Who says that people with diabetes can no longer enjoy delicious home-cooked foods? You can enjoy almost any dish as long as you understand the basic principles of meal planning.
So don’t throw away cookbooks and beloved recipes. Here are a few cooking tricks.
Use liquid oils instead of solid fats when cooking
Solid fats often contain saturated fats that patients should control, and trans fats that should be avoided.
If a recipe uses solid fats such as butter, lard, or hydrogenated shortening, use trans fat-free margarine, spreads, or shortening as a substitute.
Many liquid oils, such as canola oil, corn oil, olive oil or grapeseed oil, meet health requirements as long as they are used in reasonable amounts. Some oils have a heavier flavor and may affect the taste of the food. So, find the type of fat that best matches the recipe by trying.
Switch to low-fat dairy products
Many dairy products for cooking and baking contain a lot of fat. It is still possible to reduce the fat content without sacrificing taste. Substitute whole milk or blended milk with 1% fat milk, skim milk, skim milk concentrate, or skim blended milk. Use low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt, buttermilk, or low-fat white cottage cheese (which may need to be blended first to make it smooth) instead of sour cream. Use cornstarch and skim milk instead of cream or whole milk for sauces.
Reduce the amount of total fat
For many recipes, you can reduce the fat by 25-33% from its recommended amount. Another tip: Use applesauce or mashed bananas in place of some or all of the fat when baking.
Or, if the recipe calls for chocolate or chocolate chips, use cocoa powder or mini chocolate chips and reduce their amount.
For soups or stews, skim off any fat that floats to the surface while simmering on the stove. Or place the pot in the refrigerator so that the fat can be easily skimmed off as it sets on top.
Choose carbohydrates carefully
Choose carbohydrates that are long-lasting energy boosters and rich in fiber.
When recipes include “refined” flour, “refined” pasta, or other refined grains, use whole wheat flour, brown rice, or other whole grain flour or cereal products instead.
In addition, you can use ground ground nuts such as lentils or hazelnuts. Or, you can mix several whole grain ingredients in the same recipe.
Reduce the amount of sugar
Unlike the slow absorption of carbohydrates in vegetables or starchy foods, sugar can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar in the body.
Many times, you can reduce the amount of sugar you use, and although this requires adding more flour, the taste or texture of the food will not be greatly compromised. The exception: baking requires yeast, and yeast needs sugar to work, so you can’t reduce the amount of sugar.
If you use a sugar substitute, read the product label to make sure it can be used for baking.
Try the flavors
Please your taste buds with ingredients other than sugar, salt, and fat. Try a variety of herbs, spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg), mustards, and vinegars (balsamic, sherry).
Some spices even have health benefits of their own.
Except when the recipe contains yeast (which needs salt to ferment), you can cut back on the amount of salt in the recipe. You can also cook without salt at all, and sprinkle a little salt on top when you’re about to eat.
Another way to cut your sodium intake is to avoid canned or frozen foods that are high in salt and choose fresh foods.
Consult the experts
If you want to make your favorite foods edible for people with diabetes, consult a dietitian for advice.
They can give expert advice on meal planning for people with diabetes and other conditions.