Type 2 diabetes-friendly meals

[waterphaerie]

Hi everyone

Comments

[rollinsgirl]

I would start here:

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/?utm_source=WWW&utm_medium=GlobalNavFF&utm_campaign=CON

Learn the concepts of the diabetic diet, and you'll know what to cook. Avoid sugar, pasta, white potatoes....My mom found some low carb pasta that is pretty good, it's called "dreamfields" (????) or something like that. Sweet potatoes are a good alternative to the white ones, but of course eaten in moderation.

And learn how to read food labels for carb and sugar content.. hope this helps

[strega42]

First - major, major icon love

[hugh_mannity]

You're absolutely right on the fats thing

[harro_der]

I actually completely agree on the butter vs. margarine thing and my diabetic Dad was told at his diabetic class that real butter is better than marg, if you're going to use either. We somewhat recently switched to butter and surpringly lost a little bit of weight (both of us!) with no other changes.

[hugh_mannity]

Speaking as a type 2 diabetic

[strega42]

1) I had forgot about curries... thanks for reminding me, even though it's not my post. :-D

2) Do you find that brown rice is tolerable diet wise? I've heard people say conflicting things, and I'm basically just taking an anecdote survey.

[hugh_mannity]

Yes, brown rice works pretty well for me. In small quantities. I find it does a lot less damage to the blood glucose numbers than whole wheat pasta.

Barley's another good alternative, I've found. It makes an interesting alternative to rice and goes will with lamb curries and things like that.

[strega42]

Thank you. :)

[strega42]

Recipe-wise - I'm a huge fan of roast chicken. Pop that baby in the oven at 350 and roast it for about 15 minutes a pound. Flavor it with sage, dill, basil, or some tarragon, garlic is always good. A little salt and fresh pepper.

If you would rather go with chicken breasts, just put the meat and spices in foil, wrap, and bake for about 30 minutes. (45 if they're frozen).

Fish is good when steamed in tin foil the same way; I'd stick with dill or basil as flavors that won't overwhelm the fish.

Steamed veggies often benefit from fresh pepper and rosemary in the water you're steaming them in.

Brown rice is good when simply steamed, to add flavor and richness I would say throw in about 10 *whole* cloves of garlic. The flavor will be mild when it's done; almost nutty rather than HOLY CRAP VAMPIRE REPELLANT!

If I can get my brain engaged (I'm so scattered today it's not EVEN funny, hence my previous comment...) I'll come back with some more specific recipes and ideas.

[auxoriousrex]

Make friends with quinoa. I have a highly unusual diet myself (type II diabetic plus I'm 6.5 months pregnant) I eat lots of lean meat (oh and I totally splurge on steaks, but fat is not an issue for me) and steamed and sauteed veggies. Whole grains are cool and all, but until you know how they affect you they are best eaten in moderation. meaning, follow servings sizes to a T. Fat will actually lower blood glucose. But make sure they are healthy fats. Veggies should be cooked in olive oil, coconut oil, or other healthy oils for flavor and added benefits from the good fat. Fiber should be a huge factor in meals. Fiber also slows the absorption of sugars into the blood stream. If cholesterol is not an issue, eggs can be a great breakfast staple. I make a frittata using pepper strips, cheese, and eggs. A salad before a main course really helps too.