Cooking for someone with diabetes
Dr. Ellen Andrews

Even if you don't have diabetes yourself, do you shop and cook for someone who does? Of course, you cannot control what a diabetic person eats; the person himself is ultimately responsible. But it does help to provide some low carbohydrate choices. And when diabetic guests arrive, it is courteous to have reasonable choices available for them as well.

The two fundamentals for diabetics are portion sizes and carbohydrate content in the food. These days food labels are such that obtaining this information is easier than ever.

Some items like fresh produce are not labeled but this information is widely available. Depending on the treatment plan and level of exercise, the proper amounts of carbohydrate vary, but generally we aim for 60 grams of carbohydrate per meal, and 15 grams per snack. Snacks matter, and often contain surprising amounts of both fats and carbohydrates. Generally, low-fat or non-fat products are recommended for diabetics.

Reading those labels can be a real education. Often you notice a trade-off between lower carbohydrate content and higher fat content. Try to find a reasonable balance, especially when buying bread, ice cream, peanut butter, cereals, or yogurts. Be careful with items labeled honey-baked or maple-glazed. Those words should prompt a look at the label. It's obvious that soft drinks and sweetened tea are harmful. Try low sodium V-8 juice, water, fatfree milk or buttermilk, and unsweet tea.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are low in carbs, high in vitamins and fiber. Zip-locked bags of chopped broccoli, celery, carrots, or mushrooms can save the day when someone wants a snack.

Make dips with fat-free buttermilk, fat-free cottage cheese, tofu or sour cream. Some crackers are low carbohydrate, like Wasa or Rye Krisp. Even a few croutons can satisfy a craving for something crunchy, watching for the lowest carb ones. Low fat/ low sodium popcorn is lower in carbs than you might imagine. Nuts, cheeses and dark chocolate represent low carb choices too, but the fat calories add up fast with these.

Cole slaw and cottage cheese are good alternatives to French fries. Salad bars are good, but massive portions of anything are bad. Ordering appetizer portions rather than the entre makes sense, too. They're cheaper and usually sufficient for a meal. Soup/salad, or soup/ half-sandwich choices are filling, with less total carbohydrate. Salads topped with grilled meat or fish work well. One can share entrees and don't forget the doggie bag!

Asking the waitress to omit bringing the bread basket or chips can remove the temptation of having these things sitting right there. Leaving behind half the bread in a sandwich isn't hard. Dessert can still be an option if the carbs in the entre were minimal.

Diabetic or not, we all tend to eat too much. Presenting healthier foods in smaller portions is good for us all, and allows the diabetic folks to enjoy themselves too.

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