Proudly South African portion sizes

Ask the dietician: Cheryl Meyer

From our community: “Can anyone tell me about madumbis for diabetics – good or bad for us, and how much can we eat?” Lynette Hitchcock.

Madumbis, amadumbe, African potato or taro – call them what you will, they are delicious! They have a rich, nutty, earthy flavour and a stickier texture than potatoes. Like potatoes, they fall into the carbohydrate group of foods and can be roasted, mashed or boiled.

The key to eating proudly South African carbohydrates like madumbis, roti, pap or samp in a healthy diabetic diet is portion control! Counting the carbs in your meals and being aware of the carbs you eat can help you match your medication or activity to the food you eat. This can lead to better blood sugar control.

Remember: Everyone needs a different amount of carbohydrate at each meal and/or snack – the amount that is best for you depends on your:

• age
• height
• weight
• physical activity
• current blood sugar
• blood sugar targets

Not sure how many carbs you should be eating? Ask your doctor or dietician for help.

A general guide:
	Carb limits for women	Carb limits for men
Meal	30 – 60g	45 – 75g
Snack	15 – 30g	15 – 30g

What does this mean? A food that has 15g carbohydrate is called “one carb serving”. One slice of bread or a small piece of fruit each have around 15g carbohydrate, so they are equal to one carb serving.

One carb portions of Proudly South African foods:

1 carb serving	50g madumbi
	1 small roti (35g)
	⅓ cup pap (60g)
	⅓ cup samp (75g)
	½ cup sweet potato (100g)
	1 medium mielie (140g )
	½ cup rice (50g)
	1 x 15cm tortilla or wrap (35g)
	½ cup pasta (100g)
	1 slice bread (30g)
	1 small apple (115g)

As much as possible, try to stick to this portion size, with a serving of protein (meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans) and half a plate of vegetables or salad.

How to cook amadumbe: Scrub them clean and steam or boil until soft. Drain and cool slightly before removing the skins. Serve dusted with black pepper, a dash of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Yum!

Amadumbe in numbers:
100g portion boiled amadumbe has: *

• 600 kJ
• 5g plant protein
• 1g fat
• 5g of carbohydrate
• 1g fibre

* According to The SA Food Tables