How to Cook for a Diabetic - Part2 Trying Diabetic-Friendly Recipes

1 Start the day off right with a hearty, healthy breakfast. Having a healthy breakfast is an important start to anyone’s day, especially a diabetic. It can help energize your morning and through the day, but also help keep your glucose stable. Even if you only have a few minutes, you can have enjoy a healthy breakfast to keep you going and feeling well.

§  Have a toasted English muffin with ham or turkey and some vegetable juice.

§  Spread a whole wheat wrap with low- or non-fat Greek yogurt and top it with some fresh fruit.

§  Scramble some egg whites and put them on top of a bagel with a slice of turkey. You could also scramble eggs with some onions, peppers, and low fat cheese for a heartier breakfast.

§  Remember that your breakfast doesn’t have to be big. You can start small, such as with a piece of whole wheat toast and some margarine, and slowly build to see how much you like to eat in the mornings.

2 Fuel your afternoon with a light, protein-packed lunch. Many people have dips in energy during the afternoon and reach for candy or other foods forbidden to diabetics. To keep yourself from feeling sluggish and maintain your blood sugar, have a light lunch packed with protein.

§  Make yourself a sandwich with whole wheat bread or bagel thins, 2 ounces of reduced-sodium lean turkey, hummus, spinach, and bell pepper. Add carrot sticks, broccoli florets, or other cut veggies on the side with some light ranch dressing.

§  Mix cooked quinoa, white beans, chopped bell pepper, carrots and broccoli for a grain salad. Throw in some sliced almonds if you like and toss the salad with olive oil, lemon juice, and a dash of salt and pepper.

§  Throw together a salad using vegetables of your choice and toss with a light dressing or homemade vinaigrette of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and mustard.

§  Serve yourself light tuna salad over greens. Have an apple and peanut butter on the side.

§  Build a parfait out of fresh fruit and nonfat Greek yogurt if you want something sweet.

3 Round out your day with a healthy dinner. You’ve had sensible and healthy meals all day and are feeling great. Contribute to that feeling by preparing a dinner that will keep your glucose stable and that you and your family can enjoy.

§  Try tacos with soft or hard corn shells. Add a protein like fish or chicken, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and some black beans. Add a bit of low fat cheese and a spoonful each of salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

§  Make your favorite fish by getting fresh fish at the grocery or defrosting frozen filets the night before. Brush the fish lightly with olive oil and season it with a dash of salt and pepper. Serve with steamed vegetables and brown rice.

§  Add frozen vegetables and some cooked chicken to pasta. Toss with a bit of light salad dressing or low sugar marinara sauce for a pasta primavera.

4 Incorporate two healthy snacks between meals. You may find that you get hungry or have low blood sugar between meals. If this is the case, eat two healthy snacks during the day to prevent fluctuations in glucose and flagging energy. Some sensible snacks are:

§  15 almonds

§  5 celery sticks and a tablespoon of peanut butter

§  5 baby carrots and a tablespoon of hummus

§  1 hard boiled egg

§  1 frozen sugar-free popsicle

§  1 cup of light popcorn

§  1 piece of low fat string cheese

§  1/4 avocado