Healthy Diabetic Friendly Recipes
With almost 10% of Americans having been diagnosed with diabetes, finding meals that cater to the diabetes free lifestyle is quite simple. But are all diabetes free food recipes out there healthy? Just because a meal does not have sugar or other diabetes inducing ingredients in it, does not inherently make it healthy.
What does a healthy diabetic recipe entail?
A diabetic recipe differs from traditional recipes in a few ways. Diabetic meals usually consist of the following foods, that have a variety of options to choose from:
High protein
Try chicken, pork and beef that high a higher lean percentage.
High fiber / low glycemic index
Try root veggies or greens as a substitute for grains.
Low fat dairy
Try nut milk and skim milk as a substitute for cream.
Sugar free
Try cinnamon or nutmeg as a substitute for sugar.
That being said, here are some recipes that are healthy and diabetes friendly.
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Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
1 chicken breast
1 oz. low-fat mozzarella
1 artichoke heart (from a can)
1 tsp. sundried tomato, (chopped)
5 large basil leaves
1 clove garlic
¼ tsp. curry powder
¼ tsp. paprika
Pinch of pepper
Toothpicks
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 365 F.
Cut a slit about halfway up the length ways side of the chicken breast to create a pocket for stuffing.
Chop up the mozzarella, artichoke, basil, tomato, and garlic. Mix them together in a large bowl.
Stuff the mixture into the chicken breast where you created the pocket.
Use a few toothpicks to close the chicken breast around the stuffing.
Place the chicken breast on a baking sheet and season it with pepper, curry powder, and paprika.
Bake for around 20 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken breast it may need longer or be ready faster).
Remove toothpicks and serve!
Recipe Notes
To make low FODMAP-friendly: Omit the garlic and artichoke, and replace them with baby spinach and/or red bell peppers.
Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 90 minutes (1 hour and 30 minutes)
Servings: 4
Ingredients
16 oz. ground beef, (92% lean)
2 medium zucchini
4½ oz. onion
2 cloves garlic
1 serrano chili
3 tomatoes
5½ oz. mushrooms
½ cube Knorr chicken bouillon
½ cup shredded low-fat mozzarella
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt & pepper
Cooking spray
Instructions
Use a peeler to cut the zucchini into ½-inch slices.
Sprinkle them with salt lightly and set aside for 10 minutes.
Blot the zucchini slices with a paper towel, and either grill or broil them in the oven for 3 minutes at high heat.
After grilling or broiling, place the zucchini on paper towels; you want to get as much of the liquid out as possible. (Steps 1-3 are extremely important because they will remove all moisture from the zucchini, so you don’t have watery lasagna.)
Cut off the ends of the tomatoes and make an X insertion on top. Place in boiling water for a few minutes, then pour cold water over them and peel off the skin.
Roughly chop onions, garlic, chili, peeled tomatoes, and mushrooms.
Add a little cooking spray to a deep skillet and fry the garlic, onion, and chili for 1 min.
Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté the vegetables for an additional 4 minutes. Then take them off the heat and set aside.
Cook the beef with the paprika in the same skillet you used for the veggies until fully browned.
Add the vegetables back into the skillet, then add the chicken bouillon and remaining spices. Allow the sauce to simmer for 25 minutes over low heat.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
Line a small baking tray with parchment paper and use 1/3 of the zucchini to make a layer in the bottom. Put 1/3 of the meat sauce on top. Add another layer of zucchini and continue like this until you’re out of sauce and zucchini.
Spread shredded mozzarella on top and bake for 35 minutes.
Take the lasagna out of the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
recipe notes
To make low FODMAP-friendly: Omit the mushrooms, garlic, and onions. Try replacing them with 1/4 cup of black beans, and an additional tomato.
Baked Pork Chops in Tomato Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
ingredients
4 Thick pork chops
1 small yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
28 oz. diced canned tomatoes (one large can)
5 oz. low-fat mozzarella
1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt & pepper
Cooking spray
instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
Cut the onions into rings. Peel and slice the garlic.
Cut the fat rind off the pork chops (if needed).
Coat a pan with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with pepper and sear for about 2 minutes on each side (until light brown).
Take the pork chops off the heat and place them in a deep baking pan.
Add onion rings and garlic to the pan you used to sear the pork chops and sear for about a minute on each side.
Add tomato, bouillon cube, and spices to the pan and mix it all together. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
Pour the tomato sauce over the pork chops.
Sprinkle cheese on top before placing in the oven and baking for 20 minutes.
Take the pork chops out of the oven and let them rest in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.
recipe notes
To make low FODMAP-friendly: Omit the garlic and onion, and substitute it for spring onions.
