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There are no foods that diabetics cannot eat; however, it is essential to reduce the amount of certain foods and to increase others. The dietary guidelines for people with diabetes are very similar to those recommended for everyone else - eating less sugar and fat, more fibre-rich, starchy foods, and more fruit and vegetables, with moderate amounts of meat and fish, as well as milk and dairy foods. There is no need to buy special diabetic foods - ordinary everyday foods in the right balance are the key to diabetic control. Choosing the right foods, however, can make a big difference. Eating regularly helps to ensure your blood sugar does not swing from one extreme to the other. People with diabetes need to base each meal on a starchy carbohydrate food for energy and to help maintain control over their blood-glucose level. It is a good idea to try to eat about the same amount of starchy foods each day, with plenty of vegetables, salad or fruit, and a smaller portion of meat or dairy foods. Starchy foods to try include: cereal, toast, rolls, bread, noodles, rice, pasta and potatoes, picking wholemeal versions where possible, since they are higher in fibre. Fibre can help to slow the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed, for a steadier release of sugar into the bloodstream. As long as your everyday diet is healthy and generally low in sugar, some sweet food (in small portions) will do no harm, particularly if eaten as part of a meal. Sugary drinks can cause blood glucose levels to rise quickly, so choose sugar-free, diet or low-sugar squashes and fizzy drinks. Aim for at least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day, eating more vegetables than fruit for lower sugar consumption. Easy ideas to increase your fruit and vegetable intake are to add extra vegetables to yo Continue reading >>
Desserts And Sweets For Diabetics
Get our comprehensive list of the best desserts and sweets for people with diabetes. Having diabetes doesn't mean you can never have dessert again. With some simple swaps and diabetic-friendly dessert recipes, you can satisfy your sweet tooth without sending your blood sugar soaring. Desserts may seem off-limits since many are high in sugar, but remember that for people with diabetes the total number of carbohydrates of a meal or snack matters more than the total sugar. That means dessert can still fit into your diet—with a few adjustments. Before you head to the kitchen, here are a few dessert guidelines and some of our favorite sweets that fit into a diabetic diet. If you opt for something sweet after dinner, you might want to skip the starch at your meal to keep your total carbs in check. But remember that, while exchanging your sweet potato for cheesecake can keep your carb intake steady, you'll lose the fiber, vitamins and other good-for-you nutrients that the sweet potato would provide. It's not a good idea to indulge in dessert every night; instead, enjoy desserts in moderation. The American Diabetes Association recommends that most people with diabetes aim for 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per meal. Unfortunately, a bakery-sized cookie can contain 60 grams of carbs alone. Choose a smaller portion, and you can still enjoy something sweet without using up your allotted carbohydrates for the meal. One of these Almond Cookies has only 9 grams of carbohydrates. While making desserts with artificial sweeteners can help you cut down on calories and carbs, it's a better idea to try to reduce your total sweetener consumption (from both sugar and noncaloric sources). Because artificial sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar, they may enhance your craving for sweets. They Continue reading >>
Diabetic Desserts
Sweets in a Diabetic Diet A healthy diabetic diet is all about balance. As long as moderation is taken into account, a small amount of sugar is accounted for in the total amount of carbohydrates in your diet. As a general rule, diabetics should try to cut down on foods and drinks that have large amounts of sugar because they can make blood sugar control and weight control more difficult. First up is our Browned Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Butter moves from nutty and brown to bitter and burned quickly, so be sure to take the pan off the heat once it turns amber-brown. To keep cookies from spreading, make sure the cookie sheet is completely cool before starting the next batch. View Recipe: Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Continue reading >>
9 Type 2 Diabetes Desserts
