Diabetes is a disease that requires some serious changes to a person’s diet. No more can those overly sugary treats be a staple. A diabetic diet needs to be rich in fresh vegetables, items that are high in fiber, and low fat meats. By eating a proper diabetic diet, it’s very possible for people with type 2 diabetes to manage it and avoid many of the problems that can occur.
Cooking as a diabetic can be tricky though. So many ingredients are loaded full of carbs and sugars that you would normally enjoy. Diabetic recipes can be simple or complicated. The examples given later in this article are quite simple, but are very tasty.
What Makes a Recipe Diabetes Friendly
The diet for people with diabetes can be very strict. For those who aren’t diabetic, it can be explained fairly easily. Diabetics are unable to process carbohydrates properly. This includes sugar. When making a meal for diabetics, the amount must be limited. It’s important to note that fiber counts as a carb, but not for diabetics. When they are counting their intake, fiber can be ignored. This makes high fiber foods a great choice for people with diabetes.
It’s also important to note, that diabetics specifically require some carbs/sugars. If they cut them out of their diet completely, the result is a dangerous scenario where the blood sugar can drop incredibly low and result in a coma. It’s a balancing act. Still, it’s easier to design food very low in sugars and carbs, then add to them if needed.
Peanut Butter Cookies (Low Carb Variant)
Who doesn’t like a good cookie? These are a simple option and only have around 4g of carbs per cookie! This is around ¼ to ⅛ of those found in regular cookies. Try this simple recipe if you want to keep peanut butter cookies in your life.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup peanut butter (smooth, with no added sugar variety)
- 1 egg (large)
- ½ tsp of baking soda
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup sweetener (erythritol or stevia)
If you have a coarse sweetener like erythritol, then you need to grind it until it’s powdered down. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and then line your cookie tray with parchment/baking paper. Simply mix all of the ingredients into a box and mix it up until it turns into a smooth dough. Taking two tablespoons of dough, roll each into a ball. From there, place them on the cookie sheet. Spread them out evenly. Use a fork to press down twice in a 90 degree angle and then cook for between 12 and 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool for around 25 minutes on the sheet, then move them to a cooling rack for another 15 minutes of cooling.
Walnut and Oat Crusted Salmon
This easy recipe is a great source of lean protein. The recipe can be scaled up for additional portions. It also goes very well with a wide variety of side dishes. Grilled asparagus or arugula salad go especially well.
Ingredients:
- Salmon Fillets (Ideally 2 fillets of 6 ounces each)
- 3 tbsp Oats (Quick cooking crushed variety)
- 3 tbsp Walnuts (Finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
First preheat your oven to 400 degrees. From there, you place the salmon on a baking sheet. From there, sprinkle the salt and pepper onto the salmon. The other ingredients should be combined in a bowl. From there, press them on top of the salmon. From there, simply bake for between 12 to 15 minutes until the fish flakes rather easily.