Low-carb meals are healthy for everyone in the family
When you have someone in your household who is diabetic, it
changes a lot of things. My father was diagnosed with diabetes in
2006 and since then it has changed the way we grocery shop, the
types of snacks we keep in the house and mostly the types of meals
we cook. We don’t buy a box of cereal, oatmeal or a loaf of bread
without checking for the number of carbohydrates or fiber.
My dad has been lucky that with diet, exercise and some
medication, he has been able to keep his blood sugar within a
healthy range most of the time. But we are always looking for meal
options for him and checking out different medications, since some
come with side effects.
Low-carb meals are healthy for everyone in the family
When you have someone in your household who is diabetic, it changes a lot of things. My father was diagnosed with diabetes in 2006 and since then it has changed the way we grocery shop, the types of snacks we keep in the house and mostly the types of meals we cook. We don’t buy a box of cereal, oatmeal or a loaf of bread without checking for the number of carbohydrates or fiber.
My dad has been lucky that with diet, exercise and some medication, he has been able to keep his blood sugar within a healthy range most of the time. But we are always looking for meal options for him and checking out different medications, since some come with side effects.
In an effort to support diabetes awareness and research, my family will be participating in Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes in San Jose on Oct. 9. I’ll be doing the 5K run with some other family members while my dad and others walk the 1-mile leg. We’ve been raising money for “Team Richard” online and we are excited to meet other families whose lives have been affected by the illness at the event. Anyone interested in joining a team or donating can visit stepout.diabetes.org and search for the nearest event.
We’ve made some basic changes around the house in terms of the foods we eat, such as switching to whole-wheat bread with extra fiber – even a lot of breads listed as multigrain don’t actually have that much fiber. We also opt for whole-wheat tortillas and pasta most of the time – and again we have to check the label to make sure what we are buying is actually healthier.
When it comes to meals, it is usually easy to cook a low-carb meal. The beef, lettuce and tomato wraps we tried on a recent night were especially tasty. The meat was marinated with lots of strong spices and horseradish is mixed in with a low-fat sour cream to make up for the fact there is no cheese on this wrap dish.
The hardest thing, of course, is sweets, something my dad also likes. We do try to find recipes that can be healthy for him, sometimes by swapping out sugar for an artificial sweetener such as Splenda or Truvia. The recipe below uses maple syrup to add a slight bit of sweetness to scones. With a little bit of low-sugar jam or cream on top, the scones tasted great. The pecans add a lot of flavor, too, so that the pastries don’t need to be so sweet.
Enjoy these recipes, and if you or someone you know is diabetic, check out
stepout.diabetes.org.
Beef, lettuce and tomato wraps
Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker’s Diabetic Cookbook
1 ½ tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. beef top sirloin steak, about ¾-inch thick
4 flour tortillas (six to eight inches in diameter
¾ c. reduced fat sour cream
1 tbsp. prepared horseradish
4 c. shredded lettuce
1 large tomato, chopped (1 c.)
Mix chili powder, oregano, cumin and salt. Rub mixture on both sides of beef. Let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature. (Boneless, skinless chicken breast can also be used for this recipe.)
Set oven control to broil. Place beef on rack in broiler pan. Broil with top three to four inches from heat for about five minutes on each side for medium doneness, or until the beef is desired doneness. Let rest for a few minutes and cut into 1/8-inch slices.
Warm tortillas as directed on the package. Mix sour cream and horseradish. Spread three tablespoons horseradish mixture over each tortilla; top with one cup of the lettuce mixture and a quarter cup of the tomato. Top with beef. Wrap tortillas around filling.
Makes four servings
Calories: 280; fat: 9 grams; carbohydrates: 24 grams; protein: 29 grams.
Maple pecan scones
Recipe courtesy of Journey for Control’s website
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cups pecans, chopped
1 1/4 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 cups trans fat-free margarine
1/2 cups maple syrup
1/3 cups skim milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour, nuts, baking powder and margarine in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix by hand until margarine is in pea-sized pieces, then add maple syrup and milk. Mix well.
Turn scone dough onto floured board. Roll to one-inch thickness and cut in small rectangular pieces, making 2 dozen scones.
Place scones spread apart on a non-stick tray. Bake until firm in center and golden on edges and bottom, about 20 minutes. Cool and serve warm.
Calories: 160, 9 grams of fat, 17 g of carbs, 2 grams of protein