Having type 2 diabetes doesn't mean always saying no to pudding. Life would be a bit boring without chocolate or apple crumble. You can still have an occasional sweet treat - just be mindful of what you choose and the amount you have. The advice is the same for everyone else too. Having too many sweet puddings and desserts shouldn't be part of any healthy eating plan, whether or not you have diabetes. "We know that desserts and puddings that are high in free sugars and saturated fat are not needed in a healthy diet," says Douglas Twenefour, deputy head of care at Diabetes UK. "However, there's no evidence that the odd small slice of cake is going to massively affect the long-term health of someone with diabetes." He adds: "So our advice would be to only have puddings or desserts in moderation, with a small amount of your favourite treat every now and again, and plan for such treats." Diabetes and diet Even though more and more people in the UK have diabetes there's still some misunderstanding about what you can eat. It's estimated that more than 4 million people in the UK are living with diabetes and the vast majority have type 2 diabetes. It's now one of the most common long-term health conditions. If you've just been diagnosed it can be confusing to know what you can and can't eat. You will need to make changes to your diet to help control your condition and reduce your risk of long-term problems. What you eat affects your blood glucose levels, blood fat levels, your blood pressure and your weight. All these are important to control in order to minimise your risk of health problems associated with your diabetes. Diabetes and sugar Sugar is often seen as the bogeyman when it comes to diabetes but that's not the whole story. "There are no hard and fast rules, everyone i Continue reading >>
Shop-bought Treats And Diabetes
The Great British Bake Off returns to our screens this August and many of us will be on a knife edge waiting to find out who'll be crowned top baker in October. But not all of us have ambitions to become the next Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood, some of us just don't have the time or inclination to bake. That doesn't stop us from looking lovingly at all the cakes and bakes that are available in the shops, though. Having diabetes doesn't mean you have to stop enjoying the occasional treat. But it does pay to know what's going into the treats you buy, and to think about how foods like this can fit into overall diabetes management. Being aware of how to read food labels and portion sizes can help you stay in control. Top ways to buy a healthier bake and what to look out for in the bakery aisle. Most packaged foods now contain nutritional information on the front and back of the pack to help you make healthier choices. Find out more about interpreting labels on food packaging . On the back of the packaging, youll find more detailed nutritional information including carbs. The ingredients list is also here and will tell you the quantities of whats in the product. Look for where sugar appears on this list the ingredients are listed with the largest amount first to help you compare products. Other words for free or added sugar include honey, syrup, fructose and glucose. Many baked goods from the bakery section often aren't labelled, but a quick google search at home will give you this information. At Enjoy Food, we carried out a little experiment. We looked online at the nutritional information for three unwrapped baked foods (a cookie, a scone and a muffin) from a well-known UK shop. We noted the average carbs, sugar, fat and calorie content. It revealed some interesting findin Continue reading >>
5 Low Carb Easy Diabetic Desserts
Who said you can't enjoy desserts as a diabetic? You certainly can. It just doesn't include the typical high carb, sugar-filled crappy desserts you can buy. Or ice cream, candy, cakes, cookies and stuff like that. But there are low carb easy diabetic desserts you can make at home using sugar substitutes and other (healthier) ingredients. And, there are also some low carb diabetic desserts you can buy if you're feeling a little bit lazy that is! CLICK HERE for the Low Carb Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble 2.No Bake Creamy Diabetic Chocolate Pudding Who doesn't love a creamy, low carb choc dessert? Super easy to make and thoroughly enjoyable! CLICK HERE for the No Bake Creamy Diabetic Chocolate Pudding 3.Sugar Free Low Carb Diabetic Chocolate Milkshake avocado for the smooth creamy texture, and while you may think this sounds strange in a milkshake, it tastes nothing like avocado in the end. CLICK HERE for the Sugar Free Low Carb Diabetic Chocolate Milkshake 4.Low Carb Carrot & Cinnamon Bread Recipe Perfectly moist and delicious and can be enjoyed for dessert or morning or afternoon tea. CLICK HERE for the Low Carb Carrot & Cinnamon Bread Recipe Continue reading >>
Grocery Lists For Type 2 Diabetes: What To Buy And What To Avoid
Diabetes is best managed by being mindful of carbohydrate intake, eating smaller meals regularly, and choosing nutrient dense, healthful options. Knowing what food to eat can make a huge difference to controlling, and, potentially, reversing type 2 diabetes. Making informed food choices can be helped by writing out a grocery list of foods that improve overall health, and benefit someone who has type 2 diabetes. Contents of this article: Lists of good foods A person who has type 2 diabetes can make it easier to avoid buying unhealthful foods by going to the grocery store armed with a list. Choosing healthful, satisfying foods that meet individual nutrition requirements can help people with type 2 diabetes manage their condition. By making smart food choices and buying the right foods, a person can ensure they have enough diabetic-friendly