Using Home Meal Replacements (HMRs) in Diabetes Care / 임상당뇨병

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus is a major health problem in Korea. Although diet is an essential part of diabetes care, many diabetic patients have considerable difficulties with dietary therapy. Preparing meals is burdensome and is one of the main barriers to diet control, especially for those patients who have busy schedules or who have physical difficulties. People with diabetes should consider using HMR (Home Meal Replacement) products to address difficulties in preparing meals. HMRs are purchased meals eaten at home as is or after a brief cooking process. Korean HMR products are categorized as 'ready to eat', 'ready to heat', and 'ready to end-cook' according to the degree of cooking required. The consumption of HMR products is increasing due to the increase in single people living alone, the increasing number of women working outside the home, the aging of the population, and increasing income levels. HMR products could help diabetic patients eat regular meals and minimize barriers to meal preparation. When using HMR products, people with diabetes can have problems with imbalanced nutrition, inconsistent carbohydrate intake, and excess salt intake. When introducing HMR products to people with diabetes, dietitians should provide guidelines for eating a balanced diet and teach patients how to read nutrition facts label and reduce salt intake.