Casseroles are a family staple—an easy, one-pot dish that can be made ahead of time and go straight from oven to kitchen table. But, they are often made with refined carbs, creamy sauces, and lots of cheese. We ventured into the kitchen with cookbook author Robyn Webb to figure out how to build a more diabetes-friendly casserole.
Ever notice that most recipes make four or more servings? This makes planning diabetes-friendly meals for just one or two people a challenge. Sure, you can eat leftovers, but eating the same meal several days in a row can get boring. And simply cutting recipes in half doesn’t always work. Well, Diabetes Food Hub has just what you need! We have tons of recipes designed for one or two people. Below is a round up of three full meals that will have you wasting less and enjoying more.
Each of these recipe makes two servings, perfect for a meal for two! Or, if you are cooking for one, save the leftovers for lunch the next day. Best of all, these meals come together in less than thirty minutes, so you can have a hassle-free, diabetes-friendly dinner for two any night of the week!
Our Barbecued Rosemary Chicken recipe takes classic barbecued chicken and spices it up with some fresh rosemary. Pair it with our Spinach and Orange Salad for a diabetes-friendly meal that is bursting with fresh flavors.
This Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche features meaty portabella mushrooms that will satisfy both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Pair with our Quick Herb-Tomato Soup that you can whip up while the quiches bake. This soup takes only minutes to cook, but gets a rich flavor and texture from our secret ingredient, roasted garlic hummus.
This Salmon and Asparagus Gremolata sounds fancy, but is incredibly easy to prepare. The salmon and veggies are cooked together in a parchment (or foil) packet, making clean-up a breeze as well. Pair with a side of Sweet and Creamy Corn that you can prepare while the fish cooks. This whole meal goes from pantry to plate in less than 30 minutes!
If you saved room for dessert, try this Fruit-Filled Pancake Puff as a light and refreshing treat to satisfy your sweet tooth! This recipe calls for fresh berries and berry yogurt, but you could use any seasonal fruit and get creative with the yogurt topping.
As we move into the new year and thoughts turn to healthy resolutions and diabetes meal planning, the Diabetes Food Hub team looked back at the first year of the site and reviewed the most popular recipes as determined by, you, our visitors. Favorites ranged from a low-carb chicken and mushroom superstar to breakfast frittatas just begging for a personal spin. Altogether, they make a fantastic round up of meals designed to help you be the best you in 2019 and beyond. Click on the slideshow below to see the top crowd pleasers of 2018.
Everybody likes getting more for less! How about getting more meals from less recipes? With some strategic meal planning and prepping, you can create several days’ worth of meals with just a few recipes and one trip to the grocery store. You can even prepare all of the recipes at once and store meals in single serve containers in the fridge for grab-and-go meals all week.
Diabetes Food Hub can be a great tool for meal prepping! Click here to learn how to use our recipes, meal planner, and grocery list generator to make planning, shopping, and preparing healthy meals a snap! This week (the last in our Meal Prep series) we will take a look at different eating patterns and show you how to customize your meal prep for a low-carb, Mediterranean, or vegetarian diet.
Many people think that living with diabetes means you have to follow a special “diabetes diet.” The truth is there are lots of different eating patterns that can help you manage your diabetes, and there’s room for almost any food in a healthy meal plan. Eating well with diabetes just requires a little bit of planning and portion control to create well-balanced meals, which is why meal prepping can be very helpful for people with diabetes.
You could make any of the following recipes for dinner one night and pack up the leftovers for lunch the next day, or make the recipes on Sunday and pack into grab-and-go containers for lunch throughout the week.
Many people with diabetes choose to follow a low-carb meal plan that limits carbohydrate foods such as sugar, cereals, pasta, bread, fruit, and starchy vegetables. Low carb meals consist mostly of protein foods like meat and dairy, fatty foods like oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, and butter, and non-starchy vegetables. This Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken is low in saturated fat (which can be hard to limit on a low-carb diet) but packed with protein and flavor. Pair with a Cauliflower “Rice” Salad for a side of non-starchy vegetables and a boost of fiber.
