Even lemon lovers like to sweeten the fruit's tartness at dessert time. Current thinking suggests that sugar and desserts needn't be outlawed from the diabetic diet -- provided you lower your meal's carbohydrate intake to accommodate an especially sweet indulgence. Additionally, look for lemon dessert recipes that carry a reasonable glycemic load while offering sweetness and zest.
Basic Tips
According to the American Diabetes Association, portion control and "saving" carbs from other meals are key ways to include occasional desserts. If your doctor gives you a carb range for each meal, or a certain number of allowances for starchy foods, follow that plan. Otherwise, aim for 40 to 60 carbs per meal. Pies and some cakes contain both flour and sugar; look for nonstarchy sweet recipes. In addition, keep the carb count of both the recipe itself and the entire meal in mind. If your dessert contains 30 carbs per serving, pass up the rolls at dinnertime to keep your carbohydrate count in the healthy range.
Lemon's Benefits
The ADA includes lemons and other citrus fruits in its list of "superfoods" because they have a low glycemic index, meaning they won't send your blood sugar level skyrocketing. In addition, lemon juice provides vitamin C. Lemon juice and lemon zest are virtually calorie-free, an important consideration if you need to lose weight.
Fruit Parfaits
Set fruit and nuts in a lemon-spiked cloud of sour cream or ricotta to create healthy parfaits. Mix fat-free ricotta or sour cream with lemon zest and lemon juice, as well as lemon extract and a small amount of powdered sugar. Chill the mixture, then serve it in parfait cups with halved grapes and chopped walnuts.
Cake
The ADA's lemon poppyseed angel food cake contains flour, but because angel food cake is meant to have a dense texture, less flour is needed. Using egg whites instead of whole eggs also contributes to the cake's heart-healthy appeal. A serving of the lemony diabetic dessert contains 26 carbs.
Custard
Lemons and berries, both on ADA's "superfoods" list, combine to make a dessert that fits into a healthy diabetes lifestyle. MayoClinic.com's lemon custards combine a small amount of sugar and honey with tofu, soy milk, lemon extract and lemon zest. Top the custards with a sauce incorporating fresh blueberries and blueberry preserves. A serving contains 31 carbs.
Dessert Smoothie
With a little tweaking, MayoClinic.com's diabetic-friendly orange fruit smoothie coverts into a tangy treat to satisfy your craving for lemon. Blend 1 cup fat-free lemon sherbet or lemon-flavored frozen yogurt with ¾ cup skim milk and ¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate or sugar-free lemonade concentrate. Emjoy the smoothie after your meal or as a breakfast treat high in calcium but low in sugar and calories.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Sugar and Desserts
- MayoClinic.com: Diabetes Diet -- Grapes and Walnuts with Lemon Sour Cream Sauce
- MayoClinic.com: Diabetes Diet -- Lemon Custards with Fresh Blueberry Sauce
- American Diabetes Association: Lemon Poppy Seed Angel Food Cake
- American Diabetes Association: Southern Peach and Blackberry Crumble
- MayoClinic.com: Diabetes Diet -- Fruit Smoothies
