If you have diabetes, you may be on a carbohydrate-controlled, high-fiber diet, particularly if you have Type 2 diabetes and are not on insulin. Attempting to control your blood sugar levels through lifestyle modifications, such as diet and exercise, can be challenging. For cooking healthy meals, keep it simple, fresh and put the focus on lean meats, vegetables and whole grains.
Use Healthy Cooking Techniques
For those with Type 2 diabetes, weight control is essential for optimum health and avoiding serious complications, such as heart disease. Choose lean or extra-lean meats, including beef or game meats; poultry and fish. Use healthy cooking methods that do not require large amounts of fats or oils. Examples of healthy cooking methods include broiling, grilling, baking, sauteing -- either dry or with a small amount of oil or water -- microwaving, steaming, boiling, poaching, roasting and stir-frying. Apply these cooking methods to your whole grains and vegetables. An example of a meal prepared healthfully might be grilled or poached salmon, steamed, microwaved or roasted vegetables and perhaps a small baked sweet potato.
Cut Down on Added Sugar
Sugar substitutes can be useful for baking as, with diabetes, you generally need to control your intake of added sugars. However, there are many unsafe and/or poorly tested sugar substitutes. Sucralose, commercially marketed under the brand Splenda, is an exception according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. CSPI reports that this sugar substitute, approved in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998, is a synthetic substance made by chemically reacting sugar, also known as sucrose, with chlorine. It further states that although sucralose is synthetic it does not mean it is unsafe. You can use this product, or a generic version, for your baked goods in a ratio of 1:1. If you prefer, cut back on the sugar by 25 percent or substitute half of the sugar with sucralose.
Make Smart Recipe Substitutions
The American Diabetes Association recommends controlling the fat and sugar in your cooking and baking to achieve a healthy weight and better blood sugar control. This means starting with healthy ingredients and whole, nutrient-rich foods. Examples of smart recipe substitutions include replacing regular ground beef with extra-lean ground sirloin or ground turkey breast; using reduced-fat mayonnaise in place of full-fat mayonnaise; and swapping sour cream with plain yogurt as a condiment or in recipes. For baking sweet breads, such as zucchini bread or bran muffins, try replacing butter or margarine with a heart-healthy liquid oil, such as canola oil. The AllRecipes website recommends replacing 1 cup of butter with 7/8 cup of oil.
Choose Fiber-Rich Foods
There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble. Both types are important for human health. However, soluble fiber is particularly beneficial for individuals with Type 2 diabetes. This type of fiber dissolves in water, forming a gel-like material in the digestive tract. It is beneficial for lowering blood cholesterol and glucose levels, according to MayoClinic.com. Foods that are particularly rich in soluble fiber include oats and barley, citrus fruits, starchy beans, peas, carrots, apples and pears with skin. Incorporate these foods into your meals. Cook pearled barley as a side dish in place of rice; cook a bean-based meatless meal at least once per week and try a dessert of baked apples or poached pears, seasoned only with spices and a tiny amount of sugar substitute.