ingredients on hand to take them from breakfast through to the last meal, or snack, of the day. Vegetables Vegetables are the base of a healthy diet. Not only do they offer excellent sources of vitamins and minerals, but they are fibrous, too, and help the body feel full and satisfied. This in turn can deter overeating, which may cause blood sugar issues. Some vegetables to add to the shopping list include: salad greens broccoli cauliflower squash green beans asparagus Brussel sprouts red, green, orange, or yellow peppers Beans and legumes Beans are an excellent source of dietary fiber and protein. They can often be used in place of a portion of the protein that is needed in a diet. Here are some examples of what beans to pick up in either their canned or dried forms: black beans lentils white beans chickpeas kidney beans pinto beans Fruits Despite their high sugar content, fresh or frozen fruits pack a powerful nutritional punch with t Continue reading >>
Going To The Grocery Store With Diabetes: The Ice Cream And Frozen Novelty Aisle
Yes, it may be one of the colder sections of the grocery store, but the frozen dessert aisle is also the source of happy memories and the centerpiece of many celebrations. For those of us with diabetes, frozen confections were probably one of the first types of food that passed through our minds with a big red X on them as we got the news of our diagnosis. But now we know they don’t need to be condemned. Ice cream and frozen novelties can have a place in the diets of people with diabetes. Let’s discuss a few things about how we can have our ice cream cake and eat it too! First off, ice cream and frozen yogurt — what is the difference? In a blog entry I wrote on my own site a couple years ago, I explain in detail how each differs in calories and carbohydrates. Here is a summary of what I uncovered: Frozen yogurt is not necessarily the best option, especially for people with diabetes. While it is usually low in fat or fat-free, the fat has often been replaced with more sugar to add flavor. Also, frozen yogurt, depending on the brand, can contain unappealing ingredients such as corn syrup, artificial colors, and preservatives. Also, note that soft-serve ice cream is not frozen yogurt, a common point of confusion. Ice cream in all its dairy richness is generally higher in fat and lower in total carbohydrates than its frozen yogurt counterpart, and it is often more natural. I may be a bit biased, but I personally would rather have a bowl of full-fat ice cream that I know will have a more predictable effect on my blood sugar (with a delayed rise due to the fat), rather than a bland frozen yogurt that will spike my numbers more quickly because of the higher sugar and lower fat content. At the end of the day, it is a personal choice. But just know that you can absolutely Continue reading >>
5 Diabetes-friendly Desserts
Mocha Ricotta Tiramisu This delectable take on the popular Italian dessert includes the traditional sponge cakes soaked in coffee and liqueur for the base. Then a light and creamy mixture of sweetened ricotta cheese and yogourt replaces the whipped high-fat mascarpone cheese that usually layers the ladyfingers. A sprinkling of grated dark chocolate is the finishing touch. Get the full recipe: Mocha Ricotta Tiramisu Black Forest Mousse Cake Here’s one of those heavenly warm, dense chocolate cakes that is very light, surprisingly low in fat and much easier to make than you might think. Cocoa delivers a rich, chocolatey flavour with less fat than plain chocolate. A dollop of mock whipped cream spiked with cherry brandy adds a delightful touch to each slice of cake. Get the full recipe: Black Forest Mousse Cake Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Look what happened to the traditional chocolate chip cookie! This recipe yields cookies with half the fat of the original, plus old-fashioned oats, which add a fibre boost. Yet, all this trimming has not slimmed down the flavour-these cookies will disappear fast. Get the full recipe: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Look what happened to the traditional chocolate chip cookie! This recipe yields cookies with half the fat of the original, plus old-fashioned oats, which add a fibre boost. Yet, all this trimming has not slimmed down the flavour-these cookies will disappear fast. Get the full recipe: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Baked Almond-Stuffed Peaches Turn fresh peaches into a fabulous warm dessert by stuffing them with dried apricots, toasted almonds and crushed amaretti cookie crumbs, then baking them in the oven until they are brown and bubbly. Try a variation featuring apples and stuffing them with Continue reading >>
10 Sugar Free Desserts For Diabetics
