You'll face many challenges when you switch to a flexible meal plan.

You have to earn your freedom from the restrictions of a rigid diabetes meal plan.

The new, flexible approach meal planning gives you the opportunity to eat, and enjoy, a much wider variety of foods than you have in the past.

But nothing comes without cost. The new approach to meal planning means that you win have to invest some time, effort and money, shoulder increased responsibility and overcome new challenges.

1 You'll face the challenge of learning about this new method of nutrition management.

You'll have to consult a dietitian to design a new meal plan for you, then work with the dietitian to learn as much as you can about how to adapt this new approach to your own life. This will require both time and money (if your health insurance does not reimburse for diet counseling).

2 You'll face the challenge of learning how to calculate the carbohydrate content of foods, and incorporate sweet …