Special Foods For Diabetics To Try Out This Christmas

Posted: November 24, 2021 8:24 am

Discover some special foods you can try out this Christmas if you have Diabetes!

We all know that food is an integral part of Christmas time. So, what about making some unique recipes with your loved ones? There is some lovely diabetes recipe to try out this Christmas. Some beautiful Christmas products for diabetics can be bought on amazon. Check them out to get the fantastic products at a discounted price.
Here is a list of the fun recipe for diabetes to try out during Christmas.

1) Mushroom and Thyme Risotto

This is a lovely, warm and soft dish for people with diabetes. Risotto is also an adorable food to try out during Christmas time.

Ingredients
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 100 g mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced
– 1 onion, finely chopped
– 2 garlic cloves, crushed
– 200 g/7oz arborio rice
– 350 ml hot vegetable stock
– 4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
– 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
Method:
1 Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish.
2 Add the mushrooms and onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and rice, then pour over the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 18–20 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
3 Remove from heat, stir through thyme leaves & season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with cheese before serving. Serve hot.

2) Steamed Curried Fruit Pudding

This pudding is a lovely alternative to Christmas puddings as it’s sweet enough but not filled with sugar which makes it perfect for people with diabetes too.


Ingredients:
– 100 g/4 oz sultanas
– 100 g/4 oz currants
– 1/2 tsp mixed spice
– 2 tbsp soy flour
– 1 apple, peeled & grated
– Zest & juice of 1 orange
Method:
1 Put the fruit in a small bowl with the mixed spice & orange zest and mix.
2 Stir in soy flour, combine well & put into a greased pudding basin. Make a crease across the center of the pudding to allow room for it to rise. Steam for about one hour or until cooked through. Serve hot with custard or cream;

3) Pavlova With Passionfruit And Vanilla Cream

This is another lovely recipe that doesn’t include too much sugar like most of the mains during Christmas time.

Ingredients:
– 6 egg whites at room temperature
– 1 cup caster sugar (superfine granulated sugar)
– 1 tsp white vinegar (optional)
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 cup double cream (heavy or whipping cream)
– 3 passionfruit, halved and pulp removed
Method:
1 Heat oven to 110C/225F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick baking paper. Put egg whites in a clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted, then slowly add caster sugar while continuing to mix until firm & glossy when the beaters are raised again.
2 Add vinegar, if using, & vanilla extract & fold through meringue mixture with a spatula; when all ingredients have been combined, spread out swirls of meringue on prepared baking paper to make a round shape approximately 35cm in diameter.
3 Bake for 1 hour & turn the oven off once the time is up & leave the meringue inside with oven door closed, allow to cool completely.

4) Grilled Salmon With Lemon And Dill Sauce

This delicious dish is safe for people with diabetes as it’s just fish and some other accessories;

Ingredients:
– 100 g/4 oz couscous
– 2 tbsp lemon juice
– 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus extra to garnish
– 1 tsp olive oil
– 4 x 125 g/4½ oz skinless salmon fillets
Method:
1. Cook the couscous according to packet instructions.
2 Add the lemon juice & dill. Stir through oil.
3 Season with salt & pepper.
Serve sprinkled with more dill & accompanied by grilled salmon alongside steamed spinach or green beans;

5) Minted Zucchini And Couscous Salad With Low Fat Ranch Dressing

This is another excellent dish for the whole family; the salad has its flavors and tastes very fresh;

Ingredients:
– 200 g/7oz couscous
– 250 ml/8 fl oz boiling water
– 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
– 2 tsp olive oil
– 2 zucchini (courgettes), trimmed & coarsely grated
Method:
1 Put couscous in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water & cover with cling film. Set aside for 10 minutes to steam. Fluff up grains with a fork, season with salt & pepper, and stir in mint and lemon juice.
2 Heat oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook zucchini for 2 minutes on each side or until golden with dark grill marks.
3 Serve zucchini, couscous with ranch dressing on the side.

6) Mustard Crusted Pork Loin In Fresh Apple Sauce With Carrots And Fennel

This is a delicious meal with lots of flavors you can choose from; it’s also very healthy and suitable for diabetics because there isn’t a lot of sugar inside the applesauce.


Ingredients:
– 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
– 3 carrots, peeled & thickly sliced
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 4 x 150 g/5½ oz pork fillets (tenderloin)
– 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
– 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce *optional*
Method:
1 Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add carrots and fennel. Cook for 3 minutes, then drain well.
2 Heat oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook pork fillets for 2 minutes on each side or until golden with dark grill marks, set aside onto plate lined with paper towel;
3 Add carrot, fennel & three-quarters of apple sauce, cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender;
4. Serve pork on a bed of vegetables with remaining apple sauce on the side.

