The exchange diet was developed by doctors to help diabetics adopt healthy eating habits. It has since been used to treat obesity by improving food choices without strict restrictions. The exchange diet is a flexible, open system that teaches people to make decisions about food through careful nutrition rather than closed diets. It works by categorizing foods into exchange groups based on nutrients and allowing a set number of exchanges from each group tailored to individual needs and preferences. The diet provides variety, flexibility, and sustainable habits while avoiding demotivation from overly restrictive approaches.

1. Exchange diet:

2. 1. ¿What is an exchange?
 An exchange is an amount of a type of food that can be identified without weigh it up. An
example is a glass of milk due to can be a dairy products exchange.
 1 exchange = 10 g of nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates or fats).
 Foods can be classificated in groups depending on their main nutrient (proteins, carbohydrates or
fats). In practical terms, food groups would be: flour and farinaceous (group where prevail
carbohydrates like bread or pasta, dairy products (milk, yogurts…), proteic food (meat, fish…),
fats (oil, butter…) and also vegetables and fruits.
 A person who is doing this type of diet, must know how many exchanges should eat from each
type, choosing it depending on their likes.
 The specialist who will direct you to enforce and diet for trade must teach you to distinguish the
types of foods and evaluate the different amounts of food.

3. 2. Exchange diet
 Is a diet develop by the doctors Clotilde Vázquez and Ana I. De Cos several
decades ago. Their objective is helping diabetics to add some healthy food habits.
 As this method have operated very well, it started to use it for obesity people
treatment, improving their food habits without any other extra help.
 It allows the person to improve their eating habits without entailing a great effort
because of the great flexibility that allows this method when choosing food.

4. 2. Exchange diet
 It is an open system that allow us to choose our favourite foods, having a big range
of flexibility.
 It main objective is to teach people how they can make their own decissions
throught a careful alimentation and without any closed diet.
 It is important to have the support of a nutritionist who can help you when you
need.
 It is a real and healthy type of alimentation which could change your habits. It
avoids close diets that can demotivate people live, and it main consequency is
nutritional failure.

5. 3. Equivalence and examples
depending on food group
 Dairy products: (10-6-6) (carbohydrates-proteins-fats): A dairy exchange can be:
200ml of milk, a cup of milk or 2 yogurts.
 Fats: (0-0-10) (carbohydrates-proteins-fats) : A fat exchange can be: 1 oil spoonful, 10 g
of butter, 15 g of nuts…
 Farinaceous: (10-1,5-0) (carbohydrates-proteins-fats): A flour exchange can be: 60 g of
beans, 50 g of patotoes, 20 g of bread, 15 g of rice…

6. 3. Equivalence and examples
depending on food group
 Proteic food: (0-10-5) (carbohydrates-proteins-fats): A proteic exchange can be: 50 g of
chiclen, 75 g of fish, an egg, 40 g of cheese…
 Fruits: (10-0-0) (carbohydrates-proteins-fats): A fruits exchange can be: 150 g of water melon,
100 g of orange or pear, 100 g of lemon or pineapple, 50 g of banana or grapes…
 Vegetables: (10-0-0) (carbohydrates-proteins-fats): UA flour exchange can be: 300 g of lettuce,
spinachs, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumbers, 150 g of onions…

7. 4. Advantages of an exchange
diet
The exchange diet has got lots of advantages and benefits:
 It adapts to the physiological and energy needs of the person concerned.
 Allow us to ingest all type of foods.
 Not introduce any external help: suplements or pills.
 Allow us to follow a flexible diet can take account people likes.
 It allows real and sustainable loss of weight as it is based on a balanced and varied diet.
 Gives greater knowledge and awareness of food the patient that follows.

8. Thank you for your support