People with diabetes need to watch their carbohydrate and sugar intake to keep their blood sugar levels under control. Cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, candies and other desserts tend to have a very high carbohydrate content because of the refined flour and sugar they contain. The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes consume between 45 and 60 g of carbohydrates per meal from unprocessed whole foods. There are simple recipes, with less than five ingredients, that can allow you to treat yourself in a healthy way.
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Three ingredients is all you need to prepare this delicious dessert. First, take three squares, or 30 g, of your favorite dark chocolate, which should contain at least 70 percent cocoa. Add about a tablespoon of cream and microwave a few seconds until melted. Whisk until you get a smooth texture. Dip ten strawberries in the melted chocolate and let them rest a few minutes on parchment paper until the chocolate becomes solid. This simple and delicious treat is appropriate for diabetics and provides 255 calories, 20.1 g carbohydrates and 6.9 g fiber, or about 13.2 g net carbs. Net carbs refers to the total amount of carbohydrate minus the dietary fiber, which is indigestible and has no effect on blood sugar.
Berries With Chantilly
This simple and elegant dessert requires five ingredients. First, the Chantilly cream can be prepared by whipping two tablespoons of heavy cream with your favorite hypocaloric sweetener. In another small service bowl, put half a cup raspberries, a quarter cup blueberries and a quarter cup blackberries. Top the berries with the Chantilly cream and enjoy this guilt-free diabetic dessert. The entire recipe, which corresponds to one serving, contains only 172 calories, 17.1 g carbohydrates and 6.8 g fiber, or about 10.3 g net carbs.
Fruit Kebabs With Dark Chocolate Fondue
You will need four simple ingredients to prepare these delicious kebabs. Of course, you can try any combination of fruits you like, but apple, grapes and strawberries are a good combination. A serving could comprise about a quarter apple, with the skin on, three grapes and three strawberries. Arrange the fruits on a wooden skewer. In another bowl, melt four squares -- about 40 g -- of dark chocolate in the microwave. Enjoy this dessert by dipping the fruits in the melted chocolate. Your diabetes will be kept under control, since a serving provides 256 calories, 23.3 g carbohydrates and 7.7 g fiber -- 15.6 g of net carbs.
Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal cookies usually do not contain too much added sugar and also constitute a source of whole grains. This dessert does not require any preparation, but you need to read food labels carefully to select a healthy cookie that will keep your blood sugar levels under control. Compare different brands and look at the serving size on the food label. Sometimes it will be for one cookie, others are for two and some brands even list the nutrition facts for a serving of four cookies. Keep the serving in mind when looking at the carbohydrate content. Determine the number of cookies you can have while keeping the net carbs under 15 g. You can estimate the net carbs by subtracting the fiber from the total carbohydrates.
