Creamy Broccoli Salad With Bacon
This easy low carb broccoli salad with bacon delivers great crunch and flavor. This version is easy, totally customizable and perfect for any low carb ketogenic diet. This raw broccoli salad has been around forever. I think the first time I had it was for my engagement party 20 years ago, which my mother so graciously hosted at home. It was a very small affair with only family and a close friend in attendance. Hey, East Coast Family, we all miss you! The traditional version of this easy, low carb broccoli salad with bacon calls for raisins, but we enjoy subbing cranberries. The dressing calls for sugar, but we find that by subbing erythritol, xylitol or stevia, we get the same great sweetenss for less carbs. And, because this recipe is dairy-free, I know this is something my daughter can have. Toppings are always fun and we add toasted sesame seeds, toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds or even toasted nuts, for a crunch factor. This is one of my go-to salads in the Summer because it goes with most mains. Also, my kids like broccoli and are guaranteed to eat it. This recipe makes a lot, but we eat it with our lunches and dinner and I have been know to have it for breakfast, too. My friends can always count on me to bring this easy, low carb broccoli salad with bacon to all of our gatherings. Why? Well, it’s my favorite! Do you have a favorite version on this salad? How do you make it yours? This amazing Low Carb Broccoli Salad with Bacon is 2 net carbs per serving [Disclosure: This recipe contains affiliate links.] Continue reading >>
Adapting Your Recipes
Muffins To reduce the amount of sugar: You can usually halve the amount of sugar called for in recipes. For satisfactory results, you’ll need 2 to 3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) of sugar per cup (250 ml) of flour. To add flavour other than with sugar, use vanilla, maple or almond extract, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom, or citrus zest. Remember: sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar, molasses, powdered sugar, dried fruits, fruit purée, chocolate chips, etc. all add to the sugar content. To reduce the amount of fat: 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) of fat per cup (250 ml) of flour normally suffice for satisfactory results. Replace shortening, lard and butter with vegetable oil or soft non-hydrogenated margarine – which are better choices for heart health. Replace half the white flour with whole-wheat flour. Replace about ¼ cup (60 ml) of flour with oat bran or wheat bran, oat germ or wheat germ, or ground flax seed. Cakes Although it is possible to slightly increase the nutritional value of cakes and still maintain a pleasing texture, appearance and taste, you must still use a minimum amount of sugar and fat. Cake, like other food that is very high in sugar or fat, should be reserved for special occasions and enjoyed in tiny portions. To reduce the amount of sugar and still obtain satisfactory results, you can use as little as ½ cup (125 ml) of sugar per cup (250 ml) of flour. To reduce the amount of fat, cut the quantity to 3 tablespoons (45 ml) per cup (250 ml) of flour. To ensure a moist cake despite this modification, replace some of the removed fat with thick yogurt. Even with these modifications, cake is still very high in carbohydrates for very little nutritional value. That is why it is important to pay attention to how often you Continue reading >>
Healthy Curry Chicken Salad With Apples
There are many dishes out there that, although quite tasty, are laden with not-so-healthy ingredients. The good news is that it’s often incredibly easy to make these recipes healthy with just a few simple swaps. This Healthy Curry Chicken Salad With Apples is one of those recipes. Typically, curried chicken salad is dressed in a heavy slathering of mayonnaise, or a combination of sour cream and mayonnaise, much like a classic tuna salad (or any other type of chicken salad) would be. By swapping in plain Greek yogurt and a touch of tahini for the dressing, I lighten up this recipe significantly and give it even more protein. Chicken breast, the primary ingredient in this chicken salad, is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s almost pure protein with very little fat. This is why it’s the basis of most fitness diets. You can combine chicken breast with an almost endless variety of other ingredients and end up with a balanced and nutritional meal. This Healthy Curry Chicken Salad with Apples is also loaded with other healthy ingredients, such as celery (a great source of folate, potassium, and dietary fiber), apple (also high in fiber as well as antioxidants) and cashews (high in Vitamins E & K, zinc and magnesium.) Easy & Healthy Curry Chicken Salad With Apples Best of all, this recipe comes together in no time at all. You will need grilled chicken breasts, which you can either cook right before putting together the salad or a day or two before (you can use our method for cooking the perfect chicken breast), but there is no other cooking involved. Simply dice up all of the salad ingredients, place them in a big bowl together with the dressing ingredients, toss to coat, and you’ll have a delicious, nutritious salad on your hands in less than 20 minutes. The flavors of thi Continue reading >>
