[Diabetes-Talk] Diabetic recipes?

[Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter]

First, welcome.

Second, there's really no such thing as a diabetic diet. The most important thing is to watch portion control and be aware how food, especially carbs, work in your body; but anyone should do these things.

It's really important to understand what a carb is and how it works in the body; likewise, proteins. If you have a dietician you can work with at your doctor's office, I really encourage you to do this. We need to truly understand food and our relationship with it to make the best choices for us individually.

That aside, just make better food choices. Avoid frozen foods and processed foods and foods with trans-fat and sugar. Carbs are obviously a big deal for diabetics. Carbs raise glucose levels for all people, and proteins stabilize glucose levels.

One of the biggest reasons certain foods and meals are labeled diabetic is because they tend to be low-carb and also heart-friendly. Diabetics need to watch heart health.

I'm a vegetarian who is frequently vegan. I also do low-carb. I'm gluten-free. Now, people often think gluten-free means low-carb, but this is not true. Gluten-free products usually have as much carbs as gluten products. But, I find gluten-free products impact my BGs differently than gluten products. Plus, gluten isn't great for our bodies and health.

Like Jamie, I just Google recipes, but I also love to read cookbooks. BARD has a lot of great cookbooks, and I've seen diabetic-specific cookbooks on BARD.

Calories aren't as important anymore than carbs. There are simple changes you can start implementing. First, make eating out a special occasion. If you eat out frequently, cut back. Instead of getting/making meat with a breading or sauce, try a dry rub. Add lots of veggies to a meal. There should be more color on your plate, meaning veggies, than protein or bread at a meal. Do fresh veggies and fruits as much as possible, because canned veggies are loaded with sodium, and canned fruits are loaded with sugar.

Some simple recipes I like are to replace pasta noodles with squash or zucchini noodles. I make my own pasta sauce, but I also like to just drizzle olive oil and sprinkle parmesan. I have a recipe for cauliflower breadsticks that's really good. If I want a meatball, for me, I do buy the Gardein vegan ones, but make meatballs at home is super easy.

I also love to grill veggies, especially this time of year. I will grill peppers, onions and mushrooms, coat in coconut oil and sprinkle a seasoning mixture I make. You can do anything, but I like to do garlic, cayenne, paprika and a little black pepper. I grill then put in a gluten-free wrap sometimes, but I also eat on their own.

My favorite thing right now is avocado toast. I use a gluten-free bread called Canyon Bakehouse. You can also make a low-carb bread from cauliflower. I mash up an avocado and add a little ground pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt. I like it a little chunky, but consistency is up to you. I place the avocado between 2 pieces of bread, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle grated parmesan on top. Then, I bake for 12 minutes at 350 in the oven. Super good and my go-to meal right now. Also, this meal totals 47 grams of carbs. The bread is 15 grams per slice, and the avocado is 17 grams. Avacados are really good for you too. It's a super food.

Bridgit