The entrées in
this article a are very flavorfully prepared dishes that are moderate- to
low-fat. The
portion sizes are not large, as a diabetic diet should not be excessively high
in protein. (If your physician has recommended a high-protein diet for you, you
may want to increase the size of the serving from those suggested here.)
Entrées should be accompanied by at least one vegetable, but preferably more,
and a low-GI carbohydrate, if your health professional allows. To help plan a
balanced meal, menu suggestions are presented at the bottom of each entrée
recipe.
Diabetic cooking - Poultry
I have lots of
poultry and fish recipes since they are healthy choices in a diabetic diet.
With the possible exception of roasted chicken, all dishes are prepared with
skinned chicken parts. In general I prefer dark meat for stewing, since it is
moister than white meat. However, white meat is lower in fat and cholesterol
than dark. There is a world of difference between the serving size of chicken
as purchased and the cooked edible part of the chicken. Here are some
interesting figures: 2 pounds chicken parts as purchased (with skin and bones)
= four 4-ounce servings of cooked chicken or 2 smallish thighs (no backbone); 2
smallish drumsticks; 1 small whole breast. The nutritional analysis for recipes
using chicken parts is for a combination of dark and white meat (except, of
course, when the recipe calls specifically for only white or only dark meat).
If you use only dark or only white, here are the figures for both—adjust your
own calculations accordingly.
For 4
ounces—cooked, skinless, and boneless (the minerals are not too different):
BREAST THIGH
Calories 187 237
Protein 35g 29g
Carbohydrates 0
0
Fiber 0 0
Total fat 4g 12g
Saturated fat 1g
3g
Cholesterol 96mg
107mg
Diabetic
Exchanges 4¼ very lean meat 5 very lean meat; ¼ fat
Diabetic cooking – Fish
How many times
have you heard or read that fish is good for you? Well, it’s true. In addition to
being low-calorie, generally low-fat, and a great source of protein, it is also an
excellent source of omega fatty acids, antioxidants thought to prevent heart disease.
The problem with
many traditional recipes for fish is that they are frequently cooked with lots
of fat or served with high-fat sauces. The recipes here are low to moderate fat—and
delicious! Although each of these recipes was tested with a specific fish, you
can certainly substitute one similar type of fish for another.