Top 10 Worst Diet Choices If You Have Diabetes
If you have diabetes, in many ways your diet is your medicine. As diabetes educators, we help patients understand what food and beverage choices are best to avoid. When foods are high in carbohydrates, fat and sodium, they increase your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weight gain, heart disease and uncontrolled sugar. Top 10 offenders Sweetened drinks. These include regular pop/soda, fruit punches and iced teas. These are loaded with sugar and calories, and they usually have little or no nutritional value. Instead, try infusing plain water with different berries and fruits so you can enjoy the natural sweetness. “Designer” or specialty coffee drinks – including frappuccinos or cappuccinos. That “once a day special treat” can add up to lots of extra sugar, calories and saturated fat. Instead, go for straight java, either black, with artificial sweetener or a small splash of skim milk. Whole milk. It has too much fat, which can lead to weight gain. Switch to 2 percent, 1 percent – or even better: skim milk. Keep in mind that one cup of skim milk has 12 grams of carbohydrates. If you don’t like milk or are lactose intolerant, you can drink almond milk, rice milk or soy milk instead—but remember to get the low sugar varieties. Hot dogs. These grilled little favorites are still high in saturated fat and sodium—yes, that even includes turkey dogs! Try to avoid them or eat them only occasionally. Packaged lunch meats. These are also high in saturated fat and sodium. Check your deli for low sodium meats—or better yet use sliced meat that you’ve roasted at home to make your sandwiches. Also remember that sandwich toppings can be very unhealthy too (think high-fat mayonnaise). Instead add flavor to your sandwiches with mustard, veggies and/or Continue reading >>
Diabetic Dinner Recipes
Find healthy, delicious diabetic dinner recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell. Getting dinner on the table is easier when it's already planned out for you. Enjoy a month off from meal planning with 30 days of delicious, diabetes-friendly dinners to help you keep your blood sugar levels in check. The recipes in this plan limit carbohydrates, saturated fat and sodiumfactors that can negatively impact your diabetes if you eat too muchand can still be enjoyed by the whole family. Managing diabetes never tasted so good! Potatoes were first to benefit from the Hasselback techinique--making thin slices crosswise toward the bottom of the vegetable, but not all the way through, so the potato becomes fanned, seasoned and baked until crisp. Here we've adapted the concept to garlic bread and updated it with cheese for an easy and completely mouthwatering cheesy bread side dish. ADVERTISEMENT 2 ADVERTISEMENT These homemade sausage balls are a healthy riff on the original--we add riced cauliflower for moisture and a veggie boost, whole-wheat flour stands in for prepared biscuit mix, and sharp Cheddar adds flavor. Serve these sausage balls for brunch, as an appetizer, or mix them with your favorite marinara for dinner. Of all the vegetables in the supermarket, cabbage gives you some of the best value for your dollar. It's inexpensive and low in calories, but packed with nutritional benefits (vitamin C, fiber, cancer-fighting phytochemicals). This easy vegetable side dish gets a boost of flavor from shallot, caraway seeds and a delicious finish of crisp bacon. This good-for-your-gut-health food gets super-silky when slowly cooked in the oven. Serve these flavorful braised leeks with roast chicken or fish. 1 With a whopping 19 grams of protein, this one-dish meal wi Continue reading >>
14 Foods That Could Change A Diabetic's Life
Print Font: When you think of managing blood sugar, odds are you obsess over everything you can't have. While it's certainly important to limit no-no ingredients (like white, refined breads and pastas and fried, fatty, processed foods), it's just as crucial to pay attention to what you should eat. We suggest you start here. Numerous nutrition and diabetes experts singled out these power foods because 1) they're packed with the 4 healthy nutrients (fiber, omega-3s, calcium, and vitamin D) that make up Prevention's Diabetes DTOUR Diet, and 2) they're exceptionally versatile, so you can use them in recipes, as add-ons to meals, or stand-alone snacks. 