Diabetes is a medical condition that involves managing blood sugar levels and diet. If you are diabetic, you need to consume foods that do not elevate your blood sugar levels. However, having diabetes doesn't mean that you cannot have desserts. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are many types of desserts you can choose from if you are diabetic, including some of your favorite treats, as long as you manage your daily meal plan.
Fruits
Fruits are essential foods for a healthy diet. Fruits contain vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, substances that act as antioxidants to protect your body from DNA damage, cancer and aging. Fruits also contain fructose, a type of sugar that your body uses for energy. The key challenge is to choose fruits that you enjoy that also have a lower glycemic index comparable to other fruits. Glycemic index indicates how rapidly sugar from a particular food gets absorbed into the body and increases blood sugar levels, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. The lower the glycemic index, the slower and more sustained the absorption rate.
Fruits that you can eat for dessert include medium sized raw apples, pears and oranges that each have low glycemic index scores of 38, 38 and 42, respectively. You should stay away from dried fruits since they have high glycemic scores. For example, dates have a glycemic index score of 103.
Cookies and Cakes
Many types of cookies and cakes can have high glycemic index scores, especially if they are made with refined or processed ingredients. Whole grains are absorbed more slowly and have low glycemic index scores. For example, an oatmeal cookie made with steel-cut oats has a lower glycemic index and is healthier than a soda cracker. Many desserts use sweeteners that have calories and carbohydrates that can lead to increases in blood sugar. These sweeteners include sucrose, also called table sugar, fructose, also called fruit sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, confectioner's sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses and agave nectar. The American Diabetes Association says you can eat desserts with sweeteners if you remove other carbohydrate foods from your meals and snacks, such as breads, crackers, rice, potatoes and juice. Some delicious cookie and cake ideas for diabetics include cookies and cream milkshake, carrot cake, cheesecake, pumpkin-hazelnut tea cake, rhubarb pecan muffins and warm chocolate soufflés, according to MayoClinic.com.
Soy Desserts
Soy foods may be an appropriate part of diets that are intended to improve control of blood sugar and insulin levels, according to research by Robert Blain published in "Nutrition Journal" in 2006. Soy desserts cater to diabetics who prefer to consume foods low in fat with zero cholesterol, according to Soy Foods Association of North America. Soy desserts, such as soy ice cream, are dairyless and made with soymilk, soy yogurt, soy protein or tofu. Examples of soy dessert ideas for diabetics include soy shake, tofu cheesecake, chocolate soy ice cream and coconut soy cream pie.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Sugar and Desserts
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
- MayoClinic.com: Diabetes Meal Plan Recipes
- "Nutrtion Journal"; Soy Foods Have Low Glycemic and Insulin Response Indices in Normal Weight Subjects; Blair, R.M; 2006
- Soy Foods Association of North America: Soy and Diabetes
