Diabetic Foods
There are several health food brands that cater mainly to people who suffer from diabetes, by offering a wide variety of foods that are either sugar-free or contain no added sugar. It is quite common to see ads for sugarless foods as well as desserts, for example, ice cream without sugar, sugar-free cookies, sugarless gelatin and even frozen desserts or cakes and pastries that contain no added sugar. Such foods are usually known as diabetic foods, as it is believed that it is safe for diabetics to consume them, in moderation. A diabetic food list mainly includes foods that are not made with real sugar, as people who are suffering from diabetes cannot consume sugar. You can also easily find many books, programs and online resources, specializing in diabetic menus that consist primarily of diabetic recipes for various food courses, which include diabetic snacks and appetizers, salads, soups, desserts and main course items.
Most companies that sell diabetic foods use artificial sweeteners in place of sugar.
At times, these sweeteners can be very harmful, leading to several side effects. Unfortunately, people who are following a diabetic diet, tend to assume that they can consume large varieties of diabetic foods, just because they do not contain any sugar. However, there are several reports that state that while diabetic foods may not contain any amounts of added sugar, some of them could be quite high in fat, sodium and calories, which is even more than regular food at times. Therefore, it is advisable that diabetics should not consume high amounts of any food, just because they are labeled as sugar free or diabetes diet foods. Find out about the nutritional facts of the food and check with a doctor, before including it in your diet.
Instead of buying processed or packaged food, with the sugar-free label, it is better for you to make your own diabetic foods at home, so that you can monitor the ingredients are used, the quality of the ingredients as well as the amounts that go into the preparation of certain foods. It is possible to use natural ingredients to make recipes that are healthy and taste great, for example:
Recipe For Applesauce and Raisin Cookies
Ingredients:
- Whole wheat flour 2 ½ cups
- Frozen apple juice concentrate 1 cup
- Unsweetened applesauce 1 cup
- Pureed white beans 1 cup
- Raisins Two third cup
- Chopped nuts ½ cup
- Egg whites, beaten 2
- Nutmeg ½ teaspoon
- Ground cloves ½ teaspoon
- Cinnamon ½ teaspoon
- Baking soda 1 teaspoon
- Salt ½ teaspoon
Method:
- In one mixing bowl, mix the flour, raisins, nuts, spices and salt and keep the mixture aside.
- In another mixing bowl, blend the apple juice and pureed beans together, till it forms a smooth and creamy mixture. Place this mixture aside too.
- In a third bowl, mix the applesauce with baking soda.
- Then, place the beaten egg whites in a large mixing bowl and add all the ingredients to it. Start with the flour mixture, then add the apple juice and bean mixture and
- Then add the dry spices, i.e., the nutmeg, ground clove and the cinnamon. Mix the ingredients well, till they are well blended.
- If the cookie dough is too wet, you can add some more flour to it.
- Drop teaspoons of cookie dough on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes, or till the cookies are golden-brown.
This recipe should yield about 5 dozen cookies (60 pieces), of approximately 58 calories each. It is absolutely essential to consult a doctor or a qualified dietitian, before making any diabetic foods a regular part of a diabetic diet.
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