1. Beans Beans have more to boast about than being high in fiber (plant compounds that help you feel full, steady blood sugar, and even lower cholesterol; a half cup of black beans delivers more than 7 grams). They're a not-too-shabby source of calcium, a mineral that research shows can help burn body fat. In ½ cup of white beans, you'll get almost 100 mg of calcium—about 10% of your daily intake. Beans also make an excellent protein source; unlike other proteins Americans commonly eat (such as red meat), beans are low in saturated fat—the kind that gunks up arteries and can lead to heart disease. How to eat them: Add them to salads, soups, chili, and more. There are so many different kinds of beans, you could conceivably have them every day for a week and not eat the same kind twice. 2. Dairy You're not going to find a better source of calcium and vitamin D—a potent diabetes-quelling combination—than in dairy foods like milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt. One study found that women who consumed more than 1,200 mg of calcium and more than 800 IU of vitamin D a day were 33% less likely to develop diabetes than those taki Continue reading >>
Diabetic Diet: Quick Recipe Ideas And Healthful Meal Plans
Healthy eating is also one of the most important factors in preventing the development of diabetes. A healthful diabetic diet includes foods that are rich in nutrients, low in unhealthy fats and calories, and that manage carbohydrates. It also involves carefully planning meal times and exercising portion control. This helps people with diabetes to manage their symptoms, avoid complications of diabetes, and enjoy a better quality of life. Contents of this article: Why diet is important for diabetes Eating the right foods is one of the primary ways of regulating blood sugar, or glucose, levels. Glucose is the main source of energy for the body, and it comes from carbohydrate in our foods. When blood glucose levels rise, the hormone insulin is released from the pancreas into the bloodstream. This helps the body use glucose effectively. People with type 1 diabetes don't make enough insulin and those with type 2 are unable to use insulin properly. If not carefully monitored and managed, this can allow glucose to build up in the blood. This increases the risk of: Healthy eating also helps with weight management and reduces the risk of heart disease. Both of these things are linked to diabetes. Foods to eat and foods to avoid It's possible to include most foods in a diabetic diet, although some need to be eaten sparingly or in moderation. Some foods can be considered "diabetes superfoods." This is because they are rich in important vitamins and minerals, along with fiber and have a minimal effect on blood sugar levels. Foods to eat regularly The American Diabetes Association lists their top 10 superfoods as: beans berries citrus fruit dark green, leafy vegetables fat-free dairy, such as yogurt fish, not fried or breaded nuts and seeds sweet potatoes tomatoes whole grains Other Continue reading >>
Best And Worst Meals For Diabetes-savvy Dining
Balance Your Choices When you have type 2 diabetes, you need to eat a good mix of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. So what's a well-balanced dinner? A power breakfast? The following meal examples can help you make better choices. Some people find it helps to count carbs. Keep in mind recommendations from your doctor or nutritionist, too. The Count: 2,060 calories, 276 g carbs No food is off-limits with diabetes, but this brunch will blow your carb and calorie budget in a hurry. Experts suggest that meals for people with diabetes should have 45-75 grams of carbohydrates, depending on individual goals. Your body weight, activity, and medications all matter. This meal packs enough carbs for four to five meals. The Count: 294 calories, 40 g carbs This quick meal delivers protein in a scrambled egg, and just 40 carbs, mostly from fiber-rich oatmeal and blueberries. Fiber slows digestion to help prevent blood sugar spikes. People with diabetes need to watch all types of carbs: cereal, bread, rice, pasta, starchy veggies, sweets, fruit, milk, and yogurt. Spread your total carbs across the day. The Count: 1,760 calories, 183 g carbs. Before one bite of burrito, you can get 98 grams of carbs and 810 calories in a basket of chips and salsa. If you're trying to slim down and eat less sodium, like many people with diabetes, the burrito adds 950 calories. You also get way more than a whole day's worth of sodium. The Count: 443 calories, 48 g carbs Lean beef and black beans make this Mexican dish a good option for a diabetic diet. The fiber in the beans can help lower blood cholesterol and control blood sugar. Go heavy on the veggies and light on cheese. Enjoy 10 small corn chips (1 ounce) with a little guacamole. The Count: 2,510 calories, 83 g carbs This classic Southern m Continue reading >>
Diabetic Egg Mayonnaise
