The bad news? Type 2 diabetes can make it difficult for people to plan or enjoy holiday favorites. The good news? With recipes like these, you can keep your blood glucose under control and look like a cook with mad gourmet skills. Sweet (the sugar-free way, of course!).
The Holiday Menu for Diabetics
Let’s start it off with a main course, courtesy of the American Diabetes Association. Their Southern French-Style Herb-Roasted Turkey sounds much fancier than it is. With the fat, sugar, and sodium-sparing preparation of the bird, you can save your carbs for the sides (and the desserts!) and let your guests dine on their poultry entirely guilt (and gravy) free. If turkey just isn’t for you, try Mustard-Rosemary Grilled Lamb, Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes and Shallots, Falafel with Avocado Spread, or a Simple Baked Ham. Deee-lish.
Now that you have guests convinced you are a rock star in the kitchen (or possibly an imported French chef), wow them with your fabulous side dishes. From comforting Classic Mac ‘n’ Cheese to Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Sherry Onions, your carbs will be worth their weight in gold.
Onto the veggies, doubtless the most nutritious—but sadly the least dreamt about—portion of any holiday smorgasbord. How do you impress guests with vegetable dishes that are both tasty and friendly to your blood sugar? You serve Garlic Snow Peas with Cilantro (or without cilantro!), Holiday Cranberry Salad, and Apple Squash Soup.
If you prefer to opt out of the pasta, try Roasted Cauliflower. If you think your kids or guests will be too picky for the snow peas, opt for Rosemary Green Beans or introduce them to Brussels Sprouts with Browned Garlic (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!). Otherwise, feel free to try a bit of everything and just be happy that for once you won’t have to stop before you hit dessert.
The final course is, after all, the sweetest and most satisfying (if you have any room left). Opt for a classy Fruited Rice Pudding or stick to tradition and serve a delightful Apple Pie. If you feel you must go above and beyond (you Martha Stewart wannabe, you!) to offer more options for guests, consider a Pumpkin Crème Brulee or a Cinnamon Bread Pudding. Yum. Just please, don’t eat them all!
The Skinny on Holiday Eating for Type 2 Diabetics
Enjoying holiday meals as a diabetic doesn’t mean you have to feel deprived. In fact, following simple diabetic tips for portion control, carbohydrate counting, and blood sugar monitoring, you can find yourself as happily filled and satisfied as you ever were before you became diabetic. In fact, with smart eating (and exercise) on a regular basis, you may find that your Type 2 diabetes is much more manageable than when you avoid diabetic-friendly recipes like the plague. Holiday or no holiday, make your menu friendly to your diabetes—your future self will thank you.
Happy Holidays, and happy eating!