Practice Test Geeks(CDCES) Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Practice Test
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CDCES Nutrition and Meal Planning Flashcards

6 cards from real CDCES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 CDCES Nutrition and Meal Planning flashcards as text

  1. What is the glycemic index (GI)?

    Answer: A ranking of foods based on their effect on blood glucose compared to a reference food

    The glycemic index ranks foods on a scale of 0–100 based on how much they raise blood glucose compared to pure glucose or white bread as a reference.

  2. A patient with diabetes and chronic kidney disease stage 3 asks about protein intake. Which recommendation is most appropriate?

    Answer: Maintain protein at 0.8 g/kg/day to avoid worsening kidney function

    For people with diabetes and CKD not on dialysis, the ADA recommends maintaining protein intake at approximately 0.8 g/kg/day to avoid accelerating kidney decline.

  3. Which nutrient, when reduced, most directly lowers LDL cholesterol in patients with diabetes and dyslipidemia?

    Answer: Saturated fat

    Reducing saturated fat intake is the primary dietary strategy for lowering LDL cholesterol in people with diabetes and dyslipidemia.

  4. When teaching carbohydrate counting to a patient on a basal-bolus insulin regimen, what is the purpose of an insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio (ICR)?

    Answer: To determine how many units of bolus insulin to take per gram of carbohydrate consumed

    The insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio tells the patient how many units of rapid-acting insulin to administer for each gram (or 15 g) of carbohydrate eaten.

  5. Which type of dietary fat is associated with improved insulin sensitivity and reduced cardiovascular risk in diabetes?

    Answer: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat

    Replacing saturated and trans fats with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats is associated with improved insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular outcomes.

  6. A patient with type 1 diabetes asks whether they need to count carbohydrates in vegetables. What is the best response?

    Answer: Non-starchy vegetables are very low in carbohydrate and generally do not need to be counted

    Non-starchy vegetables (e.g., broccoli, spinach, peppers) are very low in carbohydrate and generally do not require carbohydrate counting for most meal plans.

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