Diabetes, medically referred as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic medical condition in which a person has high levels of glucose or blood sugar in the body. The condition makes heart and circulatory problems more likely. Most people develop high blood pressure which can lead to stroke, blood vessel damage, kidney failure, etc. Complications of type 2 diabetes are associated with platelet and neurovascular unit dysfunction. Patients with a high level of blood sugar will typically experience frequent urination, increased thirst, and most of all, increasing hunger. In the last 5 years, there has been an estimated number of over 382 million people throughout the world with diabetes. Luscious cakes, chocolate pies, parfaits, all those mouthwatering desserts, does it really mean that a person with diabetes should give a farewell to these sweet temptations? That is not necessarily true all the time because there are sugar free desserts for diabetics! Sugar Free Desserts for Diabetics Most people who learned that they have diabetes would quit delicious desserts in fear of an impending doom and start a dull, strange new diet along with skipping dessert. Isn’t it frustrating to quit on something you love to have with you and has already become your routine ever since? The truth is you don’t have to quit dessert. We’ve listed below the best desserts for diabetics to make life more delicious. It should just be a matter of balancing what you eat instead of quitting on them. Don’t lose hope, you can still enjoy these delightful desserts even if you have diabetes. Indulge your sweet tooth with these 10 sugar-free desserts without bringing your sugar level to a roller coaster ride. Sugar-free and low amount of calorie can be a healthy way to eat mouthwatering desserts, Continue reading >>
Healthy Desserts For Your Diabetes Diet
You might think a diabetes diagnosis means you’ll have to skip dessert forever. “Not so,” says Lara Rondinelli-Hamilton, a certified diabetes educator at DuPage Medical Center in Chicago. “With a little planning, you can satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping your blood sugar under control.” But just how do you do that? There are several ways. Swap Other Carbs for Dessert “Everyone focuses on the sugar, but what’s really important is the total carbohydrates,” says Rondinelli-Hamilton, author of the American Diabetes Association cookbook Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking. “If you’d like to have a small piece of pie for dessert, skip the starchy vegetable during dinner,” she says. But she’s quick to point out that this isn’t something you should do on a regular basis. “Desserts and sweets don’t have the nutritional value that other foods do, so it’s best to save them for special occasions,” she says. Think Small Along with limiting how often you have dessert, you’ll also need to limit how much you eat -- and that can be a challenge. “Sugar sets off fireworks in your brain, making you crave more,” says Jessica Bennett, RD, a dietitian at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Fighting the urge to overdo it takes a lot of effort. But there are ways to make it a little easier. “Set yourself up for success by buying desserts that are packaged as a single serving, like a sugar-free fudge pop or a small square of dark chocolate,” Rondinelli-Hamilton says. And be realistic. “If you can’t have cake in the house without eating the whole thing, don’t buy a cake,” she says. When you go out, check the menu for miniature desserts. Many restaurants now offer treats served in small dishes or shot glasses. “If that’s not Continue reading >>
Diabetic Desserts? - Moneysavingexpert.com Forums
Diabetic desserts? 7th Dec 05 at 12:27 PM My MIL is diabetic - not insulin dependent, the other kind. I'd like to make a nice pudding that we all could eat, without her feeling she's spoiling it for everyone else. I can't ask her what she can and can't have as she would feel she's being a burden and would rather not have anything than cause a fuss. Any ideas? I know she has to be careful with sugar and things, but I'm not really sure what else. New year, no debt! Debt free date - 02/01/07 There are currently no thanks for this post. No I hadn't but I'm off to look now! There's loads on there! New year, no debt! Debt free date - 02/01/07 non insulin-dependent diabetics need to watch their sugar intake (and also fat) - so a low-fat recipe which contains no sugar will be fine. You can use fruit sugar in moderation, also a neat idea I got from my days in the Netherlands is fruit spread - a lovely black treacly thing which you can get in tubs from Holland&Barrett, it comes in apple/pear and apple/apricot varieties. It's really sweet, entirely made of fruit, and gives a lovely dark colour to fruit puddings or cakes. This is dead useful for Christmas because if you replace brown sugar with fruit sugar you lose that lovely dark colour. You can even use it to make diabetic mincemeat! Cut down on the suet (or cut it out entirely) and replace the sugar in your favourite recipe with a couple of tablespoons of fruit spread. Yum. I made some last weekend by using the Delia Smith recipe as a basis and making up the quantities of sugar and fat by adding extra fruit and fruit spread plus a good dash of honey. Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes. Then, when you do criticise him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes. Thanks - I didn't know about watching their fat t Continue reading >>
10 Go-to Diabetes-friendly Desserts
