The food exchange list refers to the food items on each list which may be substituted with any other food item on the same list. A grouping of commonly consumed foods according to similarities in composition so that the foods may be used interchangeably in diet planning.

1. THE
EXCHANGE
SYSTEM

2. The Exchange System:
What is it?
▪ Food classification method
▪ Created for diabetics by ADA & ADA
▪ Track Calories, CHO’s, PRO, FAT
▪ Healthy way of eating
2

3. 3
Athlete Nutrition
 Awareness of macronutrient
composition
 Allows dietitian/nutritionist to estimate
Calorie and macronutrient intake
 Diet analysis
 Customize meal plans

4. FOOD EXCHANGE LIST (FEL)
4
1 3 5
6
4
2
Identification of
commonly used
food items
Portion size
weighing &
measurement of
each food item
Consultation with
experts,
nutritionist,
dietitians
Portion size
computation
Pre-production of
the prototype
book
Review by
selected users

5. Foods in the Exchange
System
 Divided by chemical composition re:
 Macronutrients
 Specified portions of foods in each group are
exchangeable with the other foods in that group
 So in the fruit list, ½ cup orange juice can be
exchanged for a cup of strawberries without
increasing calories and carb grams.
5

6. FOOD GROUPS:
Foods classified into 7 groups:
 Vegetable
 Fruit
 Starch
 Milk
 Meat/meat substitutes
 Fat
 Sugar
6

7. Vegetable Group
▪ 3 g carbohydrate
▪ 1 g protein
▪ 0 g fat
▪ 16 Calories
▪ Examples:
▫ ½ Cup cooked spinach
▫ 1 Cup baby carrots
▫ 1 Cup diced tomatoes
▫ 1 Cup cucumbers
7

8. 8
Only vegetables that contains 16
calories per exchange
were included in the vegetable
exchange list

9. Fruit Group
▪ 10 g carbohydrate
▪ 0 g protein
▪ 0 g fat
▪ 40 Calories
▪ Examples:
▫ 1 small banana
▫ 1 ¼ Cups strawberries
▫ ½ Cup orange juice
▫ ¾ Cup fresh pineapple 9

10. Milk Group
10
CLASSIFICATION CARBOHYDRATE PROTEIN FAT ENERGY
Whole 12 g 8 g 10 g 170 kcal
Low Fat 12 g 8 g 5 g 125 kcal
Skimmed/Non-
fat/Fat-free 12 g 8 g - 80 kcal
Examples:
• 1 Cup non-fat milk
• 1 Cup soy milk
• 2/3 Cup fat-free, artificially sweetened yogurt

11. Starch Group
11
CLASSIFICATION CARBOHYDRATE PROTEIN FAT ENERGY
Rice A – Low Protein 23 g - - 92 kcal
Rice B – Medium Protein 23 g 2 g - 100 kcal
Rice C – High Protein 23 g 4 g - 108 kcal
Examples:
• ½ Cup oatmeal
• 1 Avg. slice bread
• ½ Hamburger bun
• ½ Cup corn/peas

12. Meat/Meat Substitutes
12
CLASSIFICATION CARBOHYDRATE PROTEIN FAT ENERGY
Low Fat - 8 g 1 g 41 kcal
Medium - 8 g 6 g 86 kcal
High Fat - 8 g 10 g 122 kcal
Examples:
• ¼ Cup egg substitutes;
• white meat poultry,
• no skin1 oz lean cut beef
• 1 egg; poultry w/skin, fried fish
• 1 oz of most cheeses, sausages;

13. Fat Group
▪ 0 g carbohydrate
▪ 0 g protein
▪ 5 g fat
▪ 45 Calories
▪ Examples:
▫ 1 tsp oil
▫ ½ Tbsp peanut butter
▫ 1 Tbsp reduced-fat mayo
▫ 1 Tbsp cream cheese
▫ Avacado
13

14. Sugar Group:
▪ 5 g carbohydrate
▪ 0 g protein
▪ 0 g fat
▪ 20 Calories
14

15. 15
Diet Prescription
#1:
 Calculate energy needs
 Male, 75 kg, runner
 3000 Cal/day
Diet Prescription

