Food prep tips to help manage diabetes diet

Meal preparation may be a bit overwhelming, especially when you are managing diabetes. But fear not. These seven tips will help you plan and prepare diabetes-friendly meals.

1. Opt for quick, easy prep options

Wrap up your worries with these meal ideas: Taco lettuce with corn, pineapple chicken tenders with ginisang sigarilyas at mais (sauteed winged beans and corn).

These protein-packed choices offer a diabetic-friendly option for those looking for a swift meal fix. Combined preparation and cooking time for each meal will not take longer than 30 minutes.

   - Taco lettuce with corn - Sauté lean ground pork with garlic and onion until cooked through. Add chopped tomatoes, corn, thyme, salt, and pepper. Serve this mixture with lettuce leaves or you can even wrap it all up in a whole grain tortilla for a tasty and healthy meal. (Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes)¹

   -  Pineapple chicken tenders - Marinate sliced chicken breast in a mixture of pineapple syrup, banana catsup, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Pan-fry until cooked and enjoy a sweet and savory treat. (Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes)²

   - Ginisang sigarilyas at mais (sauteed winged beans and corn)

   - Sauté thinly sliced sigarilyas (winged beans) and yellow corn in a pan with onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook until tender. (Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 10 minutes)²

2. Prepare handy snacks

When you are in a hurry, having snacks readily available may be helpful.

For quick eats - hard-boiled eggs, salads, and nuts may be your go-to snacks.

• Hard-boiled eggs may be cooked in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to seven days. But make sure to refrigerate the eggs within two hours of cooking, and avoid leaving cooked eggs out at room temperature for more than two hours.³
• Salads may be prepared in batches and stored for a refreshing and nutritious snack. If you prefer a salad with dressing, remember to only add the dressing just before eating it.⁴
• Nuts are high in fiber and protein, and contain minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats that may benefit your health.⁵ As a general rule, most dietitians suggest consuming approximately one ounce of nuts daily, provided there are no medical contraindications or allergies to nuts. ⁵

Here are the recommended daily servings for the different types of nuts:

Almonds: 24 pieces

Cashews: 18 medium-sized pieces

Peanuts: 35 pieces

Walnuts: 10-14 pieces

Pecans: 15-19 halves⁵

3. Make large portions of your healthy recipe for extras

When you are preparing a healthy recipe, consider making extra portions. These leftovers may be a time-saver on busy days. For example, you may shred leftover baked chicken to add to salads, stews, or sandwiches.⁴

• Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry: This is a versatile weeknight option, ideal for using leftovers or extra ingredients in your fridge. Combine the leftover beef and broccoli with cooked rice and stir in a quick sauce made from soy sauce, chicken broth, and cornstarch. Heat it all up in a pan, and you have a stir fry dish with just 15 minutes each of prep and cook time. While this recipe mentions a frozen broccoli stir fry mix, you may use any frozen or fresh vegetables you have in your fridge. You may also substitute beef with chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu for a vegetarian twist.⁶
• Homemade classic spaghetti and meatballs: This hearty Italian classic gets a diabetes-friendly twist. Leftover beef mince may be given new life and turned into meatballs by mixing them with breadcrumbs, grated onion, garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, a lightly whisked egg, and Glucerna powder. Cook and then simmer these meatballs in a rich tomato sauce, infused with beef or vegetable stock, finely chopped fresh continental parsley, and shredded fresh basil.⁷
• Berry smoothie bowl: Turn leftover fruits into a breakfast smoothie. This is a delightful way to repurpose leftover berries, bananas, or other fruits. Blending them with reduced-fat Greek yogurt, chia seeds, and Glucerna powder, infuses the smoothie with nutrients. This breakfast option is quick to prepare and gives that needed energy for the day.⁸

By repurposing these leftover ingredients, you will have a variety of ready-to-eat meals for those busy days when you do not have time to cook from scratch.

4. Plan your food portions for each meal before you cook

Before you start cooking, think about portion sizes. Planning is key to managing your diabetes. Portion out your meals according to the diet plan your doctor or nutritionist has designed for you. You may use individual containers to store your meals, helping you manage portion control and making it easy to pack a healthy meal.⁹

5. Start with food that take long to cook¹⁰

Time is precious. To help manage your time in the kitchen, start with food that take the longest to cook. This includes roasted vegetables, dried beans, whole grains like brown rice, and proteins like chicken. While these are simmering, you may prepare the rest of your meal.¹¹

6. Include easy-to-prepare dietary fiber in your diet

Fiber-rich food like cereal, psyllium, whole grains, non-starchy vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and beans or other legumes, help curb your cravings by helping you feel and stay full, and keep your blood sugar in check.^12,13

