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Thursday, February 9, 2012
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
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Diet and Nutrition |
Diabetic recipes07/27/2009 |
My father is a diabetic, and I would love to make him tasty dishes that would not increase his blood sugar. Could you give me a few sugar-free recipes?
It's wonderful that you want to cook something special for your father and take his diabetes into consideration. However, I am not sure what type of recipes you are looking for - main dishes, side dishes, desserts? Please know that any food that you make for him should fit into his diet. The trick is knowing a few key facts, so here they are: Know that using "sugar free" recipes are not necessarily going to keep blood sugars from rising. The best way to managing blood sugar levels is to watch the portion sizes of foods containing carbohydrates. Carbohydrates include starches (grains, breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc), fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, sugar & sweets). All carbohydrates break down in the body to give us quick energy in the form of "glucose" or blood sugar. The major concern is to not overload the body with too much sugar at once (as many people do, for example, at a huge Thanksgiving dinner). Therefore, these carbohydrate-containing foods may be eaten, but need to be divided throughout the day in serving sizes that the body can handle. Meal plans are designed to give people with diabetes an even distribution of carbohydrates at each meal (often between 3 to 5 servings per meal) and 1 to 2 servings for each snack. A serving is considered to be 15 grams of carbohydrate (no matter where it comes from). The meal plan is designed to meet the needs of each individual. If your father hasn't seen a Registered Dietitian yet, I'd recommend that he make an appointment to see one (go to http://www.eatright.org/ to search for a dietitian in your area).
With that said, people who have diabetes can still have their favorite recipes but need to control the amount eaten at one time (according to how much carbohydrate is in the recipe). Modifications to recipes that are helpful include: 1. cutting down (or in half) the sugar called for in baked goods. This helps people get used to a less sweet taste while still having a very good product. 2. choosing higher fiber ingredients (i.e. brown rice vs. white rice, whole wheat pasta vs. white pasta, whole grains vs. refined ones, and using more beans, fresh vegetables and fruits) 3. avoiding foods canned in syrup and those with sugar listed as one of the first few ingredients on the food label (look for terms such as sugar, honey, corn syrup, fructose, molasses, raw sugar, brown sugar, etc.)
It is helpful to also eat carbohydrate foods together with protein and heart-healthy fats rather than all by themselves. This helps slow down the rise in blood sugar after eating. For heart health, consider: 1. choosing lean meats and non fat dairy products for your recipes. i.e. use low fat cheeses vs. the regular varieties; substitute skim milk or yogurt for cream 2. choosing oils (olive oil or canola) vs. butter 3. using cooking methods such as baking, broiling, grilling, steaming instead of frying.
If you still would like help with recipe ideas, you can visit the American Diabetes Association website at http://store.diabetes.org/products/product_category.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302023858&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441764361&bmUID=1237239330722. They sell various cookbooks that appeal to everyone's tastes preferences. Also, the following cookbooks come recommended by some of my colleagues: Lickety-Split Diabetic Meals by Zonya Foco, RD. "Quick and Healthy" cookbooks by Brenda J. Ponichtera. The Healthy Carb Diabetes Cookbook by Chef Jennifer Bucko, MCFE, & Lara Rondinelli, RD, LDN, CDE Celebrity Chefs Across America - The Ingredients for Managing Diabetes. The Joslin Diabetes Great Chefs Cook Healthy Cookbook Eating well Series of books and the bi-monthly Eating Well Magazine.
I hope this is helpful to you. Bon Appetite!
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Jane Korsberg, MS, RD, LD Senior Instructor of Nutrition Department of Nutrition School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University |
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