Nutrition Resources for the Community

Proper nutrition is essential in the control and prevention of type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Education Program has a registered, licensed dietitian on staff to provide dietary education and counseling in both an individualized and group setting.  Currently individualized counseling is offered by appointment only and the three-part nutrition series is offered on a quarterly basis.  Classes are open to both patients and their family members. 
Call (361) 857-2945 for registration information.


Nutritional Counseling
Our registered dietitian meets with patients individually to provide a more in-depth review of meal planning, carbohydrate counting, reading food labels and other nutritional counseling. Patients can only attend nutritional consults through physician referral or after attending our Controlling Your Diabetes class.

Three-part Nutrition Series
Grocery Shopping Tour
The grocery shopping tours, held at area H-E-B grocery stores, teach patients with diabetes and their families to shop for the proper foods and cooking ingredients.  Participants also receive instruction on how to read nutrition labels and learn about healthy recipes. Each month's lesson focuses on shopping for a different type of food, such as snacks, meats, produce or entrees.

Healthy Cooking Demonstration
Healthy cooking demonstrations help patients with diabetes and their families learn how to prepare nutritious meals that can improve blood glucose levels and reduce weight. After watching staff from the Coastal Bend Health Education Center prepare dishes, class participants are given copies of the recipes and taste samples of the prepared dishes. Different types of food are prepared each month!

 

Dining in the Real World
Dining in the Real World teaches those with diabetes how to eat at their favorite restaurants while still controlling their blood sugars.  Participants learn how to make adjustments to their meal plans to incorporate a variety of restaurant foods. Class participants study menu items from restaurants around the area and learn which options are best. Each month, a different type of restaurant choice is featured, so class participants can spend one month learning about the best seafood restaurant choices and the next month learning about what to order when they visit fast food restaurants.