There is something very comforting about nursery food. Egg Mayonnaise is one of those foods. It’s squidginessis deeply satisfying at all levels. It doesn’t matter what time of day you are hungry, egg mayonnaise fits the bill – back from the pub -late night munchies- perfect, peckish mid-afternoon it fits the bill. Maybe this is a British thing,The love of sandwiches, rather like the fact there are two types of beer in the world, the type the British drink at the time rest the world drink Maybe we need more savages the rest of the world put together, it is our comfort food. It is something do so well! Crusty bread, mouthwatering strong cheddar, a tangy pickle, the perfect lunchtime fair. Lashings of salt beef on rye bread, accompanied by creamy rich German mustard or bitingly hot Polish mustard, the list goes on of great British sandwiches! It’s no secret that the British invented afternoon tea, in fact that another perfect time to eat Diabetic Egg Mayonnaise sandwiches.This recipe replaces the very heavy calorific fatty mayonnaise with the healthier avocado fat option! This option makes a diabetic egg mayonnaise sandwich healthier it doesn’t take any of the richness and sublime taste away.It still has the same wonderful chunky texture. An added bonus is it also has a richer greener more vibrant color than the rather insipid looking, but great tasting traditional egg mayonnaise.Paprika, dill or tarragon complement eggs perfectly, I prefer to use one of the three, but there’s nothing stopping you trying them all. Diabetic Egg Mayonnaise Ingredients 4 large hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled 1/2 avocado (about 100 grams) 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 of a small lime or lemon, juiced Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Toppings for Diabetic Egg Mayonna Continue reading >>
Pregnant Lady Mayonnaise
This recipe can be halved, but if your food processor is very large you’d be better making the half batch by hand to make sure it doesn’t split. And I like the flavour that onion powder gives but it’s totally optional. By using boiling water you can pasteurise your egg yolks and make safe mayo for pregnant ladies… hooray! Add to favourites 1 Done Whizz egg yolks and boiling water together with a big pinch of salt. Add mustard and vinegar and whizz again. 2 Done With the motor still running, add the oil a few drops at a time, then build up to a thin stream and then a slightly more daring stream until most of the oil is incorporated. 3 Done Taste and season, adding the onion powder now (if using). Feel free to add more vinegar, onion powder or mustard if you like. Whizz to combine. 4 Done If the mayo is a little too runny, add the remaining oil. Too firm, add a little water. Continue reading >>
Salmon Cakes With Caper Mayonnaise
Ingredients Buzzworthy Start a Tasty Weeknight Family Tradition Transform Tuesdays into Tuscan Tuesdays. Cook up a feast with rich Tuscan flavors. Go beyond the plate with fun décor ideas and more. Caper Mayonnaise Ingredients Continue reading >>
Finally A Homemade Mayonnaise Worth Writing About! Mct Mayo!
I have a love-hate relationship with homemade mayonnaise. I have known about the horrors of conventional mayo, (rancid soybean oil anyone?), not to mention the sugar and poor quality eggs used to make it. I knew I could do better than Hellman's. I love my Hellman's, (cue 'bring out the Hellman's and bring out the best!), and each time I made homemade mayo it just tasted bad in comparison. Smart me knew that what I had made was greatly superior to the store bought stuff, but man, it was not palatable. Mayo debacle after mayo debacle came in rapid succession. All olive oil? too bitter. Avocado oil? Nope. Too green and weird tasting. Bacon grease mixed with coconut oil? Really yummy, but the coconut oil made it hard, and that was just weird. I was wasting a lot of expensive ingredients. But then today I was driving home from work and I thought to myself 'I wonder if I can make mayo from MCT oil??'. So I googled it and I was not the first to have this grand idea! Never heard of MCT oil? It's like coconut oil on crack! Let me enlighten you! From Hilgartner Health: MCT is a very healthy fat, which bypasses the normal process of digestion and fat break down. Instead it gets absorbed directly into your liver where it is metabolized and acts more like a carbohydrate, providing instant and sustained energy for your body." MCT oil can help in losing weight and in maintaining your optimal weight by boosting your metabolism and helping to optimize the production of thyroid hormones. It has been shown to help treat seizures due to its ability to increase Ketone production. It is also beneficial in helping diabetics maintain blood sugar levels. Many athletes find that it is a great supplement to take prior to training or competitions since it seems to provide hours of sustained energy Continue reading >>
3 Simple Tips On How To Make A Healthier Potato Salad
