3 Easy Diabetic Friendly Recipes
Dec 01, 2021
Posted by: GR0
Whether you’re living a ketogenic lifestyle, prefer plants over animals, or simply on a mission to make healthier eating choices, coming up with new ideas to put on your plate can be tough — especially if you have a medical condition with specific dietary needs.
For the millions of folks in the United States living with diabetes, this means whipping up meals that prevent harmful blood sugar spikes. But with sugar lurking in just about everything from bread and dairy-based foods to condiments and sauces, steering clear of the sweet stuff can be much easier said than done.
Figuring Out the Best Eating Plan for You
To keep misbehaving blood sugar levels in check, some people hop on the Dash Diet bandwagon or go completely vegan. Others try the low carb approach, since limiting carbohydrates has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels. When it comes to living healthily as a diabetic, there are many approaches because everyone is unique.
There’s no one-shoe-fits-all eating pattern for those with diabetes. Everybody responds differently to different types of foods—so it’s of the utmost importance to work closely with your health care provider to figure out what’s best for you.
According to the American Diabetes Association (or ADA for short), the keys to a beneficial diet that can help manage blood sugar levels are as follows:
- Include fresh fruits and veggies
- Avoid trans fats
- Refrain from eating processed foods
- Stick with lean protein
- Choose foods with less added sugar
- Limit refined grains
Regardless of how you approach your diet, we know that it can be a bit of a challenge to come up with a meal plan that’s both healthy and tasty. But don’t worry — Uprising Food is coming to the rescue!
We’ve put together a bunch of mouth-watering blood-sugar-friendly dishes that are sure to be a hit around the dinner table. Even if you don’t have diabetes, these simple recipes make for nutritious and flavorful meals that the whole family can enjoy.
Are you ready? Let’s dive in!
First, Here’s A Quick Recap On Diabetes
In the U.S., it’s estimated that there are more than 30 million people with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes. It’s a serious medical condition where your blood sugar level is too high. This can happen when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin it does produce isn’t effective.
What’s Insulin?
Insulin is a hormone made in a gland located behind the stomach called the pancreas. It allows your body to use glucose for energy. Glucose is your body's primary energy source and is a type of sugar found in many carbohydrates.
After you eat them, carbs are broken down in your digestive tract, where they convert into glucose. That glucose is then absorbed directly into your bloodstream through the lining of your small intestine. The moment glucose hits the bloodstream, insulin signals cells throughout the body to absorb the sugar, where it is then used for energy.
Insulin also plays a role in keeping blood sugar levels balanced. When there’s too much glucose circulating in the bloodstream, insulin instructs your body to store the excess glucose in your liver. This stored glucose isn’t released until your blood glucose levels decrease, which may happen between meals or when your body needs an extra energy boost.
What Happens When You Have Diabetes?
Diabetes can affect how your body processes glucose in two different ways:
- The body is unable to make insulin (type 1 diabetes)
- The body is insulin resistant (type 2 diabetes)
In both types, glucose can’t get into the cells as it should, which results in blood sugar levels being too high or too low. And when your blood sugar levels aren’t balanced, it can leave you feeling dizzy, sluggish, and tired. Over time, unmanaged diabetes can severely damage just about every organ in the body.
Managing Diabetes With a Healthy Diet
To keep your blood glucose level steady and under control, embracing a healthy eating plan is key. Staying on track with a good diet can help you:
- Maintain general good health
- Better manage your blood glucose levels
- Prevent the development of diabetic complications
- Sustain a healthy body weight
- Support proper cardiovascular functioning
Needless to say, eating healthy is crucial for those with diabetes! Here are a few super simple nutrient-rich, diabetes-friendly recipes that are so good, you won’t believe that they’re diabetic-friendly:
1. Avocado Toast with Egg
Unbelievably simple yet undeniably delicious, avocado toast topped with an egg is a quick meal that’s not only oh-so-good but also super nutritious — especially for diabetics.
