Ask The Expert
Eating Well

The good thing is that most foods can fit into a healthy diet for a person with diabetes. It's up to your brother-in-law to decide how much to eat and the best times to eat to match the effect of his insulin. He may be on an insulin regimen that allows him flexibility in when and how much he eats.

Healthy Foods

The same types of healthy foods that are recommended for everyone are also the best choices for people with diabetes. Providing a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products are good for everyone.

A typical holiday meal can be just as tasty by making a few changes in preparation and by altering favorite recipes to reduce the fat or sugar content. Following are a few suggestions:

1. Reduce or alter the type of fat in recipes

• Substitute non-fat or low-fat ingredients in foods that are not baked such as chocolate pudding, strawberry pie, or chicken salad. Fat is primarily used for flavor in these foods.
• In baked goods, fat provides flavor, moisture, and a tender texture. If you reduce the fat in the recipe, replace it with other ingredients that work in a similar way. Low-fat sour cream, low-fat yogurt, or fruit purees (like banana or prune), applesauce, or cottage cheese can provide a lot of the same characteristics as fat in muffins, cakes, cookies, and quick breads.

2. Serve desserts with less sugar

• Serve desserts like pumpkin pie that have much less sugar compared to pecan pie or holiday fudge.
• Reducing the sugar in a recipe will result in less carbohydrate per serving and consequently less effect on blood glucose levels.
• Many desserts can be made with less sugar or a combination of sugar and low- calorie sweeteners without affecting quality.
• Sugar is important for volume, texture, moistness, and browning in baked products, so it’s recommended that you use special recipes specifically designed for sugar substitutes when replacing sugar in baked foods such as cakes and cookies.
• Low-calorie sweeteners can be used to sweeten fruit fillings, sauces, puddings, and custards without affecting the quality since sugar is used primarily for the sweet taste in these foods. A thickening agent may need to be added because sugar lends a viscous quality.

3. Serve alcoholic beverages in moderation if at all

• Be aware that alcohol can cause low blood glucose in people taking insulin, so be sure to offer something to eat along with the alcoholic beverage if your guest chooses to drink prior to a meal.
• Offer unsweetened mixers for mixed drinks.

Holiday Dinner Suggestions

Here are a few suggestions for menus that include some favorite holiday foods, but with a lighter flare.

Menu #1

• Waldorf Salad (with low-fat or light mayonnaise)
• Baked Ham
• Baked Sweet Potatoes (use butter spray)
• Steamed Asparagus (with butter spray or a small amount of olive oil)
• Apple/Cranberry Crisp (use low-calorie sweetener and less butter)

Menu #2

• Cranberry Relish (with low-calorie sweetener)
• Roasted Turkey
• Stuffing (made with defatted turkey broth and less butter)
• Green Beans (cooked in chicken broth or low-fat cream of mushroom soup)
• Pumpkin Pie (made with evaporated skim milk and if desired, replace part or all of the sugar with low-calorie sweetener)