If you suffer from diabetes, you are constantly planning meals ahead. Instead of making the same group of meals over and over again, shake things up. To maintain a healthy diet, a diabetic should consume approximately 40 to 65 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates, 15 to 20 percent from protein and 20 to 35 percent from fats, says the Mayo Clinic.
With Frozen Vegetables
Even if you don't have fresh vegetables on hand, make a nutritious meal using frozen vegetables as a base. The American Diabetes Association recommends stir frying a bag of frozen vegetables with cooked chicken or fish. Add a small amount of light soy sauce and place the stir fry on top of a bed of buckwheat pasta or brown rice. To make a simple chicken salad, cook a batch of whole-wheat pasta, and stir in cooked chicken cubes and light Italian salad dressing.
With a Can of Tomatoes
To spice up brown rice and turn it into a more complete side dish, substitute a can of tomatoes for some of the water while cooking the rice. Additionally, use a can of tomatoes to make your own pasta sauce. Mash up the tomatoes, then cook in a saucepan on low for up to an hour. Add other fresh vegetables to the sauce, like spinach or bell peppers. Cook until the vegetables soften, then add herbs like basil or oregano.
With Roasted Red Peppers
Mix a can of roasted red peppers in with sun dried tomatoes and cooked whole wheat pasta, recommends the American Heart Association. Add basil, mozzarella and a small amount of low-fat cheese to make a complete meal. Chop up roasted red peppers and heat up a can of chicken soup. Place the roasted red peppers in the soup and cook until warm. For an appetizer, puree roasted red peppers, 1 tsp. capers and 2 tsp. olive oil in a food processor and puree it until completely smooth.
