Whether you have diabetes yourself or cook for someone who does, you can cook nutritious foods that will help manage the disease. By choosing and cooking foods with less fat and sugar and more substantial dietary fiber, you'll benefit blood sugar, heart health and weight management, which are all important concerns for diabetics. Balance the nutrition in hot cooked meals for diabetics by including foods from most or all of the food groups over the course of the day.
Breakfast
Start building your totals of fiber and whole grains with breakfast. Fiber fills you up quickly to prevent overeating and aid in weight control. Whole-wheat or whole-rye toast spread with almond butter, and hot cooked cereal, such as oatmeal, oat bran or buckwheat, provide valuable fiber, protein and B vitamins.
The American Diabetes Association, or ADA, recommends cutting down on the fat and cholesterol in eggs by using egg substitute or egg white for part of a recipe. Add chopped turkey bacon to egg dishes and a handful of nuts and berries to cereals to broaden breakfast nutrition.
Lunch
Hot meals for diabetics at lunchtime may incorporate fiber-rich vegetables and whole grains with small amounts of meat to flavor dishes and increase protein content. Soups made with lentils, split-peas or navy, kidney or garbanzo beans provide significant fiber and iron, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. If you use canned soups, select low-sodium varieties. Make cream soups with non-fat milk.
Continue to emphasize fiber and reduce fat by cooking refried or black bean burritos with whole-wheat or corn tortillas, without frying. Brown rice and steamed vegetables satisfy these criteria as well.
Dinner
Dinners based on low-fat protein foods can be instrumental in creating a successful and satisfying diabetic diet. Skip packaged foods and cook fresh or minimally processed meats, fish, beans, vegetables and whole grains. You'll limit the fat, sugar and salt content and maximize fiber and other beneficial nutrients in a meal. For instance, you can improve the nutrition of a frozen spaghetti entree made with ground beef and refined egg noodles by using ground turkey and whole-wheat pasta, for less fat and more fiber.
The ADA suggests cooking lean beef sirloin, pork loin or chicken with the skin removed. To reduce saturated fat, serve broiled or grilled salmon, trout or other fish a few times a week. Nutritious sides include hot cooked bulgur, wild rice and sweet potatoes. Cooked spinach, broccoli and carrots provide high fiber, vitamins and minerals.