Potatoes are a real comfort food and what better way to enjoy them in the summertime but in a rich, creamy potato salad? There’s just something about a cool dish of potato salad that makes a summer meal a true delight. At the same time, though, I used to shy away from eating potato salad. I used to think something this tasty couldn’t be good for me. After all, it’s potatoes and mayonnaise. We all know what potatoes do to our waistline, right? And commercially prepared mayo is processed with all kinds of ingredients that we really don’t want to eat. Fear not! This summer, potato salad can make a return to our picnic tables. In today’s post, I’m excited to share 3 tips for making a healthier potato salad. First, if we’re healthy and active, we shouldn’t fear potatoes. They’re actually a very healthy choice. Though they’re not packed with micronutrients like kale, they do have some important nutrients. These include vitamins A & C, iron, calcium, fiber, and protein. The white potato nutrient composition is very close to their cousin the sweet potato. If potato salad is prepared properly, it can give your gut microbiota a big boost. Of course, if you’re concerned with your weight or have a metabolic disorder like diabetes, you may want to limit your carb intake. However, potato salad can be made in a certain way where the potato’s glycemic index, (GI) which measures how a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose, can actually be significantly reduced. That should come as good news to all diabetics and pre-diabetics. Here are the 3 simple tips: Tip #1. Use Organic Red Potatoes There are so many different types of potatoes, but not all of them are created equal. The best potatoes to use for potato salad are red potatoes. Red potatoes are lower Continue reading >>
Best Homemade (healthy) Ranch Dressing
This dressing is DIY at its very best, as it is better-than-bought in every way! No dressing is more loved, or more universally used, than Ranch-style dressing. From salads and wings to veggies and yep, even pizza, everything tastes better when drizzled with Ranch. And when it comes to Ranch dressing, for most of us, Hidden Valley® brand is what “ranch is supposed to taste like”. I am proud to say that this ranch dressing perfectly mimics its beloved flavor. I am even more delighted to share that it does so with SIGNIFICANT sodium, fat, cost, and calorie savings (with only 35 calories per 2 Tbsp. serving it delivers a 75% calorie savings!). Best of all, I think it tastes better than any commercial brand — whether bottled or made with pricey packets. Made in mere minutes, with ingredients always on hand, I honestly will never buy Ranch dressing again. And now you don’t have to either! MAKES 1 CUP 1/3 cup low-fat milk 1/3 cup light mayonnaise 1/3 cup plain low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt (light sour cream can also be used) 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1. In a medium bowl add all ingredients and whisk to combine. DARE TO COMPARE: Hidden Valley Ranch bottled dressing has 140 calories per 2-tablespoon serving, including14 grams of fat and 260 mg of sodium. Step into Subway and their Ranch dressing topping your “light” salad will cost you 220 calories and 400 mg of sodium. Nutrition Information Per Serving (2 tablespoons): Calories 35 | Carbohydrate 2g (Sugars 1g) | Total Fat 3g (Sat Fat 0g) | Protein 1g | Fiber 0g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 140mg | Food Exchanges: ½ Fat | Carbohydrate Choices: 0 | Weight Watcher Plus Point Comparison: 1 SmartPoints: 1 Continue reading >>
Diabetics Discover Mayonnaise Can’t Go With Everything
For someone just diagnosed with diabetes, the supermarket can be an uncharted jungle of potentially dangerous food and drink. That is why the Bermuda Diabetes Association has begun offering special supermarket tours for people with diabetes and those who are pre-diabetic, and their caregivers. Sarah McKittrick, the association’s clinical dietitian and diabetes officer, will lead six of the tours at Lindo’s over the coming weeks. “I’ve had clients say that the first time they went to the store after seeing the dietitian they were there for two hours, unsure of what to buy,” she said. “I tell people that it will get easier once you know the products you are looking at. We are trying to show them how to fit healthy eating into their day. We talk about how to shop to get the most not just economically but the most nutritionally so we can be making good nutrition choices.” She aims to teach people about which convenience foods might be more economical some people might think it is better to buy a range of vegetables rather than an expensive bag of prepared salad mix. “If you use a bag of pre-cut lettuce or prepared salad mix and eat the whole thing for dinner and lunch the next day it might actually be more savings than buying five or six different types of vegetables which then rot because you don’t use all of them.” She will encourage participants to plan meals and healthy snacks rather than impulse buy. Ms McKittrick stressed her aim is not to put people on a diet but to make them think about putting more vegetables, fruits and whole grains into their diet. One difficult meal during the day can be breakfast, because many breakfast cereals are low in fibre and high in sugar. Ms McKittrick said oatmeal is a great breakfast food if you avoid flavoured oat Continue reading >>
