Healthy Low-calorie and Low-Carb Recipes for the Diabetic Diet
These easy diabetes recipes for breakfast, brunch, dinners and desserts are healthy ways to keep your blood sugar in check. Whether you’re diabetic or simply trying to eat more healthfully, these diabetes-friendly recipes are low in carbs and calories.
Diabetic Breakfast Ideas
You don’t have to go without a healthy breakfast in the morning, even if time is tight.
There are ways you can start your day out with a quick, nutritious meal that will keep you energized throughout the morning.
Click Here for Information
Diabetic Brunch and Dinner Ideas
http://Diabetic Cookbook – 60 Easy and Mouth Watering Diabetic Friendly Lunch & Dinner Recipes that Even Your Family Love – VOL 1 (Diabetic Cookbook Series)
These diabetes-friendly recipes offer a wide range of healthy lunch and dinner options for any occasion—and full nutritional benefits for diabetics.
Put these quick and nutritious lunch ideas on your diabetes menu to fill you up and keep your blood sugar in check.
Click Here for Information
Tips for Eating Well With Diabetes
Eat Well Live Well with Diabetes: Low-GI Recipes and Tips (Eat Well Live Well series)
1. Think whole
Use brown rice and whole wheat pasta. Look for 100% whole wheat flour and breads as well as other whole grains such as oats and barley.
Make the switch simple. For instance, if you are short on time, pop a packet of pre-cooked frozen brown rice into the microwave.
2. Fill up!
Aim for at least 8 grams of fiber per meal, especially when you eat carbohydrate-rich foods. It will help manage your blood sugar, keep you feeling full, and be good for your heart health. That’s extra important because diabetes makes heart disease more likely.
Try:
Peas
Beans
Oats
Barley
Fruits like apples, pears, berries, and citrus fruit
Vegetables like sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, and beets
3. Replace some carbs with good fat
Monounsaturated fats — nuts, avocadoes, olive oil, and canola oil — can help lower your blood sugar. Just avoid huge portions so you don’t take in too many calories.
Add nuts and avocado to salads and entrees. Look for salad dressings, marinades, and sauces made with canola or olive oil. You can also cook with these two oils.
4. Eat foods that won’t spike blood sugar
Foods that aren’t likely to cause a big rise in blood sugar include meat, poultry, fish, avocados, salad vegetables, eggs, and cheese. Adding these items to your plate will help balance the foods you eat that contain carbs.
5. Go lean
Choose recipes with less saturated fat. Maybe skip that cream sauce and look for lean cuts of meat, skim or low-fat dairy, and vegetable sources of protein like beans, lentils, or nuts.
6. Check the fine print
Does your recipe spell out what the calories, carbs, fiber, and fat are? That info comes in handy. Then all you have to do is stick to the suggested serving size and you’ll know exactly what you get.
7. Think plant fat
Make canola oil or olive oil your go-to ingredients. Both are rich in monounsaturated fat. Canola oil also has heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
8. Make salads easier
Prep so it’s super-simple to throw together. Store a large spinach salad or vegetable-filled romaine lettuce salad in an airtight container without dressing. (You can add it later.) You can have a crisp tasty salad with your dinner or as a snack for the next several days.
9. Slice up dessert
With a few chops of a knife, you can turn a few pieces of fruit into a beautiful fruit salad. Drizzle lemon or orange juice over the top. Then toss to coat the fruit. The vitamin C in the citrus juice helps prevent browning.
10. Outsmart your drink
Watch the calories, sugar, and alcohol. If plain water doesn’t appeal, you can try a fizzy flavored (but not sweetened) water. Or sip no-calorie tea or coffee as the perfect finish to your home-made meal.
Healthy Diabetes Menu Ideas
http://LOW CARB COOKBOOK: Vol.3 Dinner Recipes (Low Carb Recipes) (Low Carb Diet)
The best meal ideas are quick, easy, and most importantly delicious!
Don’t have the time and energy to cook a big dinner at the end of a busy day? Fortunately, healthy cooking doesn’t have to be time-consuming or difficult.
Watching the number of carbs in each dish is important for every meal.