The Mediterranean diet focuses less on nutrients and more on foods. It is mainly plant-based with lots of vegetables and whole grains, and includes healthy fats from fish, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. It also includes aspects of a Mediterranean lifestyle, such as plenty of physical activity and enjoying meals with friends and family. Mediterranean food includes cuisine from countries all around the Mediterranean Sea, including Southern Europe, Middle East, and North Africa. These Swordfish and Eggplant Bundles are inspired by Italian cuisine. Pair it with Quinoa Tabbouleh, an adaptation of a traditional Lebanese dish made with fresh herbs and grains.
Plant-based eating patterns are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber which can reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases, as well as helping with weight management. Whether you are full vegetarian/vegan, or just trying to incorporate more plant-based meals, these Bibb and Bean Burrito Bowls are sure to satisfy. Plus, it’s an all-in-one meal, featuring protein, fiber, and healthy fats along with lots of vegetables!
Like or save these recipes, and any other recipes you would like to cook this week, then add them to your Meal Planner. Click “Generate Grocery List” to make shopping a snap. You can add, edit, or delete items on the list as needed.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months. Be sure to date anything that you store in the fridge or freezer. When reheating leftovers, make sure they reach 165 degrees F. Find more food safety tips here.
Check out the other articles in this series:
Quick answer: There isn’t one. At least not one exact diet that will meet the nutrition needs of everyone living with diabetes. Which, in some ways, is unfortunate. Just think how simple it would be to plan meals if there were a one-size-fits-all plan that worked for everyone living with diabetes, prediabetes, or at risk for diabetes. Boring, yes, but simple!
As we all know, it’s much harder than that. We don’t often make food choices based on nutrition science alone —we often also make food choices for social, cultural, or emotional reasons. And because each of us is different, we each need to find an eating plan best matches both our nutrition and lifestyle needs.
For people living with diabetes and trying to learn more about healthy food choices, it can be tough to tell fact from fiction and make decisions in a sea of choices. Information in the news can often be confusing, with conflicting data and advice often given at the same time.
Part of our job at the American Diabetes Association is to help sort out the science and provide guidance that is safe and works well for people at risk for and living with diabetes. And current research shows there are a many eating patterns that can work to maintain a healthy life with diabetes, not just one. In the long run, an eating plan that you can follow and sustain and that meets your own diabetes goals will be the best one for you.
A meal plan takes into account your likes, dislikes, and lifestyle. It is a guide that is aimed at helping you meet your personal weight and blood glucose goals and guides you on what, when, and how much to eat. While many people may think a meal plan is the same as a diet, we like to consider a meal plan as something you follow over time rather than a diet, which is often related to a quick fix for a short period of time.
We often make food choices for social, cultural, or emotional reasons
An eating pattern is a term used to describe the foods or groups of foods that a person chooses to eat on a daily basis over time. There a number of eating patterns that are helpful for people living with diabetes or at risk for diabetes. Following are a few of the more popular choices that the science shows can work. You’ll notice that all of these have three things in common:
There is no “one-size-fits-all” eating plan or “ADA Diet” for people with diabetes! The best eating plan for you is the one that you can sustain while still meeting your diabetes goals.
Mediterranean-style eating uses olive oil as the main source of fat. Fish, chicken, and small amounts of dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, are included. Red meat is less common, though wine can usually be consumed in small amounts (one to two glasses of wine per day) with meals.
There is a lot of research on the Mediterranean style of eating and most of it shows it may help you improve blood sugar, lose weight, and reduce risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. This is a well-studied eating pattern than can work for many people with diabetes.
There is no “one-size-fits-all” eating plan or “ADA Diet” for people with diabetes!
Vegetarian eating plans generally include nuts, seeds, beans, and meat substitutes with little or no animal
products, though there are many eating patterns you could label “vegetarian.” These patterns are different in terms of protein sources, from vegan eating plans that include no animal products of any kind to new patterns, such as flexitarian eating plans that include mostly plant-based foods but allow for eating meat at times.
