Health Boon S#1: Diet for Diabetics

I read a lot of articles on what to eat and what not to eat in a specific health condition. In this series ‘’HEALTH BOON’’, I will bring in topics I read on various websites or prints to share with you all. Hopefully you will find them useful and valuable like me.Through this article I will try to suggest what to eat when you are diabetic. These veggies can also be incorporated in your daily menu just to enhance your nutritional intake, and it’s always good to have that extra knowledge about what you eat

When you have diabetes, eating low-carb vegetables is a smart way to fill up without filling out your waistline or raising your blood sugar. Non-starchy or low-carbohydrate vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber as well as being low in calories. Plus, they’re heart-healthy, and several are believed to help fight some cancers. While choosing a rainbow of vegetables is a smart way to get nutrients, the following veggies are among the best.

Popeye had the right idea when he bulked up on green, leafy spinach. This low-carb veggie is a wise addition to a diabetic diet because it’s loaded with folate, beta carotene, iron, and vitamin K. To get the biggest nutritional punch, ditch the canned stuff and buy it fresh or frozen. Fold steamed spinach into an egg-white omelette at breakfast or toss fresh leaves in a healthy, low carbohydrate salad at lunch or dinner.

My tip: You can also have it in Soups, Raita or Paranthas if you don’t like the bitter taste of it in the vegetable dish. Blanch and puree the leaves, and store in refrigerators for up to a week, adding a spoonful in everything you make. You won’t taste the bitterness and it will do its work

Tomatoes, another superfood for diabetes, are packed with vitamin C and are good sources of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber. They’re also low-carb and low-cal — just 32 calories per cup. The nutrient lycopene, which gives red tomatoes their color, is a powerful antioxidant and may protect against heart disease and prostate cancer. Add a slice of juicy tomato to your next sandwich or cook up a big pot of tomato sauce, a great topping for veggies, chicken, and other good foods in your diabetic diet.

My tip: Included in Soups, Vegetables side dishes and even Lentil Curries, tomatoes are a must in Indian Kitchen. Easily accessible, just have it raw when not cooking with it. Puree it, steam a bit and store for up to a week for use in your curries. I even add a spoonful in whatever Dosa I prepare

If you’re not already eating broccoli, make a point of adding it to your diabetic diet. It’s low carbohydrate and loaded with vitamins A (beta carotene), C, and D. It also has calcium, fiber, and iron. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) says to look for florets that are packed tightly together and are dark green and not yellowing. Eat broccoli soon after buying it. It’s almost neutral in taste when grated and sprinkled on salads and soups, just provide that extra crunch

My tip: You may like to include grated Broccoli in your stuffed Paranthas along with the stuffing, or just knead it into the dough, mix it with the batter of Idli, Dosa or just sprinkle it in the Veg Pulao for that green bite.. Consider including raw or lightly steamed broccoli on your next party platter instead of chips, sprinkle some Chaat Masala on top and serve with home-made chutneys and dips.

Cucumbers are a cool, crisp, low-carb choice for people with diabetes — a generous one-cup portion has fewer than 5 grams of carbohydrate. You can get your fill of this low-carbohydrate vegetable without worrying about raising your blood sugar too much. Cucumbers are a good source of vitamin K and they also contain potassium and vitamin C. Keep in mind that cucumbers are not only for salads on a diabetic diet, but consider adding thin slices to sandwiches or wraps.

My tip: Have cucumber Dosa or Raita, it’s a cooler for the Indian summer and helps in maintaining the water level. Adding a small portion in your Watermelon juice will keep you full and refreshed for longer.

Eating cabbage is an inexpensive way to add vitamins K and C and antioxidants to your diabetic diet. Cabbage is also a good source of manganese, fiber, and vitamin B6. This low-carb veggie is at its peak in the fall and early winter. Pick a head that is firm with shiny leaves. When you get it home, put it in the refrigerator. Cover it with plastic wrap once it’s cut to slow down the loss of vitamins. Experiment with recipes that use this low carbohydrate vegetable raw as well as cooked. 

My tip: For a quick recipe with a twist, just add 1 tbsp Full cream milk to 1 /2 cup shredded cabbage and cook it with little black pepper for 5 min on medium flame. It makes an excellent warm salad for side. Adjust salt to taste.

Brussels sprouts might not win any popularity contests, but they deserve a spot in your diabetes meal plan. Besides being low-carb, these mini cabbages are full of vitamins A, C, and folic acid, and

fiber. And just like cabbage, brussels sprouts are a cruciferous low-carbohydrate veggie, which experts believe may ward off some cancers. For cooking success, the ADA suggests sprinkling fresh

brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper, and fresh lemon juice, and roasting them at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes.

My tip: Try spiced and hot shredded Brussel Sprouts stir fry with Curry powder, adding with peas for a quick side dish. You may also add it with cabbage, although will give you the same taste but the nutrients will vary  hence increasing the overall nutritional value of the food. 

AnAnother neglected low-carbohydrate veggie, cauliflower can be a boon to your diabetes meal plan. This vegetable is brimming with vitamin C. In fact, just one serving has more than half your daily requirement. It contains fiber, calcium, and iron to boot. Cauliflower is also a versatile low-carb vegetable. You can serve it raw on a veggie tray, or cook it by roasting or steaming. It’s also great cooked and pureed into a silky soup; just cook until tender, then blend it with chicken broth.

My tip: Cauliflower can be added as a stuffing for your Dosas and Adais, apart from going into Stuffed Paranthas. Include it in your Pualos and Mix veg dishes, to give it more sight in the kitchen. Do not forget to soak it in warm water for a while before chopping, to clean the hidden dirt out.

Asparagus- this flavourful veggie has only 27 calories per cup and is very low-carb, coming in at only 5 grams. Asparagus is packed with vitamins K and A. At the store, look for firm, bright green stalks with compact heads. Thinner stalks tend to be more tender. Snap off the woody ends with your hands (they’ll break naturally at the right point), then steam, sauté, or roast.

My tip: To start with, try to get a small quantity into any stir fry you prepare, or add small quantities in Pulao Or Mix Veg dishes. Adding it into your bakes with a little whole wheat sauce is a delicious way to jump on to it :)

COURTESY : You can check the original article here, photos are picked randomly from Google search. Tips are my own, please contact me if this violates any copyright issues and I will remove the content