Cooking With a Diabetic in the Family

More than 15 million people in America now suffer from diabetes, but the good news is that if you have a member of the family who is diabetic, they really need very little special treatment when it comes to cooking family meals. Cooking for a diabetic should be the way you cook for the rest of the family: healthy, low-fat and low-sugar meals.

Apart from taking any necessary medication to control blood sugar levels, the single most important factor is diet. A balanced, healthy diet is key to maintaining good health.

There is a lot of information and support available for diabetics, so always consult with your doctor or dietician before making any changes. Associations such as the American Diabetic Association offer support, information and meal planning lists, so don´t be afraid to seek outside help.

Here are some general guidelines on cooking for a diabetic family member.

Invest in a good cookery book for diabetics. These will have many reduced sugar recipes. Some companies that manufacture artificial sweeteners and sugar replacements also offer recipe sheets suitable for diabetics.

Reduce the amount of fried food that you eat. This healthy choice will benefit everyone in the family, but is especially important for diabetics.

Increase the amount of non-starchy vegetables in your diet, such as carrots, broccoli, green beans or spinach. If you don't like the taste of them served alone, incorporate them into other dishes, such as soups and omelettes.

Swap processed versions of food for their whole grain equivalents. Try switching to brown rice, whole wheat pasta and seed bread.

Try to eat fish more often. Aim for at least 2 portions a week.

Avoid sweetened drinks and soft drinks. Change to low calorie diet drinks, or even better just drink water!

Check out websites for information and advice about cooking for diabetics. One of the best is the American Diabetic Association at www.diabetes.org.

Watch the amount of carbohydrate rich foods that you eat, and monitor the portion size.
Learn how to interpret the nutritional information on packets and tins. For example, sugar may be listed as "fructose", a natural fruit sugar. Be sure that you know exactly what is in the foods you buy.

All stores these days have a wide range of products made especially for diabetics, sometimes a whole aisle. The variety and selection of products you can safely eat will amaze you!

If in doubt, check with your doctor which brands and foods you can safely incorporate into a diet.

When eating out, don´t be afraid to mention that a member of the party is diabetic, and ask for specific ingredients in a meal if you are not sure whether it is suitable.

Diabetes is a condition that needs careful management, but that doesn't mean sacrificing tasty food. The healthy principles of diabetic cooking will benefit the whole family, so why not use this as an opportunity to improve the diet of every member of the household?

Crock pots are a great way to prepare easy meals for busy people. Lisa from A-Crock-Cook.com has loads of easy crock pot recipes that are very nutritious. But the best thing is that the recipes can be easily altered to suit your own dietary needs. Try some crock pot chicken recipes today for a new dimension to your meals.