A low-carbohydrate (low-carb) eating plan includes protein foods like meat, chicken, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheese, nuts and seeds, and fats (oils, butter, olives, and avocado). Most low-carb plans, such as Atkins, Keto, and Paleo, avoid highly processed carbohydrate foods and grains.
DASH is an acronym for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension” and began as a research study to help lower blood pressure in people with hypertension (high blood pressure). This eating plan limits foods high in sodium (salt), saturated fat, red meat, sweets, added sugars, and sugary drinks.
Try the Diabetes Plate Method. Most of the eating patterns above focus on what to eat. The Diabetes Plate Method helps figure out how much to eat, which can often be just as important. It takes the burden out of measuring and counting while meeting the goals of many of the eating patterns described above. This method uses a 9-inch plate, often a smaller plate than most people use. Once you have a smaller plate, the idea is to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 of your plate with protein foods, and the last 1/4 of your plate with carbohydrate foods.
Try to block out the fad-diet advice and choose a plan you are likely to follow long-term that fits both your diabetes goals and your personal needs. Think about your likes and dislikes and how a change to your eating will affect your day-to-day life with family and friends. Then see how you can match this with your personal weight-loss goals. Budget also plays a part in choosing the right healthy eating plan that will meet your needs.
Many eating patterns can help you maintain a healthy life with diabetes.
Studies have repeatedly shown the benefits of a healthy breakfast. In fact, a good start can help you manage glucose levels, too! Follow the steps below to take the hassle and headache out of your first meal of the day.
Eating breakfast has shown to help boost metabolism, which means your body does a better job managing your weight. This can be a key factor for some people in managing their diabetes too. But whether you’re a student, parent, or working professional, your busy schedule might keep you from eating a balanced breakfast in the mornings.
That sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Not quite! There are many unique “overnight oatmeal” recipes out there, but all you need to remember is the most basic recipe. Try this: simply mix ¼ cup oats and ½ cup low-fat milk (or milk substitute like soy milk) in a container or jar that can be sealed tightly, and leave it in the fridge overnight. That’s it! When you wake up your oatmeal is ready for breakfast. You can “dress” up your oatmeal by mixing in a tablespoon of peanut butter for some added protein, or add a bit of vanilla extract and cinnamon for additional flavor.
Choose about one or two recipes that you would eat for breakfast and set aside one day of the week to cook these recipes. To make it easy, select a recipe that yields enough servings so that you can divide and spread it throughout the week. You can also choose a recipe that might yield only one serving and simply double or triple the ingredients. Some great recipes to try out include making smoothies that you can just pour in a glass or in a to-go cup the next morning. You can also try out a savory twist on oatmeal with this Savory Mediterranean Oats or another grab and go recipe like these Mini Veggie Frittatas.
Having one large breakfast meal that can be easily warmed up the next morning, or packed in a container that you can just grab and go on your way out will save you time and ensure you get a healthy start to your day.
Whether it’s a drive-through, or a restaurant that’s on your way to work or school, sometimes these places are really your only options in the mornings, and that’s okay! Here are some tips on how to make these places like your own kitchen and grab a healthy breakfast:
Request substitutes. Many small restaurants and fast food restaurants are able to swap out ingredients for their customers. For example, ask if you can have a whole wheat bread or English muffin option. This could add about three or more grams of fiber, an important nutrient to help you stay full longer. Instead of a croissant or other pastries, ask for fresh fruit as your side instead.
Take out the extra calories. If you’re ordering a breakfast sandwich, ask that it’s not prepared with butter. This could lower the sodium by 20 milligrams and the total fat by at least two grams. Look out for other swaps you could make such as choosing Canadian bacon or turkey bacon in place of sausage or regular bacon. This will remove some calories and saturated fat. Skip the cheese and you’ll save another 100 calories.
