Have Diabetes?
Looking for healthy meals? Here
are some best dishes to create and some worst dishes to avoid.
Diabetes: Savvy Meals at a Glance
If you suffer from Diabetes 2, you know how importance it is
to eat a balance of protein as well as carbohydrates, and a healthy amount of
fats. All these are important for
counting your calories when making well-balanced dinners and power
breakfasts? The following meals will
show you healthy choices to make and overlook the worst choices. Always check with your doctor for
recommendations too.
Worst Bet: The Farm Breakfast
They say that no food is off limits, but the farm breakfast
blows the carbohydrates and calories out of the water. People with diabetes should get on average of
45 – 75 carbohydrates depending on the person’s goals, body weight, activity,
and medications. This meal packs enough
carbohydrates for 4 – 5 meals.
Best Bet: New American Breakfast
This meal gives just enough protein in a scrambled egg and
has 40 carbohydrates just from fiber-rich oatmeal and blueberries. It is important that people with Diabetes to
watch all types of carbohydrates eaten:
breads, rice, pasta, starchy veggies, sweets, fruit, milk, yogurt. It is best to spread the carbohydrates
throughout the day.
Worse Bet: Chips, Salsa, Burrito
Just one bite of this burrito will give you98 grams of
carbohydrates with 810 calories in a basket of chips and salsa. If you’re trying to shed pounds, eat less
sodium . This burrito will add 950
calories to the Diabetic’s diet. This
meal also gives more than a whole day’s sodium intake.
Better Bet: Beef and Bean Enchilada
The lean beef and black beans make this a better Mexican
dish for the diabetic diet. Plus, the
fiber in the black beans helps to lower blood cholesterol and control blood
sugar. You can pack on the veggies, but
go easy with the cheese. You can also
enjoy 10 small corn chips (equal to 1 ounce) with just a little guacamole.
Worse Bet: Southern Rib Plate
This Classic Southern Meal loads on too many foods to allow
one to splurge on one plate. The fatty
pork ribs are dripping with enough sugary barbecue sauce, and add the macaroni
and cheese and corn on the cob, adds about 19 grams of carbohydrates in one
medium ear. Way too much for the
diabetic diet.
Better Bet: Pork Tenderloin Meal
The Pork Tenderloin is one of the most lean cuts of meat and
is most versatile too. Prepare it with
some Dijon-Mustard Glaze and serve it with steamed broccoli and mock mashed
potatoes. Pureed cauliflower can also be
substituted for the already-carbohydrate-laden white potatoes. Whole wheat dinner rolls go perfect with this
meal.
Worse Bet: Shrimp Pasta Alfredo
To order a shrimp
pasta Alfredo in a local restaurant can be huge and have 73 grams of
carbohydrates—a meal of artery-clogging fat.
Heart disease is more likely, so listen to your doctor’s advice and
limit saturated fat to 15 grams a day for a 2,000-calorie diet.
Better Bet: Shrimp, Feta, Pasta
The low-fat shrimp and juicy-ripe tomatoes make this pasta dish perfect for anyone. And the feta cheese has tangy flavors and has
1/3 less fat than harder cheese. An even
better bet is pasta made with 50 – 100% whole grain, as it adds the benefits of
fiber for better blood sugar control and the feeling of feeling fuller longer.
Worst Bet: Tuna Sandwich Meal
Although lunch can be just as important as the other meals
for diabetics, don’t just eat any sandwich or wrap. The ready-to-eat tuna salad loaded with lots
of mayonnaise plus the chips and a large sweetened drink push your total
carbohydrate limit to 183 grams.
Better Bet: Turkey-Veggie Sandwich
Instead, order a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread with
lots of veggies. Add a fruit salad and a
glass of low-fat milk for a diabetes-friendly meal. Packed with just 6 grams of fiber helps
manage your blood sugar, and the milk, fruit, and veggies are high in potassium
to lower your blood pressure.
Worse Bet: Cajun Sausage Gumbo
While rotisserie chicken can provide a reasonable start to a
Cajun gumbo lunch, the sausage, with its oily base with its corn muffin make
this meal a problem for diabetics. With
the fat, saturated fat, and calories already sky-high, the large corn muffin
doesn’t help with an additional 71 grams
of carbohydrates. Grab a mini muffin for
9 grams of carbohydrates of the same taste.
Better Bet: Trim Chicken Gumbo
Make gumbos at home as they are better and fit in with the
meal plan for diabetes-savvy meals, and use reduced-fat sausage, Cajun flavors,
brown rice and lots of high-fiber vegetables.
Add a whole-grain salad medley with nuts, dried fruits and chopped
veggies for a healthy, delicious meal.
Worse Bet: Fried Chicken Meal
When dining out, skip the fried chicken, mashed potato, and
biscuit combo. The white meat chicken
breast packs on extra carbohydrates and fats and has more than twice the sodium
than you should get in a day for those with diabetes.
Better Bet: Roast Chicken Meal
Roast chicken is easy to prepare, but serve it with ½ cup
breast meat with the skin removed. Add
in sweet potatoes and asparagus for a healthier option; the potatoes are high
in fiber and vitamin A, not to mention naturally sweet, so all you need is a
little cinnamon or spice sprinkled on top to help manage blood sugar.
Worst Bet: Hamburger Meal Deal
A bacon cheeseburger, large fries, and large drink has more
than a day’s worth of carbohydrates, 2,700 calories and 44 grams of saturated
fat. While “upsizing” may lower the
prices, it is better to eat smaller portions in burger joints.
Better Bet: Asian Tuna Burger
You can make this Asian Tuna Burger at home. The tuna has heart-healthy omega-3 fatty
acids and add a whole-grain bun with ½ cup of broccoli-carrot slaw with a few
orange slices. You can skip the bun to
drop 23 grams of carbohydrates and turkey/veggie burgers are also good options
for those who are calorie-conscious.
Worse Bet: Fish Fry Platter
While fish is usually good for a heart-healthy diet, not if
it’s fried. The breading, oil, and extra
calories cancels the health benefits of the fish. Be aware of fried sides and coleslaw
smothered in sugary mayonnaise dressing.
Better Bet: Grilled Fish and Veggies
A better meal for almost anyone is the grilled or baked
fish. The grilled corn salsa and beet,
pear, and walnut salad adds pizzazz to this meal. Total carbohydrates are 48 grams, with a good
balance of protein, fiber, and fat.
Worst Bet: Chinese Combo
The deep-fried egg rolls, fried rice, and main dish in an
oily sauce is an unhealthy option for diabetics. The total sodium gives more than any diabetic
should have in 3 days. Beware of
monosodium glutamate (MSG), a seasoning that ups the sodium content.
Better Bet: Stir-Fry Your Way
It is best to make your own beef and broccoli stir-fry meal
so you can control the lean cuts of beef and low-sodium soy sauce, and skip the
greasy noodles and fried rice and add more vegetables for healthy choices that
don’t add more carbohydrates, calories, and fat. If you want less sodium, skip the soy sauce.
Here are heart-healthy meals for people suffering with
diabetes to help control blood sugar and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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