Women should have 45-60 grams of carb per meal (3-4 carb choices)
Men should have 60-75 grams of carb per meal (4-5 carb choices)
Here are some easy meals that will fill your tummy and still keep your blood sugar levels in check:
1.Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans- You can eat this classic “comfort food” meal, but keep it diabetes-friendly with a few smart substitutions. Use ground turkey instead of ground beef. When making the mashed potatoes, use fat-free milk instead of whole milk and trans-fat-free margarine instead of butter. You could also use fewer potatoes by folding in pureed cauliflower. Steam the green beans and season with a little salt and pepper, then top with a few almonds rather than a pat of butter.
2.Chicken, brown rice, and steamed broccoli- Grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts or bake a whole chicken (don’t eat the skin). Marinate the chicken in Italian dressing before grilling or season it with your favorite herbs before roasting it in the oven.
3.Baked red snapper and mixed veggies- This dinner is a snap. Wrap a fish filet together with sliced vegetables — try a blend of zucchini, garlic, red peppers, onions, fennel, and tomatoes — with a drizzle of oil in parchment paper. Place in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Serve with a whole-grain side dish of fast-cooking couscous or quinoa
4.Pasta your way- Although people with type 2 diabetes have to be careful about the amount of carbohydrates they eat, pasta can still be a safe dinner choice. As with bread, whole-grain pasta is better than enriched pasta. Avoid heavy cream sauces like Alfredo, and stick to tomato-based sauces or olive oil and garlic. You can add chicken, shrimp, or fish to your dish for protein — even lean meatballs or turkey meatballs are allowed.
5.Chili-When you make it yourself, chili becomes a very healthy choice. Start with ground turkey or extra-lean ground beef, or go vegetarian with beans only ‐ black beans and kidney beans. Add lots of diced vegetables to the pot, such as garlic, onion, red, green, and yellow bell peppers, and zucchini. Use no-salt canned tomatoes and low-sodium beef broth. Instead of serving the chili topped with traditional sour cream and cheese, use low-fat yogurt or fat-free sour cream, crumbled pecans, and cilantro. Serve with a garden salad with low-fat or non-fat salad dressing and whole-grain crunchy bread.
6.Asian stir-fry-Make your own version of your favorite restaurant dish. Prepare your vegetables — any combination of green beans, broccoli, carrots, onion, snow peas, red and green peppers, and baby corn — then sauté in low-sodium soy sauce and garlic. Mix in shrimp, or tofu to add protein to your meal. Serve over brown rice or whole-grain noodles.
Click Here For A Free Ebook that shows you how to enjoy the fat burning and health benefits of eating delicious “real” meals in just minutes per day!
Diabetic Dessert Ideas
First, the good news. If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you can eat dessert. But the reality is that you do have to choose carefully, limit your portions, and it’s probably best to save them for special occasions.
That said, here are some dessert recipes to consider making the next time you need a sweet treat. They use simple substitutions to cut the fat, calories, and sugar. Make sure to cut back on other carbs during your meal to leave room for your dessert.
Click Here for Information
Consumer Recommended Diabetic Cooking Products
1.http://Procizion Digital Multifunction Kitchen Food Scale Electronic for Accurate Precision Weighing in Grams, Ounces, Pounds, Fluid Ounces or Milliliters Measures up to 11 Lbs. Perfect Product for Weight Watchers and Diet-Conscious. Compact Gadget Large Backlit LCD Durable Tempered Glass (Silver-FFP)
For more great Health and Nutrition Tips refer to the website positivehealthwellness.com.
If you have any favourite Diabetic recipes you would like to share please post them in the comment section below or email them to momo19@diabetessupportsite.com
I like the set up similar to a book, clear and concise. I found it easy to read (font size) and informative.
Hi Josie,
Delighted you found the information on the webpage clear and concise.
Many of my family members are diabetic, so I will be sure to send them these diabetic-friendly recipes – thank you! The recipes look great and the tips are very helpful too.
My father loves banana muffins, so I’m definitely going to make him the diabetic banana nut muffins. I think he’ll love them.
You advise eating brown rice and I agree. Do you have any tips to help diabetics transition from white rice, as the tastes of the two kinds of rice are quite different?
Hi Samantha thanks for your kind comments.
As you know from the website i am a type 1 diabetic myself and i eat both brown rice and basmati rice.
Basmati rice is also very good for diabetics and it tastes very similar to white rice i recommend you give it a try i think you will like it.
I hope your father enjoys the banana muffins!
It is true that diets can affect what your body becomes in the near future. However, eating fruits is a nightmare for me in the morning as I tend to have irritable bowel syndromes & anything cold which enters my mouth will instantly be flushed out by my body systems.
