If you follow diabetic guidelines about nutritional content and portion size for desserts, you can eat just about any dessert you would like. That said, choosing nutrient-dense desserts, such as those made with fresh pineapple, offer more nutrition with fewer calories than high-fat desserts such as cheesecake or brownies. By adding additional ingredients, you can turn pineapple into the foundation for a variety of healthy and flavorful desserts.
Fresh vs. Canned Pineapple
With fewer carbohydrates and sugar, fresh pineapple far outshines canned pineapple as a diabetic dessert. It has 82 calories in a 1-cup serving, 22 carbs, 16 g of sugar and 2.3 g of fiber. Canned pineapple, on the other hand, contains 131 calories in a 1-cup serving, 34 carbohydrates, 32 g of sugar and 2 g of fiber.
Moreover, even though fresh pineapple is somewhat high on the glycemic index, with 66, its score for glycemic load is low, at 6. According to Walter Willett, Harvard researcher and author of "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy," the glycemic load score indicates more precisely how fast your blood sugar levels rise than the glycemic index score alone.
Cutting a Pineapple
Begin by cutting off the top and bottom of the pineapple -- the top will grow into a new plant if you place it in a jar of water. Next, slice down all sides of the fruit deeply enough to remove all the pineapple eyes, the small, fibrous pieces all around the fruit. Slice the pineapple in half lengthwise and then in half again. Finally slice off the hard core on each wedge.
Grilled or Sauteed Pineapple
Grilling, either outdoors on the barbecue or indoors on a grill pan or frying pan, caramelizes the sugars in pineapple, heightening the flavor. After cutting the peel off the pineapple, cut the large wedges into two or three smaller wedges about a 1/2 inch thick. Use a nonstick pan or brush the pineapple with a bit of oil before adding it to a medium pan or over medium heat on the grill. Cook it on each side for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add a dollop of fat-free vanilla yogurt and a sprinkling of cinnamon to finish.
Macerated Pineapple
Cut the wedges from one pineapple into bite-size chunks. Stir them in a glass bowl with 2 tbsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. of fresh lime juice and the zest of 1 lime. Let the mixture marinate, or macerate, for at least two hours or overnight in the refrigerator. To serve, add a dollop of fat-free vanilla yogurt or a 1 tbsp. per serving of shredded coconut you have toasted in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Sugar and Desserts
- "The New York Times"; "Macerating Fruit for Cool Desserts"; Karen Baar; August 1997
- Glycemic Index Foundation
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Dr. Walter Willett; 2001
- American Institute for Cancer Research: Nutrition Wise
