Diabetes: Savvy Meals at a Glance
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, eating a balance of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats is important as it helps to count calories. Want a well-balanced dinner? A power-breakfast? The following will show you how to make the best choices and keep in mind that choosing healthy choices as well as not overlooking recommendations from your doctor or nutritionist.
Worst Bet: Farm Breakfast
No food is off limits, but this brunch blows the carb and calorie food budget fast. Experts suggest meals for people with diabetes have 45 - 75 grams of carbohydrates depneding on the individual goals. Body weight, activity, and medications all matter--this meal packs enough carbs for 4 - 5 meals.
Better Bet: New American Breakfast
This meal delivers protein in scrambled eggs and just 40 calories, mostly from fiber-rich oatmeal and blueberries. Fiber slows digestion to help prevent blood sugar spikes. People with diabetes need to watch all types of carbs: breads, rice, pasta, starchy veggies, sweets, fruit, milk and yogurt. Spread out the total carbs throughout the day.
Worst Bet: Chips, Salsa, Burrito
One bite of burrito has 98 grams of carbs, and 810 calories in a basket of chips and salsa. Trying to slim down and eat less sodium like most people with diabetes, a burriot adds 950 calories. Also you get more than a whole day's worth of sodium.
Better Bet: Beef and Bean Enchilada
Lean beef and black beans make this Mexican dish a good option for a diabetic diet. The fiber in beans help lower blood cholesterol and control blood sugar. Go heavy on veggies and light on the cheese and enjoy 10 small corn chips (1 ounce) with a little guacamole.
Worst Bet: Southern Rib Plate
This classic Southern meal loads too many splurge foods on one plate. Fatty pork ribs dripping in sugary barbecue sauce flanked by macaroni and cheese and corn on the cob. Corn high-carb vegetable, and about 19 grams carbs and one medium ear is too much all around.
Better Bet: Pork Tenderloin Meal
Pork tenderloin is one of the most lean and most versatile cuts of meat. Here it is prepared in Dijon-Mustard Glaze, served with steamed broccoli and Mock Mashed Potatoes. A pureed cauliflower stands in beautifully for carb-heavy white potatoes. Round it out the dinner with whole-wheat dinner rolls.
Worst Bet: Shrimp Pasta Alfredo
A typical shrimp pasta alfredo in the local eatery have huge portions and 73 grams of artery-clogging saturated fat. Diabetes makes heart disease more likely, and doctors advise limiting saturated fat to 15 grams daily for a 2,000-calorie diet.
Better Bet: Shrimp, Feta, Pasta
Low-fat shrimp and juicy-ripe tomatoes make this pasta dish a winner for everyone. Feta cheese is tangy in flavors--one-third less fat than hard cheese. Try pasta made 50 - 100% whole-grain to add the benefits of fiber: it is better for blood sugar control with more satisfaction.
Worst Bet: Tuna Sandwich Meal
Lunch is just as important as other meals when you have diabetes--but don't just grab any sandwich or wrap. Ready-to-eat-tuna salad swimming in mayonnaise and chips with a large sweetened drink push the total carbs to 183 carbs--way too much.
Better Bet: Turkey-Veggie Sandwich
Order a turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread piled with veggies. This combo of fruit salad and a glass of low-fat milk make for a terrific diabetes-friendly meal. 6 grams of fiber helps manage blood sugar and milk, fruit, veggies are high in potassium to lower blood pressure.
Worst Bet: Cajun Sausage Gumbo
Rotisserie chicken provides resonable start for cajun gumbo lunch, but the sausage in a oily soup base and a giant corn muffin make the meal a problem. Fat, saturated fat, calories are all sky-high. The large corn muffin has 71 grams of carbs. A mini muffin offers the same taste for only about 9 grams of carbs.
Better Bet: Trim Chicken Gumbo
Gumbos made at home are more likely to fit within a a meal plan.
No comments:
Post a Comment