“Build Your Own” options. Some restaurants may have a “build your own” option where you can take control of what goes into your breakfast. If you choose oatmeal, go for the nutrient dense toppings like unsalted nuts which are great for some protein and healthy fats. You can skip the brown sugar, honey, and dried fruit toppings too. Instead, ask for the fresh fruit toppings (especially berries rich in antioxidants and fiber, but low in calories and carbohydrates) if you’re looking for a sweeter flavor.
Look for the low calorie drinks. It’s not just water! Many cafes or other restaurants with coffee drinks add a lot of extra calories. You can keep your coffee simple, or use skim or low-fat milk instead of creamer. There is also a choice in dairy with lattes and cappuccino’s. Switching from whole to low-fat milk takes off about 20 calories. Watch out for added flavorings and see if there is a sugar-free option. You might even want to try out the many different herbal tea flavors that most places have, all of which are zero calories.
You don’t need to be in a five star restaurant to request a customized meal. So remember, ask for what you want!
Are you looking to eat more plant-based meals and reduce the amount of red meat in your diet? Research continues to show that people who regularly eat red or processed meat are at an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, red meat can be expensive at the grocery store.
Reducing red meat intake has many benefits, including protecting your heart and overall health and lowering your spending. Read on to learn how you can take the focus away from red meat and let plants shine.
Instead of giving up red meat all at once, how about starting slow with small steps? There are a few approaches you can take, such as:
Here are some ways to reinvent dishes that focus on ingredients other than red meat:
Ready to start your plant- based cooking adventure? Be sure to check out all the recipes on Diabetes Food Hub and create an account so you can save plant-based recipes to try later. You can even create and print a grocery list to bring with you to the grocery store!
Visiting the farmers market is a different experience than going to a standard supermarket. Here are eight tips to help you know what to bring and make the most of your access to farmers’ and artisans’ fresh products and knowledge!
Most of all, have an open mind on your trip. A farmers’ market is a great way to find and try new types of produce and you can prepare meals with fresh produce that’s in season.
Be aware of what fruits and veggies are in season to enjoy your favorites when they’re fresh. You may find that what you buy at the farmers market inspires you to create new, flavorful, and healthy dishes. Don’t forget to sign up for Diabetes Food Hub’s e-newsletter for diabetes-friendly ideas and recipes using your fresh new produce!
Navigating snack options when you have diabetes can feel like a tricky balancing act. With a busy schedule, it’s even more challenging to find snacks that tick all the boxes: tasty, healthy, and diabetes-friendly. However, with a little planning, you can have plenty of snacks ready to grab-and-go in your fridge and pantry.
Protein is essential for everyone, especially if you’re managing diabetes. It works alongside carbohydrates to help moderate the absorption of glucose (sugar) into your blood. This balance is key in avoiding the rollercoaster of highs and lows in your blood glucose levels, which is why combining proteins and carbohydrates at meals and snacks is a smart strategy. By avoiding the blood glucose rollercoaster, it will also help provide steady energy to keep you going through the day.
Try these protein + carb combinations:
Meal planning for snacks can streamline your week and help you maintain a healthy diet. Start by taking inventory of what you already have in your pantry and refrigerator. Check for staples like nuts and seeds, and any fresh produce that might need to be used soon. Based on what you have, make a grocery list to fill in the gaps.
Fresh fruit such as apples, clementines, and bananas are very portable and don’t require refrigeration. Fresh veggies such as carrots, celery, or bell pepper sticks can be prepped ahead of time and tossed into a bag or container. Nuts and seeds such as almonds, pistachios, and pumpkin and sunflower seeds make a delicious savory and crunchy snack with plenty of healthy fats and protein. You can also find individual cups of hummus, cottage cheese, and yogurt which can easily be thrown into a lunch box or bag (just make sure to throw an ice pack in there too!).
Packing and planning your snacks with a good balance of protein and carbs can help in avoiding midday hunger, managing diabetes, and staying healthy. Whether you’re at home, work, or out and about, having healthy snacks ready to go means you’re always prepared.
