Meal planning is a must for people with diabetes. Advance planning is the easiest way to make sure you’re hitting your goals for calories and carbohydrates each day. Consider doing all of your planning, grocery shopping and preparation during the weekend so you’re ready for the week come Monday.
A few smart switches can make preparing diabetic-friendly meals easier, according to these expert tips:
- Buy leaner cuts of meat. Choose “select” cuts instead of those marked “prime.”
- Eat more fish. Two servings of salmon, mackerel or sardines a week will add lean protein plus healthy fats to your diet.
- Limit processed meats, such as hot dogs and deli meats.
- Limit red meat to three 4-ounce servings a week. Choose chicken, turkey or extra-lean ground beef.
- Load up on veggies. They should take up half your plate at meals.
- When cooking, substitute olive oil or cooking spray for butter.
- Grill, broil, stir-fry or bake food instead of frying it.
- Steam vegetables in water or low-sodium broth instead of cooking them in butter.
- Remove the skin from turkey and chicken before cooking it.
- Trim visible fat from meat before cooking it.
- Ditch the salt for herbs and spices.
- Refrigerate soups, stews and gravies before serving, then skim off the fat that’s solidified and re-heat the food to serve.
- Rinse canned vegetables before serving to avoid excess sodium.
- Use egg substitutes in recipes that call for the real thing.
- Use evaporated skim milk when making cream sauces (versus half and half or heavy cream).
- Try low- or non-fat milk, cheese and yogurt.
Chef Curtis Aikens, host of The Food Network’s “Pick of the Day” cooking show, will be joining physicians and diabetes educators from the St. Elizabeth Physicians Regional Diabetes Center and Novo Nordisk for a morning of information and healthy cooking demonstrations on Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Attendees will learn how to prepare low-carb, full-flavor dishes and walk away with resources and healthy recipes to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. The free event will be held at the St. Elizabeth Training and Education Center at 3861 Olympic Blvd. Erlanger, Ky. 41018. Please call (859) 212-0137 to RSVP.