7) Easy Turkey Meatballs With Creamy Tomato Sauce And Parmesan

This recipe is ideal for those who don’t have much time to cook; the meatballs are very easy and quick to make and taste fantastic.

Ingredients:
– 350 g/12 oz minced (ground) turkey
– 1 egg, lightly beaten
– 1 slice bread, crusts removed & soaked in 60 ml/2 fl oz milk
– 3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
– 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
– 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve if desired (optional)
– salt & pepper
Method:
1 Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, season with salt & pepper, and roll a tablespoonful of mixture into a ball using your hands. Repeat with the remaining mixture;
2 Transfer meatballs onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked through;
3 Meanwhile, heat tomato sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add salt & pepper if required; Serve meatballs on top of creamy tomato sauce with some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top if desired.

8) Roast Pork Loin With Sesame And Soy Sauce

This dish is trendy in Asian cuisine and usually can be found in Chinese takeaways; it’s straightforward to make and tastes delicious.


Ingredients:
– 1 tsp sesame seeds
– 4 x 150 g/5½ oz pork fillets (tenderloin)
– 2 tbsp soy sauce
– 1 tbsp rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
– 2 garlic cloves, crushed
– ½ tsp ground ginger
– 1 tbsp sesame oil
– 1 tsp sugar, or sweetener if you prefer
Method:
1 Heat oven to 200C/400F. Place the pork fillets on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cook for 10 minutes on each side. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl; brush both sides of pork fillets with mixture and drizzle over some sesame oil; sprinkle with sesame seeds and season with pepper;
2 Continue cooking in the oven until cooked through (about five more minutes in total); Cut up into strips when cool enough to handle. Serve warm or cold; enjoy!

9) Low Fat Pumpkin And Chickpea Curry

This is an exciting recipe; it has more than one vegetable inside the sauce, making it tasty and healthy for people with diabetes.


Ingredients:
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 2 onions, chopped
– 3 garlic cloves, crushed
– 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
– 50 g/2 oz sultanas (golden raisins) or ready to eat dried apricots cut into small pieces if preferred)
– 2 x 400 g/14 oz cans chopped tomatoes
– 1 tsp sugar, or to taste
– salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 410 g/14½ oz pumpkin, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces (you can also use butternut squash)
– 400 ml/14 fl oz hot vegetable stock
– 250 g/9 oz cooked chickpeas (garbanzos) from a can, drained and rinsed in cold water if preferred *optional*
Method:
1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add onion and garlic, cook until soft.
2 Add spices, sultanas/apricots, tomatoes & sugar to pan along with salt & pepper. Bring up to boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened;
3 Add pumpkin pieces and an equal amount of hot stock (so that everything is covered), bring back up to boil, then turn the heat right down again. Simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until pumpkin is cooked through but not mushy, occasionally stir during cooking time ;
4. Stir through chickpeas, then recheck the seasoning before serving if necessary. Serve immediately with steamed rice desired *tip*

10) Lemon Tuna And Bean Salad

This is another delicious salad which will impress you, can be served as a meal on its own but you could also do it with warm crusty bread.


Ingredients:
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 2 tsp sugar or sweetener for diabetics
– 250 g bag garden salad, washed *tip* it would be beneficial to put your spices away after use so that they’d go bad too quickly, which is why I wouldn’t recommend keeping all the spices shown below in your cupboards for too long.
Method:
1 Heat oil in a pan, add onion and garlic, cook until soft.
2 Stir through sugar/sweetener, then turn up the heat & constantly stir until the mixture caramelizes into golden brown color;
3 Transfer beans to a large bowl, then pour over warm onion mixture. Season to taste with salt & pepper, toss gently to coat. Serve immediately or cover and chill until needed; Enjoy!

11) Dessert: Pumpkin Pie
This is a great dish to have during the holidays, contains ingredients that will satisfy your sweet tooth and prevent diabetes in the same time so you’ll get a win-win here.


Ingredients:
– 12 oz pumpkin puree
– 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
– 2 large eggs, beaten
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1 tsp salt
– 1/2 tsp ground ginger
– 1/4 tsp ground cloves
– 1 cup 2% or whole milk
– 1 tbsp lemon juice *optional*
– homemade pie crust for a 9 in. dish (see note)
– 1 tbsp sugar, for sprinkling on crust

Method:
1 Preheat oven to 375 F and place rack in lower third of oven.
2 In a large bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, salt and ginger. Gradually add milk while stirring to combine wet ingredients. Add lemon juice if using and mix well;
3 Pour filling into pie crust. Bake on lower rack for 50 minutes or until center of pie is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
4 Cool to room temperature, then chill in fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.

There are so many different recipes that you could try out during Christmas; this article has just highlighted some of the many diabetes recipes you could try out.

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