HI Lee,
Thanks for taking the time to make your comment.
Having IBS isnt nice at all rather than having fruit in the morning i would suggest porridge or a healthy cereal with warm milk.
Maybe you would prefer wholewheat bread or roll with a healthy spread and a warm cup of tea or coffee.
Now the winter is here i prefer a warm comforting breakfast myself.
Wow those pancakes sound so delicious I think I’ll have to try them myself.
I like what you say about having some of these healthy options on hand always. I’ve found that whenever I’m trying to eat healthy I always have much more success if I’m well prepared.
You can’t just leave your meal planning to the last minute otherwise you’ll end up going for fast food or un healthy foods. This does require a lot of work and thought but once you get into the habit its easy.
Thanks for the ideas.
Robert
Hi Robert,
Definitely try the pancakes you will love them!
Yes I am like you I like to prepare in advance otherwise if I am very hungry I will eat whatevers handy whether it’s healthy or not.
Hi Mareen
your profound knowledge about diabetes and thus about healthy nutrition touches some of my interests. Since I specialised in stress regulation, healthy food is an important part too.
In your post I liked especially your breakfast tips. I use to prepare my meals in a similar way, be it in the morning or evening. Let me add two little details.
– If you add cinamon, it’ll reduce blood sugar.
– A dash of grained coffee helps the liver to detox.
Well, I really would like to try the South Western Egg recipe. In case you want to get some background infos about weight reduction, this post on my site HeartBasedPower might be of interest for you: WHAT IS BEST WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT FAST – 5 Tips Lose Belly Fat
Good luck and hang on! Stefan
Hi Stefan,
Thanks for all your encouraging comments
I have had type 1 diabetes for a v long time and recently completed a course in human nutrition which increased my knowledge in healthy eating.
I am very interested in viewing your website I love learning about different topics and ideas
Thanks for sharing!
Glad you liked the post and got some healthy food ideas
You are right it is v long I got a bit carried away did not want to leave out any important points!
I was reading somewhere recently that diabetes is a lot more to do with fatty build up on the pancreas, which inhibits insulin production.
This was even for skinny people who were not considered overweight.
I’m wondering if the diets you suggest here are good for lowering the fat surrounding the pancreas?
Also, What are your thoughts on the claims you see on social media? Claims such as…
blackseed oil, helps diabetes.
I also wonder if diabetes can be cured naturally just by eating the right stuff.
I don’t want to get diabetes, I stay away from too much fat and never have had a sweet tooth, I prefer savoury foods most apart from the odd bit of chocolate cake – hehe.
Thanks for this post…
Let’s defeat diabetes!
James
Hi James,
I too prefer savoury products rather than sweet foods.
I never had a sweet tooth as a child so some people were surprised when i was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
However Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition which is not related to diet and lifestyle whereas Type 2 diabetes can often be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.
You have asked some good questions.
Researchers have shown that Type 2 diabetes is caused by fat accumulating in the pancreas and that losing less than one gram of that fat through weight loss can reverse Type 2 diabetes.
The excess fat in the diabetic pancreas is specific to Type 2 diabetes. Individuals vary in how much fat they can tolerate in the pancreas before Type 2 diabetes occurs.
When that excess fat is removed, insulin secretion increases to normal levels.
So if you ask how much weight must a type 2 diabetic need to lose to make their diabetes go away, the answer is one gram! But that gram needs to be fat from the pancreas.
At present the only way to achieve this is by calorie restriction whether by following a healthy diet like the recipes in this post or an operation.
In type 1 diabetes, white blood cells called T cells attack and destroy beta cells. The process begins well before diabetes symptoms appear and continues after diagnosis.
Often, type 1 diabetes is not diagnosed until most beta cells have already been destroyed. At this point, a person needs daily insulin treatment to survive.
Current scientific research is focusing on finding ways to modify or stop this autoimmune process and preserve beta cell function .
Along with a healthy diet, exercise and medications, certain herbs such as black seeds might also help manage diabetes.
Black seeds are obtained from the pods of the Nigella sativa, plant, native to India, Arabia and Europe. The seeds contain fixed oils, alkaloids and essential oils which are responsible for its immense medicinal value. The supplements are available as capsules, powders and oils, and have been used to treat a variety of conditions,
However i would be concerned that Nigella Sativa is toxic in high doses, so talk to your doctor before taking black seeds.
No research has led to any formal recommendations for regular human consumption,