Recipes for Healthy Living
People with diabetes have the same nutritional needs as anyone else. Along with exercise and medications (insulin or oral diabetes pills), nutrition is important for good diabetes control. By eating well-balanced meals in the correct amounts, you can keep your blood glucose level as close to normal (non-diabetes level) as possible.
Please keep in mind that not all the recipes presented here are necessarily appropriate for all people with diabetes or that all the recipes will fit into every meal plan. No two meal plans are alike. Work with your health care provider, diabetes educator or dietitian to design your very own meal plan that's right for you and includes the foods you love.
A key message for people with diabetes is "Carbs Count." Foods high in carbs (carbohydrates) - bread, tortillas, rice, crackers, cereal, fruit, juice, milk, yogurt, potatoes, corn, peas, sweets - raise your blood sugar levels the most.
For many people, having 3 or 4 servings of a carb choice at each meal and 1 or 2 servings at snacks is about right. Remember to keep an eye on your total number of servings. For example, if you choose to have dessert, cut back on potatoes.
Round out your meals with a serving of:
• Meat (such as fish or chicken) or meat substitute (such as beans, eggs, cheese, and tofu) about the size of a deck of cards and
• Vegetables (such as broccoli or lettuce). There's no limit on vegetables that are raw or made without fat.
Check your blood sugar to see how your food choices or these recipes affect your blood sugar. If your meal plan isn't working for you, talk to your dietitian about making a new one.
Many of the recipes on this site are posted with permission from the American Diabetes Association. The ADA's cookbooks also include information on meal planning, portion control, food buying and seasoning as well as general cooking hints and tips for people with diabetes. Visit
www.diabetes.org for more information.