According to researchers, both avocados and eggs may help in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Plus, adding egg can help you eat more healthy calories while sticking to lower carbs, and it adds a boost of protein without resorting to fatty meats like beef or pork.
Be sure to swap out your highly processed white bread (which can cause blood sugar spikes) for a slice of our low-carb, high-fiber Uprising Bread to help keep your glucose levels balanced.
Masterfully crafted with clean superfood ingredients like psyllium husk, almonds, and flax seeds, our Uprising Superfood Loaves are gluten-free and keto-approved with only two net carbs per serving — works like a daily supplement, tastes like a sourdough!
You can serve this toast a la carte or as a side dish alongside low-fat greek yogurt or soup!
2. Homemade Snack Mix
Feeling peckish and looking for a fast snack? Make a yummy homemade snack mix that you can enjoy on the go. This recipe calls for heart-healthy nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios. Peanuts are also an excellent choice as they are a good source of protein. Just be careful to buy unsalted nuts, so you don't overdo it on the sodium.
If you have a sweet tooth, feel free to add a pinch of sugar-free chocolate chips, cinnamon and other yummy spices, or a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut flakes.
Top your mix with Uprising Food’s Superfood Freedom Chips for a boost of prebiotic fiber and an extra layer of crunch.
3. Spinach and Green Apple Salad
Delightfully refreshing, this low-carb recipe is easy to throw together and full of body-nourishing nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
A well-known superfood, spinach is exceptionally good for people with diabetes due to its negligible effect on blood sugar. Apples contain polyphenols, which are plant-based compounds known to slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. Together, these foods work to combat hunger pangs while keeping blood sugar levels in check.
To make this dish, add fresh baby spinach and sliced green apples into a bowl. For an extra punch of flavor, add chopped red onion, walnuts, carrots, beets, and celery. Herbs and garnishes like garlic, parsley, and lemon are another tangy addition to the overall flavor palette of this salad.
Tomatoes, goat cheese, and sweet potatoes are also a great way to add a little natural sweetness to this savory dish. Stick with a non-fat, low-sugar dressing or a drizzle of apple cider vinegar.
Want an extra crunch? Make homemade croutons using our Uprising Bread! All you have to do is dice the bread into cubes before lightly coating them with olive oil and a sprinkle of pepper and salt. Toast the cubed bread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes (tossing midway through) or until golden brown.
Once the croutons are done, allow them to cool before tossing them into your salad.
The best thing about salads is that they're so easily customizable for your needs. If you want to add a little lean protein into the mix, simply shred some oven-warmed chicken, salmon, or turkey into your bowl.
A Final Word
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up taste. You don’t have to consume boring salads or bland meals on the daily, and you certainly don’t have to make intricate dishes that prevent you from ever leaving the kitchen.
With a little inspiration, planning, and preparation, you can manage your diabetes and enjoy tasty recipes that are easy to make as well as undeniably delicious. To help you on your journey, we’re here to support you with diabetic-friendly foods such as our Uprising Superfood Bread and Chips.
Here at Uprising Food, our goal is to make you the freshest, healthiest, and tastiest superfood products on the market that can be delivered directly to your door.
Whether your dietary needs require you to watch your sugar intake to prevent glucose spikes, or you’re simply on a mission to improve your overall well-being by making healthier choices, you can always count on us to have your back.
From the tastiest low-carb bread on the planet to our unbelievably crunchy high-fiber chips, eating healthy has never been easier. Check us out today and experience heaven tomorrow!
Sources:
Insulin Basics | ADA
National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020 | CDC
Added sugar: Where is it hiding? | Health Harvard
Nutrition Therapy for Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes: A Consensus Report
What Can I Eat? | ADA
Diabetes Symptoms | CDC
Diabetes and healthy eating | Better Health
A randomized 3x3 crossover study to evaluate the effect of Hass avocado intake on post-ingestive satiety, glucose and insulin levels, and subsequent energy intake in overweight adults | Nutrition Journal
Are eggs an option for people with type 2 diabetes? | Diabetes
Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar | The Nutrition Source | Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
The role of polyphenols in modern nutrition | PubMed
Whether you’re living a ketogenic lifestyle, prefer plants over animals, or simply on a mission to make healthier eating choices, coming up with new ideas to put on your plate can be tough — especially if you have a medical condition with specific dietary needs.
