In simple terms, when someone has diabetes, their blood glucose is too high. Where does glucose come from? It comes from the foods we eat. Unfortunately, the tastiest meals cannot be eaten by diabetics. That is, unless you know about the delicious meals that a diabetic can eat! The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education Program has created a booklet for tasty meals that can be eaten by diabetics.
In general, a person with diabetes should:
- Eat more fiber by eating more whole-grain foods
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit and 100% fruit juices. Eat a variety of vegetables such as greens, spinach, carrots, squash, beans, etc.
- Eat fewer foods that are high in sugar and salt.
- Drink alcohol sparingly (if any at all).
Here are a few of the tasty recipes from The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education Program that the entire family can enjoy!
Spanish Omelet
Ingredients:
5 small potatoes (peeled and sliced)
Vegetable cooking spray
½ medium onion (minced)
1 small zucchini (sliced)
1½ cups green/red peppers (sliced thin)
5 medium mushrooms (sliced)
3 whole eggs (beaten)
5 egg whites (beaten)
Pepper, garlic salt with herbs to taste
3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1 Tbsp. low-fat parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 °F. Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. In a nonstick pan, add vegetable spray and warm at medium heat. Add onion and sauté until brown. Add vegetables and sauté until tender but not brown. In a medium mixing bowl, slightly beat eggs and egg whites, pepper, garlic salt, and low-fat mozzarella cheese. Stir egg-cheese mixture into the cooked vegetables. In a 10-inch pie pan or ovenproof skillet, add vegetable spray and transfer potatoes and egg mixture to pan. Sprinkle with low-fat parmesan cheese and bake until firm and brown on top, about 20–30 minutes. Remove omelet from oven, cool for 10 minutes, and cut into five pieces.
Exchanges: Meat 2 Bread 2 Vegetable Fat 2 (Note: Diabetic exchanges are calculated based on the American Diabetes Association Exchange System)
Rice with Chicken, Spanish Style
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions (chopped)
6 garlic cloves (minced)
2 stalks of celery (diced)
2 medium red/green peppers cut into strips
1 cup of mushrooms (chopped)
2 cups of uncooked whole grain rice
3 pounds of boneless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces (skin removed)
1½ tsp. salt (optional)
2½ cups of low-fat chicken broth Saffron or SazónTM for color
3 medium tomatoes (chopped)
1 cup of frozen peas, 1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup of frozen green beans
Olives or capers for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick pot. Add onion, garlic, celery, red/green pepper, and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until tender. Add whole grain rice and sauté for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly to mix all ingredients. Add chicken, salt, chicken broth, water, Saffron/SazónTM, and tomatoes. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let the casserole simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in peas, corn, and beans and cook for 8–10 minutes. When everything is hot, the casserole is ready to serve. Garnish with olives or capers, if desired.
Exchanges: Meat 5 Bread 3 Vegetable 1 Fat 1.
Pozole
Ingredients:
2 pounds of lean beef (cubed)
1 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 large onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
¼ tsp. of salt
1/8 tsp. of pepper
¼ cup of fresh cilantro (chopped)
1 can (15 ounces) of stewed tomatoes
2 ounces of tomato paste
1 can (1 pound 13 ounces) of hominy
Directions:
In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add beef and sauté. Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, cilantro, and enough water to cover meat. Stir to mix ingredients evenly. Cover pot and cook over low heat until meat is tender. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes. Add hominy and continue cooking another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If too thick, add water for desired consistency. Optional: Skinless, boneless chicken breasts can be used instead of beef cubes.