In addition to being relatively low-calorie and low-carb, the best diabetes-friendly desserts ought to be: Quick and easy to prepare, which will keep you from reaching for an even quicker less-healthy option. Made in small batches, which will keep the leftovers small to avoid the temptation to overindulge. Varied, which will help to keep you from getting bored with your meal plan Wondering how to work dessert into your diabetes meal plan? Read 7 Tips for Fitting in Sweets When You Have Diabetes. Here are ten suggestions for diabetes-friendly desserts that fit the bill. Especially when it's cold outside, a nice cup of hot chocolate can keep you warm - as well as satisfy your sweet tooth. This low-sugar combo clocks in at only 60 calories and 20 grams of carbohydrate. Sugar-free gelatin topped with 2 tbsp light or sugar-free whipped topping can be considered a "free dessert." It's especially fun to make a few different flavors of gelatin, cube them, and make colorful parfaits out of your gelatin and whipped topping. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most delicious. Frozen grapes end up having a very slushy texture. You can freeze them in an air-tight container or sandwich bag. Bananas should be sliced and laid out flat on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, then transferred to an airtight container once they're frozen. One small banana or 17 grapes will give you 60 calories and 15 grams of carbs. Hack those dessert-flavored, sugar-free yogurts (such as cheesecake and key lime pie) by popping them in the freezer. You can find these yogurts for less than 100 calories and about 12 grams of carbs. Continue reading >>
Diabetic Cakes & Desserts
Being diagnosed with diabetes may feel like a prison sentence if you have a strong sweet tooth. With a few modifications, however, it’s more than possible to have your cake and eat it, too. Sugar substitutes, low-calorie ingredients, smaller servings and lower-glycemic sweeteners are all helpful when designing a meal plan that includes appropriate desserts. Video of the Day Unless nutritional information is listed on the menu, you never quite know what you’re getting when you order dessert from a restaurant. When you prepare it yourself, however, you know exactly what goes into it and can even calculate the nutrition facts per serving. Instead of following recipes to the letter, make substitutions -- such as applesauce for some oil or skim milk for whole milk -- to reduce calories per serving without dramatically altering the taste of the final product. Use Sugar Substitutes Artificial sweeteners have major advantages in diabetic desserts. Most are hundreds of times sweeter than traditional table sugar, for example, so you can get by with much smaller amounts of them. Most also have no effect on your blood sugar levels, so it’s possible to sub them in for sugar and reduce carb and calorie counts. Joslin Diabetes Center Nutrition Diabetes Educator Gillian Arathuzik recommends using aspartame or sucralose as sugar substitutes, and “Diabetic Pastry Chef” caterer Stacey Harris suggests a blend of sucralose and traditional sugar in recipes. Desserts are carb-rich even in very small amounts and even when you use sugar substitutes, so plan to enjoy just a few bites rather than a few big helpings. To avoid temptation, portion out desserts right away, share them with a friend and store extras out of sight. It can help to think about portion sizes visually. According to Continue reading >>
18 Soul Satisfying Diabetic-friendly Desserts
If you’re looking for diabetic desserts you’ve come to the right place. All of these desserts deliver massive satisfaction, but won’t send your blood sugar soaring. Just be sure to keep portion sizes to a reasonable amount. 1. Salted Peanut Caramel Clusters You won’t feel like you’re eating a diabetic dessert with these caramel clusters. That’s because they’re using erythritol as the sweetener, providing plenty of sugary taste without the resultant spike to your blood sugar levels. Peanuts, chocolate, cream and vanilla combine to make these a do-it-yourself answer to all of those store bought goodies that definitely don’t keep diabetics in mind. Carolyn does a great job of making these easy to make, but at the same time they come out looking like a fancy dessert or sweet snack. They’re perfect as a crunchy after dinner finish, or as a game time treat. Photo: Sweet Peas Kitchen 2. Nanaimo Bar Tart If you’re familiar with the Canadian Nanaimo bar, you’ve probably been looking for a way to make it so that it conforms to diabetic standards. Well search no more because here’s that delicious bar that keeps things diabetic-friendly, and just like the original there’s no baking required. This makes it a great dessert option for hot summer days when you just don’t feel like turning the oven on. The use of unsweetened and sugar-free items keeps this one off your diabetic radar, and means you can enjoy the taste without worrying about compromising your health. 3. Strawberry Mousse Cake Dive into this decadent strawberry mousse cake and you’ll start to wonder if you really do have diabetes. It’s the sort of cake you remember from before, but might have written off as something you just can’t have anymore. But this is a tried and true diabetes-frien Continue reading >>
