Gone are the days when children with type 1 diabetes had to follow strict meal plans, including no missed meals and rigid mealtimes. Thanks to both blood monitoring tools and fast-acting insulin, children with diabetes can eat just like other kids, with few exceptions. Essential to cooking for children with diabetes is ensuring that they don't eat an unbalanced diet high in sugars and lacking in essential nutrients.
Step 1
Use a cookbook with specific nutritional breakdowns. A cookbook detailing a taco recipe, for example, may list 360 calories, 27 g of carbs, 11 g of fat, 690 mg of sodium and 5 g of fiber. These details are critical to determining the right insulin dose.
Step 2
Follow recipes in a cookbook that does not take short cuts by using prepared or processed foods. These foods are high in sodium, fat and sugar, and also lack nutrient density. Return to cooking real food to keep blood sugar spikes minimal. Recipes rich in food grown in the ground or on the branch, and found in the produce or meat sections of the supermarket, are signs of a whole-food cookbook.
Step 3
Identify some yummy, well-received desserts that are secretly lower in carbs, in this case sugar especially. Offer these favorite recipes when treats are desired.
Step 4
Experiment with a sugar substitute lower on the glycemic index. Xylitol and stevia are just two of many options that "save" on carbs.
Step 5
Take safe short cuts by using frozen vegetables and fruits, which have no added sodium, unlike canned goods.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Type 1 Diabetes in Children
- "The Everything Guide to Cooking for Children with Diabetes"; Moira McCarthy, Leslie Young MD; 2009
