From the book 250 essential recipes for living better with diabetes by author Sharon Zeiler, Registered Dietitian, Canadian Diabetes Association Approved Recipes.
1. Take a few minutes each week to plan your menus. This will allow you to plan a quick meal on Wednesday, while your son is playing hockey, and a late dinner, after the parent-teacher meeting on Thursday …
2. Never go to the grocery store without your list! This will ensure that you have not forgotten anything to prepare the meals you have planned. It will also help you avoid impulse buying… Speaking of impulse buying, go to the grocery store as little as possible when you are hungry.
3. In the fruit and vegetable departments, favor brightly colored products.
• In general, the darker their color, the higher their nutrient intake (think bright red peppers and dark green broccoli).
• Whenever possible, buy fruits and vegetables in season, so that they get their full flavor.
• Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are also rich in nutrients.
• Prefer fruit canned in their juice. If you buy vegetables or legumes canned with salt, rinse them quickly and drain them before eating them.
4. Learn to read labels well.
• Read the list of ingredients on packaged products.
• Look at the Nutrition Facts table, paying special attention to carbohydrates, fat and sodium.
5. Equip your kitchen to prepare healthy, low-fat food.
• Use a steamer basket to steam your vegetables; cook them in the microwave or boil them covered with a small amount of water.
• Use a non-stick pan for your stir-fries, with as little fat or oil as possible.
• Place meat on a rack when roasting or grilling, so that the fat drains.
6. Reduce or eliminate high fat ingredients.
• If your dish contains ground meat, replace some of the meat with tofu, bulgur or brown rice.
• Replace mild cheese with smaller amounts of stronger cheeses.
• Degrease meat before adding it to soups and stews. If possible, prepare your soups and stews the night before and refrigerate them in an airtight container; before reheating them, remove the fat which has risen to the surface.
7. Eat small amounts of healthy fats.
• Eat a low amount of saturated fat by favoring low fat or skim milk and low fat or low fat cheese, defatting meat and removing skin from chicken.
• Use soft, non-hydrogenated margarine and monounsaturated oils, such as olive and canola oils. Spray the oil with a pump to minimize the amounts used.
8. Replace salt with herbs and spices when you want to enhance the flavor.
• Use more of the spices and herbs you know and try new ones.
• Always taste your dishes before you salt them.
9. Fight “portion distortion”.
• Serve your meals on plates that are slightly smaller than usual; smaller portions will appear more satisfying.
• Research has shown that people tend to eat more snack foods from a large dish than from a smaller one. Apply this observation to yourself: when you want to spoil yourself – everyone has the right to do so from time to time – treat yourself to a miniature chocolate bar rather than part of a large one. This will prevent you from being tempted by that inner voice that tells you: “Just another small piece, come on …” Buy the 43g bags of chips rather than the 200g ones, which will be there to tempt you every time. that you will open the pantry.
Discover more tips and 250 classic, simple and essential recipes for those living with diabetes.
Number of pages : 336
Year of publication: 2013
ISBN: 9782895685845
