a serving
is considered a free food.

• FREE
• Many foods are made up of more than one
food category, so they will not fall nicely in just
one of the exchange lists. These types of
foods are known as “combination foods”.
• Each list is a group of measured or weighted
foods of approximately the same nutritional
value. Within each food list one exchange is
approximately equal to another in calories,
carbohydrate, protein, and fat.
• The number of servings, or “exchanges”, from a
group that you can consume each day depends
on how many calories you need. A dietitian can
help you determine your nutrition needs,
including total calories and proportion of
carbohydrates, protein, fats that you should
consume.
• The key to mastering the food exchange
system is to become familiar with the serving
sizes from each list, and also how much
carbohydrate, protein, and fat the foods in
each food exchange list contains.
 ADVANTAGES
OF THE
FOOD EXCHANGE
SYSTEM ARE:
• It provides a system in which a wide selection
of foods can be included, thereby offering
variety and versatility.
• It provides a framework to foods with similar
carbohydrate, protein, fat, and calorie contents.
• It emphasizes important management
concepts, such as carbohydrate amounts, fat
modification, calorie control, and awareness of
high-sodium foods.
• By making food choices from each of the
different food exchange lists, a variety of
healthful food choices can be assured.
• It provides a system that allows individuals to
be accountable for what they eat.
• It provides an understanding of the nutrient
composition of the exchange lists.
• Nutrient values from food labels can be used
and understood.
• The ability to customize your menu whenever
you want is especially important because
many dieters return to their earlier unhealthy
eating habits when they become bored or
frustrated with restrictive or confusing diets.
• Food exchange diets also have another
advantage over restrictive diets: they do not
promote unrealistic eating goals or expect you
to avoid entire groups of foods, some of which
many contain essential nutrients that you need
for good health.
• Diabetics that use the food exchange system
can easily follow a healthier diet that helps to
control their blood sugar and improve their
health.
• The food exchange system is an easy way to
begin counting carbohydrates for diabetics to
help them regulate their blood sugar level.
• Because of the accuracy and convenience of
the food exchange system is helpful not only in
diabetes, but also for regulating weight and
maintaining a balanced diet. Many popular
diets are based on the food exchange system.