4 Tasty Diabetic-Friendly Recipes
Living with diabetes is a difficult task since it includes certain food restrictions. Since diabetes causes high levels of blood glucose in the body, there are a lot of foods that should be avoided to keep the blood sugar levels of the body in control. If you think that living with diabetes means the end of having tasty food, then we have news for you. Check out some of the tastiest food you can prepare at home even if you or a family member is suffering from diabetes.
Here are the fun diabetes-friendly foods you can easily prepare at home
1. Spanish Omelette
Omelettes are one of the tastiest breakfast options if you consume eggs. You can complete all your dietary requirements by cooking up a Spanish omelette. This tasty meal is easy to prepare and goes well with the dietary requirements for you as a diabetic. The omelette is full of vegetables and also packs a great amount of protein.
Ingredients:
- 4 small potatoes (peeled and sliced)
- ½ a medium onion (chopped very finely)
- 1½ cups of bell peppers (sliced thinly)
- 5 medium mushrooms (sliced)
- 5 beaten eggs (whites and yolks separately)
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Herbs
- 85 grams of shredded cheese
Directions of cooking: - Cook the potatoes in boiling water till they are tender.
- Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan and heat over a medium flame.
- Sauté the onions till they are brown and add the other vegetables.
- Mix the seasonings, egg whites, egg yolks, and cheese and stir them well.
- Add this mixture to the vegetables in the pan.
- Add the cooked potatoes to the pan and bake it in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes. (Preheat the oven at 190° C).
- Let the omelette cool for 5-10 minutes after baking before you serve it.
2. Butter Chicken (Low fat)
Butter chicken is one of the most popular Indian dishes not only in the country, but also around the world. The low-fat version of this dish packs the same flavours without stressing your diabetic diet at all. Prepare this dish when you feel like indulging, and you can have it for either your lunch or dinner.
Ingredients:
- 400 grams of chicken (cubed or sliced, boneless)
- 4 medium-sized onions (finely chopped)
- 2-3 sticks of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 5 large tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Kasoori Methi
- Vegetable oil
- ¼ cup curd
- Salt to taste
Directions for cooking - Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a non-stick pan.
- Add the onions along with the whole spices.
- Once the onion starts browning, add in the ginger paste and garlic paste along with chopped tomatoes.
- Cook the onions along with the tomatoes until they are brown.
- Let the tomato mixture cool.
- Once cool, blend the cooked onion and tomatoes along with the curd.
- Fry the chicken pieces in the leftover oil of the cooled onions and tomatoes, in the same pan.
- Add the spice powders along with your desired amount of salt.
- Once the chicken is almost cooked, add the blended paste and cook.
- Once the mixture turns reddish and the chicken seems fully cooked, top it with a pinch of kasoori methi and close the pan with a lid.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before you serve it.
3. Sugar-Free Granola
Sweet treats are the most craved food by diabetics since they are the major items that need to be eliminated from the diet to keep the blood glucose levels in check. Granola bars are a great source of nutrients however they do contain a considerable amount of sugar and it is better to avoid store-bought ones. Making a sugar-free version of the granola bar is easy and you can follow these simple steps to make some for yourself.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of rolled oats
- 1/4 cup of orange juice (fresh)
- Chopped strawberries and apples
- 2 tablespoons of hung yoghurt
- 1½ tablespoons of sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
- 14 grams of flax seeds (one packet)
- 10 skinned almonds, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Directions for cooking:
- Preheat your oven at 160°C.
- Mix all the ingredients together and spread them evenly onto a baking tray. (Do not mix the yoghurt, fresh fruits and almonds)
- Bake the mixture for 45 minutes. Remember to keep turning the mixture from time to time, to let it cook evenly.
- After baking, let the mixture cool down completely.
- Add the yoghurt, almonds and fresh fruit to the baked mixture.
The mixture along with yoghurt and fruits is a great breakfast option. This healthy granola recipe includes only natural sugars and does not pose any risk for diabetics.
4. Badam Barfi
Barfi’s are decadent sweets that are a favourite, especially during any festival. If you or a family member is a diabetic then it is likely that barfi’s do not feature in the diet anymore. Do not worry, you can still enjoy this delicious sweet by tweaking it a little and making a really healthy version of it.
Ingredients:
- 1½ cup of khoya/mawa (dried whole milk)
- 1 cup of chopped dehydrated fruits (figs, raisins, apricots, dates)
- ½ cup of nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios)
- ¼ teaspoon of cardamoms
- A pinch of nutmeg powder
Directions for cooking: - Heat a non-stick pan and cook the mawa and nuts together.
- Stir occasionally and cook the mixture for around 5 minutes.
- Add the nuts, cardamom and nutmeg powder to the mixture.
- Mix them well and cook for some more time.
- Cool the mixture and spread it evenly on a baking tray or aluminium tray.
- Once the mixture is completely cool, cut into equal pieces and serve.
Conclusion
An important aspect of maintaining a diet as a diabetic, is to control the portion of food that you consume. It is important to limit sugary and fatty items from your diet. Thus, a low sugar and low-fat diet is the ideal diet for a diabetic. Even high amounts of carbohydrates can cause an increase in the level of blood glucose in your body.
Eat a lot of proteins and vegetables for vitamins and minerals. Indulge in a healthy manner by opting to cook tasty but diabetic-friendly meal options at home.
References
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/managing/Tasty_Recipes_for_People_with_Diabetes-508.pdf
https://food.ndtv.com/lists/10-best-diabetic-recipes-1242869