Because fiber cannot be digested, it moves slowly through the stomach, giving a prolonged feeling of fullness. Additionally, many fiber-rich food are typically low in calories, which may help with weight loss.¹³

Consuming fiber-rich foods may also have a positive impact on blood sugar control. Due to the body's incapacity to absorb and break down fiber, it does not cause a surge in blood sugar as other carbohydrates do. This may help in maintaining your blood sugar levels within your target range.¹³

Ways to add fiber to your diet:

• For breakfast, you can mix yogurt or overnight oats with fruits like banana, mangoes, or papaya, or make a bowl of oatmeal with nuts and berries.^13,14,15
• For a full lunch with carbs, look for breads that list whole grain flour as the first ingredient, swap out white rice for brown rice or quinoa, and try whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta.
• For healthy snacks, consider fruits (such as apples, pears and bananas), vegetables (such as baby carrots), nuts (like almonds or pistachios), and seeds (such as sunflower seeds).
• For dinner, start with a salad, or add spinach, broccoli, or a bag of frozen mixed vegetables to your meals.¹⁴

7. Have a meal replacement drink on-the-go

When life gets extra hectic, and cooking is not an option, having a meal replacement drink like Glucerna comes in handy. Formulated with a low glycemic index (GI), Glucerna may help manage blood glucose response, and it can also help you to feel full for long, along with proper diet and daily activities. It is also packed with 35 nutrients to help you stay on track with your diabetes and weight management.

Do not forget the basics

Remember these essential tips:

• Balancing your meals and snacks helps regulate blood sugar.¹⁶
• Make healthy food choices every day to help keep your blood sugar levels in check.¹⁷
• Aim for the right mix of carbs, proteins, fats, and fiber to help support your nutritional needs.¹⁸

Managing diabetes does not mean you have to stress about meal preparation. With these tips, you may make food prep a breeze, even with a busy schedule, and you will be well on your way to delicious, nutritious meals that help support your health and satisfy your taste buds. 

References:

1. Food and Nutrition Research Institute - Department of Science and Technology. Healthy SNACKS & BEVERAGES for Adults. 2023 Menu Guide Calendar.
2. Food and Nutrition Research Institute - Department of Science and Technology. NUTRITIOUS MEALS for Healthier Families in the Now Normal. 2022 Menu Guide Calendar.
3. Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Shell Eggs from Farm to Table.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meal Prep to Better Manage Your Diabetes.
5. University Hospitals. The Science of Health. Can You Overdose on Nuts? Published online 2023 Jan 25. Copyright © 2023. University Hospitals. All rights reserved.
6. Diabetes Food Hub. Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry. Copyright © 2023. American Diabetes Association®. All rights reserved.
7. Glucerna. Homemade Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs. © 2022 Abbott. All Rights Reserved.
8. Glucerna. Berry Smoothie Bowl. © 2022 Abbott. All Rights Reserved.
9. National Library of Medicine. National Centre for Biotechnology Information. Pubmed.org. Nutritional recommendation for individuals with diabetes. Allison Gray, RDn, MBA and Rebecca J Threlkeld, MS, RDN, LDN. Oct 2019
10. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source. Meal Prep Guide. Copyright © 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved.
11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes Meal Planning.
12. National Library of Medicine. National Centre for Biotechnology Information. Pubmed Central. J Chiropr Med. 2018 MARCH. 17(1): 44-53. Published online 2018 March 1. DOl: 10.1016/jjem.2017.11.002. Dietary fibre intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus: An umbrella review of meta analyses. Marc P. Mcrae, MSC, DC, FACN, DACBN. Mar 2018.
13.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fiber: The Carb That Helps You Manage Diabetes.
14. Glucerna. Banana Maple Smoothie. © 2022 Abbott. All Rights Reserved.
15. Glucerna. Papaya Overnight Oats. © 2022 Abbott. All Rights Reserved.
16. Food and Blood sugar. Make your food work for your blood sugar. Blood sugar highs and lows can be frustrating. Find out how to get a better handle on things and stay even. Copyright 1995-2022.
American Diabetes Association®. All rights reserved. 1995-2022
17. National Library of Medicine. National Centre for Biotechnology Information. Pubmed Central. Contextually appropriate tools and solutions to facilitate healthy eating identified by people with type 2 diabetes. M Carolina Achundia Herrera. Denise L Campbell Scherer. Rhonda C Bell. Catherine B Chan.Published online 2021 Jul 13. Doi: 10.3390/nu13072301
18. National Library of Medicine. National Centre for Biotechnology Information. Pubmed Central. Prevention and management of Type 2 Diabetes: Dietary components and nutritional strategies. Syliva H Ley, PhD, RD. Osama Hamdy, MD, PhD. V Mohan, MD, PhD. Frank B Hu, MD, PhD. Published as Lancet 2014 June 07. Doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60613-9.