The holiday season is a difficult time for Diabetic patients to control their blood sugar and make healthy food choices. With temptations such as sweet desserts and carbohydrate ridden stuffing and breads, you may find yourself asking ‘What can I eat this holiday season?’
- Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables (ie. green beans, broccoli, spinach).
- Eat fresh fruit for your sweet treat, especially berries. These are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber.
- Eat lean meats and leave off the gravy! If you are eating fish, try to stay away from breaded or fried fish.
- Replace regular potatoes with sweet potatoes. They have both vitamin A and fiber, as well as a lower glycemic index.
- Alcohol does not have to be off-limits. If you are celebrating with an alcoholic beverage, do not drink on an empty stomach and try to limit yourself to 1-2 drinks. Remember 1 drink is equal to 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz. spirits.
- Be sure to check your blood sugar and adjust your medications appropriately as prescribed by your primary care physician.
- Exercise so that you don’t pack the pounds! Before your Thanksgiving turkey, go for a 30 minute walk with your family and friends.
Below you will find some Diabetic-friendly Thanksgiving recipes….
Instead of sugar filled cranberry sauce, try a leafy, green salad with fresh cranberries.
Cranberry Cucumber Salad
- 3 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 medium cucumber, seeded, and chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salad and vegetable seasoning with coriander and annatto (1 packet)* or 1 1/4 teaspoons Homemade Spice Mix
- Cracked black pepper (optional)
- In a large bowl, combine salad greens, spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and cranberries. Set aside.
- For dressing: In a small screw-top jar, combine oil, lemon juice, the water, and seasoning; shake well. Pour over greens mixture; toss to coat. If desired, sprinkle with black pepper. Makes 6 (1-cup) servings.
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Slimmed-Down Sweet Potato Casserole
Makes 12 servings
- 3.5 lbs sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (divided)
- 1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
1. Cover potatoes with water, and boil in a large pot until soft when pierced with a fork. Drain, and return to the pot.
2. Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Mash the sweet potatoes, then add the honey, raisins, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Whip with an electric mixer or an immersion blender until smooth (if you don’t have one, you can do this step by hand—it’ll just take a little muscle!). Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared baking dish.
4. Mix the brown sugar, pecans, and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a bowl; sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake until hot and beginning to brown around the edges, about 15-20 minutes.
Per serving (1/12th of casserole): 101 cal; 2.5 g fat (0.3 g saturated); 19.8 carbs; 7.2 g sugar; 106.9 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 1.3 g protein
Whether you are Diabetic or not, enjoy some of these recipes this holiday season and have a Happy Thanksgiving from Hollowbrook Foot Specialists! We are serving the Hudson Valley from Wappingers Falls! If you have any questions about Diabetes or any other foot concerns, call today at (845) 298-9074 to schedule your appointment.
