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Dinnertime Does Not Have To Be Boring And Bland Just Because You Have Diabetes

For most people who have diabetes or have someone in their family who has it, cooking a nice meal can be challenging. You will need to form strategies on how you can control the portions and the carbohydrate intake. This is crucial in order to maintain weight as well as keep your blood sugar levels low. At the same time, you will need to ensure that all the needed nutrition for your body is up to the level. You can find out more here about different organic meal plans that you can incorporate to have a healthy balance. 

A good balance of diabetic meals should incorporate a quarter portion of carbs, lean protein, and non-starchy vegetables each. This will help you to get all the needed nutrition, ensure low blood sugar levels and also keep you full for a long period of time. This however does not mean that you have to sacrifice flavor and consume bland and boring meals all the time. When it comes to cooking for the family, you can use healthy dinner ideas that are diabetes-friendly yet delicious so that you do not need to cook a separate meal. Below are 3 diabetes-friendly healthy recipes that you can cook that are so delicious that your whole family will enjoy eating them. 

Low Carb Crispy Pizza

Just because someone has diabetes, does not mean that they cannot give in to the cravings of the good old crispy pizza. However, as you will be worried about the carbs, you can easily switch to a low-carb pizza. This is so easy to fix that you will be happy to have pizza nights again as a part of your family meals. You need to keep in mind to keep the moisture level of the pizza at the lowest. To get started with this recipe, you will need low-carb tortillas, low-carb marinara sauce, and some asiago cheese.  You can even make your own sugar-free marinara sauce at home. You can choose topics like pepperoni, olives, herbs, or vegetables as per your choice. Just try not to use too many toppings as that can make your tortilla very moist and you will not enjoy the crispiness. Use a skillet that fits the size of the tortilla. Add some olive oil to the skillet and lay down a tortilla. Once it has browned, flip it over. Add the sauce and toppings of your and switch off the heat. Bake it for 10 minutes and then add shredded cheese. Bake for another minute or until the cheese melts. Your crispy low-carb pizza is ready to be enjoyed. 

Roasted Chicken Marinated In Greek Yoghurt

Another favorite family recipe will definitely be roasted chicken. This is one meal wherein just the aroma of it can send you into a calm and relaxing feeling. You can make this recipe for special occasions as well as for a weekend family meal. This recipe requires chicken, greek yogurt, cinnamon, and garlic. The positive effects of using Cinnamon and Turmeric have been studied by health experts in helping to lower glucose levels and thereby helping people who have diabetes. They give a gentle flavor without overtaking the taste of the whole dish. Start by taking a pan with little olive oil and adding the spices for a gentle stir. This will enrich the aroma and the flavor. You can use a full chicken or parts of it as per your preference. Marinade it with greek yogurt, and spices. The longer you let it marinade, the tender and juicier the chicken will be. This is because the lactic acid and calcium present in greek yogurt will help to break down the proteins in the chicken which results in a super moist and tender texture. If you want your chicken to be crispier, you can brown the chicken a little before roasting it. Bake the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes and serve hot. 

Carrot And Lentil Soups

This is a hearty recipe that is perfect for any time of the year, especially those winter days when you crave some nice hot wholesome soup. To make this recipe, use a large saucepan and start with dry frying some cumin seeds and a pinch of chili flakes for one minute. If you do not want it to be spicy, you can skip the chili flakes. As they start popping on the pan, remove half of them and keep them aside. Grate the carrots coarsely. On the side, boil vegetable stock in water and keep it ready. You can soak split red lentils in advance for some time so that they can cook fast. Once these are ready, add all these ingredients to a dutch oven with some olive oil. Mix all gently and wait for it to come to a boil. Once it starts to boil, lower the flame to medium-low and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. You will need to wait till the lentils start to soften up. Once they have softened, use a blender or food processor to make them smooth. You can season with greek yogurt and serve hot. If you would like to add some meat to it, then you can add some cooked shredded chicken at the end before serving. 

(Photo : Unsplash)

The above recipes are sure to make your next family meal an enjoyable experience. To make sure you can benefit from your food intake for a long time, you will surely also need to incorporate lifestyle changes. As people get older, they need to work harder on building immunity with the right nutrition intake and this can be done with the right meal plans. While no foods are strictly off-limits, you will need to be focused on the portion sizes. Refraining from food that is high in carbohydrates like sugar will help you to be more healthy. Simultaneously, work on your fitness routines as even a short routine of 30 minutes a day can help you to control diabetes. It can help to lower the blood sugar levels, and even keep those extra pounds away. 

Managing stress is a crucial step as when you will be overly stressed it will impact your blood sugar level as they will rise alarmingly. You can practice breathing exercises, do some yoga or even find hobbies that can help you to relax.  When you take a holistic approach to your health, living with diabetes will not be a hard feat to overcome.