Dietary recommendations for children and adolescents with diabetes

Dietary advice for diabetes has changed significantly over the last ten years, the emphasis being on a total energy intake matched to individual requirements and on the physical as well as chemical structure of food and meals. It is recommended that energy intake is still distributed through the day as regular meals and snacks using a carbohydrate exchange system, but with 50% of dietary energy being derived from carbohydrate sources mainly in complex and unrefined form. This paper considers how far the dietary recommendations for adults can be applied to children.