16. 16
▪ Calculate g CHO, PRO, FAT
▪ ACSM & ADA
 CHO:
 6-10 g CHO/kg BW
 PRO:
▫ Endurance: 1.2 – 1.4 g PRO/kg BW
▫ Power: 1.6- 1.7 g PRO/kg BW
#1:

17. 17
Calculate g CHO, PRO, FAT
Example:
▪ 75 kg x 6 g/kg BW = 450 g CHO = 1800 Cal
▪ 75 kg x 1.4 g/kg BW = 105 g PRO = 420 Cal
▪ 1800+420 = 2220 Cal
▪ 3000 – 2220 = 780 Cal left for FAT
▪ 780 Cal FAT = 87 g FAT
#1 cont’d

18. 18
Diet Prescription
#2:
Figure no of exchanges for CHO-containing food groups
Follow this order:**
• Milk
• Fruit
• Vegetable
***Always begin with
CHO-containing food
groups

19. 19
Diet Prescription
#3: Add all of the carbohydrates you have used so far
for milk, fruit, & veggie exchanges.
 Subtract from total g CHO.
 Divide by 23.
 This is how many starch exchanges you will have.

20. 20
Diet Prescription
#4: Add grams of protein used thus far for milk, veggie, &
starch exchanges. Subtract from total grams of protein.
 Subtract from total grams of protein.
 Divide by 8.
 This is how many meat exchanges you are allotted.

21. 21
#5: Add grams of protein used thus far for milk, veggie, and
starch exchanges. Subtract from total grams of protein.
 Subtract from total grams of protein.
 Divide by 5.
 This is how many fat exchanges you will have.
#6: Add Cal from each food group to double check your work.
 Be sure you are near your total Cal/day.

22. STEP 1:
22
List Food No. of Exchanges Carbohydrate(g) Protein(g) Fat(g) Energy(kcal)
I Vegetable 3 9 3 - 48
II Fruit 5 50 - - 200
III Milk 1 12 8 10 170
VII Sugar 3 15 - - 60
Diet Prescription: 1,500 kcal,
Carbohydrate 245 g, Protein 55 g, Fat 35 g

23. 23
Carbohydrate partial sum
= 9 g + 50 g + 12 g +15 g = 86 g
No. of Rice exchanges:
245 g (prescribed carbohydrate)
-86 g (partial sum carbohydrate)
------------------------------------
=159 g
159 g ÷ 23 g
= 6.91 or 7 Rice exchanges

24. STEP 2:
24
List Food No. of Exchanges Carbohydrate(g) Protein(g) Fat(g) Energy(kcal)
IV
Rice A 1 23 - - 92
Rice B 5 115 10 - 500
Rice C 1 23 4 - 108
Diet Prescription: 1,500 kcal,
Carbohydrate 245 g, Protein 55 g, Fat 35 g

25. 25
Protein partial sum
= 3 g + 8 g + 10 g + 4 g = 25 g
No. of Meat exchanges:
55 g (prescribed protein)
-25 g (protein partial sum)
------------------------------------
=35 g
35 g ÷ 8 g
= 3.75 or 4 Meat exchanges

26. STEP 3:
26
List Food No. of Exchanges Carbohydrate(g) Protein(g) Fat(g) Energy(kcal)
V
LF Meat 2 - 16 2 82
MF Meat 2 - 16 12 172
Diet Prescription: 1,500 kcal,
Carbohydrate 245 g, Protein 55 g, Fat 35 g

27. 27
Fat partial sum
= 10 g + 2 g + 12 g = 24 g
No. of Fat exchanges:
35 g (prescribed protein)
-24g (protein partial sum)
------------------------------------
=11 g
11 g ÷ 5 g
= 2.2 or 2 Fat exchanges

28. STEP 4:
28
Diet Prescription: 1,500 kcal,
Carbohydrate 245 g, Protein 55 g, Fat 35 g
List Food No. of Exchanges Carbohydrate(g) Protein(g) Fat(g) Energy(kcal)
VI Fat 2 - - 10 90
Total 247 57 34 1522

29. 29

30. 30
Are you ready
to prepare an MEAL PLAN?