For the millions of folks in the United States living with diabetes, this means whipping up meals that prevent harmful blood sugar spikes. But with sugar lurking in just about everything from bread and dairy-based foods to condiments and sauces, steering clear of the sweet stuff can be much easier said than done.
Figuring Out the Best Eating Plan for You
To keep misbehaving blood sugar levels in check, some people hop on the Dash Diet bandwagon or go completely vegan. Others try the low carb approach, since limiting carbohydrates has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels. When it comes to living healthily as a diabetic, there are many approaches because everyone is unique.
There’s no one-shoe-fits-all eating pattern for those with diabetes. Everybody responds differently to different types of foods—so it’s of the utmost importance to work closely with your health care provider to figure out what’s best for you.
According to the American Diabetes Association (or ADA for short), the keys to a beneficial diet that can help manage blood sugar levels are as follows:
- Include fresh fruits and veggies
- Avoid trans fats
- Refrain from eating processed foods
- Stick with lean protein
- Choose foods with less added sugar
- Limit refined grains
Regardless of how you approach your diet, we know that it can be a bit of a challenge to come up with a meal plan that’s both healthy and tasty. But don’t worry — Uprising Food is coming to the rescue!
We’ve put together a bunch of mouth-watering blood-sugar-friendly dishes that are sure to be a hit around the dinner table. Even if you don’t have diabetes, these simple recipes make for nutritious and flavorful meals that the whole family can enjoy.
Are you ready? Let’s dive in!
First, Here’s A Quick Recap On Diabetes
In the U.S., it’s estimated that there are more than 30 million people with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes. It’s a serious medical condition where your blood sugar level is too high. This can happen when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin it does produce isn’t effective.
What’s Insulin?
Insulin is a hormone made in a gland located behind the stomach called the pancreas. It allows your body to use glucose for energy. Glucose is your body's primary energy source and is a type of sugar found in many carbohydrates.
After you eat them, carbs are broken down in your digestive tract, where they convert into glucose. That glucose is then absorbed directly into your bloodstream through the lining of your small intestine. The moment glucose hits the bloodstream, insulin signals cells throughout the body to absorb the sugar, where it is then used for energy.
Insulin also plays a role in keeping blood sugar levels balanced. When there’s too much glucose circulating in the bloodstream, insulin instructs your body to store the excess glucose in your liver. This stored glucose isn’t released until your blood glucose levels decrease, which may happen between meals or when your body needs an extra energy boost.
What Happens When You Have Diabetes?
Diabetes can affect how your body processes glucose in two different ways:
- The body is unable to make insulin (type 1 diabetes)
- The body is insulin resistant (type 2 diabetes)
In both types, glucose can’t get into the cells as it should, which results in blood sugar levels being too high or too low. And when your blood sugar levels aren’t balanced, it can leave you feeling dizzy, sluggish, and tired. Over time, unmanaged diabetes can severely damage just about every organ in the body.
Managing Diabetes With a Healthy Diet
To keep your blood glucose level steady and under control, embracing a healthy eating plan is key. Staying on track with a good diet can help you:
- Maintain general good health
- Better manage your blood glucose levels
- Prevent the development of diabetic complications
- Sustain a healthy body weight
- Support proper cardiovascular functioning
Needless to say, eating healthy is crucial for those with diabetes! Here are a few super simple nutrient-rich, diabetes-friendly recipes that are so good, you won’t believe that they’re diabetic-friendly:
1. Avocado Toast with Egg
Unbelievably simple yet undeniably delicious, avocado toast topped with an egg is a quick meal that’s not only oh-so-good but also super nutritious — especially for diabetics.
According to researchers, both avocados and eggs may help in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Plus, adding egg can help you eat more healthy calories while sticking to lower carbs, and it adds a boost of protein without resorting to fatty meats like beef or pork.
