If you're new to cooking diabetic meals, you may feel overwhelmed by the changes you fear you need to make to your diet. Fortunately, there are several basic modifications you can make to common, everyday meals, which will allow those classic dishes become diabetic meal plans with very little substitutions.
The idea is to control your diabetes as much as possible through your meal plan by keeping your blood sugar level steady throughout the day, reducing the dips and peaks that come with eating high-glycemic foods that cause spikes in your blood sugar level, followed by dips.
Replace Sugar With Low-Glycemic Sweeteners
Instead of sugar, honey or corn syrup, use Splenda or agave nectar. The beautiful thing about Splenda is you can use it just like sugar, cup for cup, teaspoon for teaspoon. You can even bake with it, making it a simple modification for your diabetic meals. Agave nectar is the perfect low-glycemic sweetener replacement for honey since it has the same texture and a similar flavor.
Add These Low-Glycemic Vegetables to Your Meal Plan
Bulk up on the following vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, green peppers, yellow peppers, carrots and green peas. Develop a love for yams or sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, and replace corn on the cob with green beans or cauliflower. All of these recommended vegetables have a glycemic index of under 50 per serving, meaning these are foods you load onto your plate without feeling a tinge of guilt.
Subtract These High-Glycemic Fruits From Your Meal Plan
Remove the following fruits from your diet:
Instead, fill your plate with the following low-glycemic fruits:
All of these fruits have glycemic indexes of 50 or below, as long as they are eaten fresh or canned in juice, not syrup.
Reduce Your High-Processed Food Intake
Replace your white bread with whole grain wheat or pumpernickel; switch out regular pasta with whole-wheat pasta. Instead of a piece of pie, try a bowl of strawberries with low sugar whipped cream for dessert. Wherever you can, look for ways to replace high-processed foods-think of pre-made items that come in a box or cellophane-with a whole food. While this will mean more prep time in the kitchen, it will also usually result in lower glycemic, healthier meal choices.
 | Following a strict diabetic diet plan that includes losing weight, engaging in daily physical activity and eating the right types of foods may help prevent diabetes. |
 | If you have diabetic snacks on hand for between meal munching, you have a better chance of maintaining proper blood sugar levels. |
Cooking a diabetic menu for a diabetic guest doesn't have to be difficult. With a few minor changes and substitutions, you can serve a healthy meal to all of your guests. |
By creating a Type 2 diabetes diet, you will be able to combat the metabolic syndrome that affects your blood sugar. |
Diabetic meal plans needn't require huge culinary initiative. You can make these meals easily, even after a busy day of work. |
