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Eating Healthy at Home with Diabetes

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you’re probably wondering just what you should and shouldn’t eat. You’re not alone. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 20 million Americans have diabetes. And, according to the American Diabetes Association Diabetes Cookbook, there’s no special diet that works for every person with diabetes: “Each individual’s age, weight, activity levels, food preferences, general health, medications taken and lifestyle must all be considered when planning a diet.” So while it’s best to consult your dietitian for specific suggestions, here are some general guidelines to get you started.

Fill the Fridge

The first two words in healthy eating: fruits and vegetables. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber — plus almost all are naturally low in fat. Select a combination of fresh, frozen and canned (without added salt or sugar) so you have a variety of convenient options. Next, choose your favorite lean meats, poultry and seafood. Trim any excess fat from lean meats and skin from poultry. Look for extra-lean ground meats, including ground beef, turkey and chicken breast. Choose whole-grain foods over refined white grains, and stock up on reduced-fat or fat-free cheeses, yogurt and dairy products. Limit sugary drinks such as sodas and fruit juices.

Stock the Pantry
Packaged items offer great convenience; however, beware of hidden sugars, fats and sodium. Read food labels and ingredient panels to help spot healthy choices. Some examples of healthier choices may include products labeled whole grain, reduced-sodium, reduced-fat and/or no sugar added. For example, choose no salt added canned vegetables, whole-grain cereals, reduced-fat popcorn (which is also a whole grain) and low-sodium soy sauce. Use salt substitutes, herbs and other spices in place of salt.

Consider Cooking Methods
Choose liquid fats such as canola and olive oil for cooking rather than solid fats that can be high in saturated and trans fat. Remember, fat is high in calories so if you’re watching your weight, watch portion sizes of all fats. Choose healthy cooking methods such as grilling, steaming, microwaving, broiling, baking and stir-frying. Add flavor without extra fat by using nonstick cooking sprays available in regular, olive oil and butter-flavor varieties.

Snack Smart
Snacking is an important component of a diabetes meal plan. Work with your dietitian, diabetes educator or physician to create your individual meal plan. Snacking helps maintain blood sugar (glucose) levels throughout the day. The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, an information service related to the National Institutes of Health, suggests the following healthy snacks:

• Pretzels, Low fat Popcorn, Baked Potato Chips, Lowfat muffins             

• Fresh Fruits, Fresh vegetables with low fat dip, Dried fruits

• Low fat yogurt sweetened with a low-calorie sweetener, and low fat cheeses.

Golden Herbed Turkey Breast with Oranges

This is a diabetic-friendly dish the whole family will love.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

1 (5- to 5 1/2-lb.) turkey breast

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

2 tbsp. trans fat-free margarine, softened

3 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

3 tbsp. chopped fresh sage

2 oranges, thinly sliced, divided

2 lemons, thinly sliced, divided

1 large onion, quartered

2 1/2 cups dry white wine or no-salt-added chicken broth

 

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place turkey in aluminum foil-lined baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle turkey breast evenly with pepper.

2. Stir together margarine, rosemary and sage. Loosen skin from turkey and spread margarine mixture under skin. Arrange 1/4 of orange and lemon slices over margarine mixture. Gently pull skin over fruit. Place onion and remaining orange and lemon slices in pan. Drizzle with wine or broth. Insert meat thermometer in thickest portion of meat.

3. Bake until thermometer registers 165°F or about 1 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes.

 

Serves 10

Per serving: 323 calories, 6g carbohydrate, 55g protein, 1g fiber, 8g fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 139mg cholesterol, 157mg sodium