Be sure to swap out your highly processed white bread (which can cause blood sugar spikes) for a slice of our low-carb, high-fiber Uprising Bread to help keep your glucose levels balanced.
Masterfully crafted with clean superfood ingredients like psyllium husk, almonds, and flax seeds, our Uprising Superfood Loaves are gluten-free and keto-approved with only two net carbs per serving — works like a daily supplement, tastes like a sourdough!
You can serve this toast a la carte or as a side dish alongside low-fat greek yogurt or soup!
2. Homemade Snack Mix
Feeling peckish and looking for a fast snack? Make a yummy homemade snack mix that you can enjoy on the go. This recipe calls for heart-healthy nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios. Peanuts are also an excellent choice as they are a good source of protein. Just be careful to buy unsalted nuts, so you don't overdo it on the sodium.
If you have a sweet tooth, feel free to add a pinch of sugar-free chocolate chips, cinnamon and other yummy spices, or a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut flakes.
Top your mix with Uprising Food’s Superfood Freedom Chips for a boost of prebiotic fiber and an extra layer of crunch.
3. Spinach and Green Apple Salad
Delightfully refreshing, this low-carb recipe is easy to throw together and full of body-nourishing nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
A well-known superfood, spinach is exceptionally good for people with diabetes due to its negligible effect on blood sugar. Apples contain polyphenols, which are plant-based compounds known to slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. Together, these foods work to combat hunger pangs while keeping blood sugar levels in check.
To make this dish, add fresh baby spinach and sliced green apples into a bowl. For an extra punch of flavor, add chopped red onion, walnuts, carrots, beets, and celery. Herbs and garnishes like garlic, parsley, and lemon are another tangy addition to the overall flavor palette of this salad.
Tomatoes, goat cheese, and sweet potatoes are also a great way to add a little natural sweetness to this savory dish. Stick with a non-fat, low-sugar dressing or a drizzle of apple cider vinegar.
Want an extra crunch? Make homemade croutons using our Uprising Bread! All you have to do is dice the bread into cubes before lightly coating them with olive oil and a sprinkle of pepper and salt. Toast the cubed bread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes (tossing midway through) or until golden brown.
Once the croutons are done, allow them to cool before tossing them into your salad.
The best thing about salads is that they're so easily customizable for your needs. If you want to add a little lean protein into the mix, simply shred some oven-warmed chicken, salmon, or turkey into your bowl.
A Final Word
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up taste. You don’t have to consume boring salads or bland meals on the daily, and you certainly don’t have to make intricate dishes that prevent you from ever leaving the kitchen.
With a little inspiration, planning, and preparation, you can manage your diabetes and enjoy tasty recipes that are easy to make as well as undeniably delicious. To help you on your journey, we’re here to support you with diabetic-friendly foods such as our Uprising Superfood Bread and Chips.
Here at Uprising Food, our goal is to make you the freshest, healthiest, and tastiest superfood products on the market that can be delivered directly to your door.
Whether your dietary needs require you to watch your sugar intake to prevent glucose spikes, or you’re simply on a mission to improve your overall well-being by making healthier choices, you can always count on us to have your back.
From the tastiest low-carb bread on the planet to our unbelievably crunchy high-fiber chips, eating healthy has never been easier. Check us out today and experience heaven tomorrow!
Sources:
Insulin Basics | ADA
National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020 | CDC
Added sugar: Where is it hiding? | Health Harvard
Nutrition Therapy for Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes: A Consensus Report
What Can I Eat? | ADA
Diabetes Symptoms | CDC
Diabetes and healthy eating | Better Health
A randomized 3x3 crossover study to evaluate the effect of Hass avocado intake on post-ingestive satiety, glucose and insulin levels, and subsequent energy intake in overweight adults | Nutrition Journal
Are eggs an option for people with type 2 diabetes? | Diabetes
Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar | The Nutrition Source | Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
The role of polyphenols in modern nutrition | PubMed
