[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][one_full last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””][fusion_text]If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and have researched how to manage your condition effectively, you will probably know that certain changes to your lifestyle will be required. For most people, the most difficult thing is adapting their diet.

Even though you need to change what you eat, there are still plenty of tasty, filling, and easy-to-prepare food choices available. Below you will find six diabetic-safe recipes that are tasty and easy to prepare.

Starters: Multi-layered dip

This multi-layered dip is a fantastic starter as it is packed with different flavours, it’s very low in carbohydrates, and you can easily prepare a large batch to last you a few days.

Ingredients:

First layer:

• 1 ripe avocado (mashed)
• 1 tomato (diced)
• 2 jalapeno peppers (diced)
• 3-4 scallion stalks (diced)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 20g parsley (chopped)
• 15ml lime or lemon juice
• 7ml vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Second layer:

• 1 can (350-400g) pinto or black beans (pureed using a food processor)
• ½ onion (diced)
• 20g fresh coriander (chopped)
• 80ml fat-free salsa
• Cayenne pepper or chili powder to taste

Third layer:

• 300g shredded lettuce
• 1 bell pepper (any colour will do, chopped)
• 3-4 scallion stalks (diced)

Fourth layer:

• 2 large ripe tomatoes (diced)
• 20g fresh coriander (chopped)

Fifth layer:

• 60g black olives (sliced)

Preparation:

Create the first layer by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl until you achieve a creamy consistency. Lay the first layer in a large serving dish and flatten the top with a spatula.

Prepare the remaining four layers separately and keep layering one on top of another.

You can also garnish the fifth layer with some extra fresh coriander.

Starter: Middle Eastern olive and pepper rolls

This Middle Eastern-inspired starter is very low on starches and fats, as it has a diabetic exchange value of 0.5 while containing a healthy level of proteins and fibre.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole wheat flour tortillas or 2 thin pita breads
• 100g fat-free sour cream
• 20g fresh chives (finely chopped)
• 150g red roasted peppers (drained and sliced)
• 150g black olives (pitted and sliced)
• 20g lime or lemon juice
• 20g capers
• 2-3 large lettuce leaves
• 15ml olive oil

Preparation:

Put the capers, olives, lemon/lime juice and olive oil in a food processor and blend until the olives are chopped into small pieces.

Lay the tortillas or pitta bread on a kitchen worktop or large chopping board and spread 30g of sour cream on top using a spatula.

Take one third of the olive and caper filling you have just prepared and spread it over the sour cream. Top it up with a lettuce leaf and with 50g of roasted peppers.

Proceed to roll up the tortillas / pitta bread and wrap them up in cling film.

Keep the rolls in the fridge for at least 1 hour. When it’s time to serve them, simply divide each roll into 5-7 slices.

Main course: Cheddar frittata

This diabetic-safe Cheddar frittata is the perfect choice when you need to treat yourself to some comfort food. The secret is to keep the saturated fat and cholesterol content low by using only egg whites and by replacing regular Cheddar cheese with its low-fat version. Thankfully, low-fat cheeses have come a long way and it is now very easy to find flavourful and healthy alternatives that keep within the prescribed saturated fat and carbohydrate limits, and the same goes for Quorn-style products. To make it even better, you can have this frittata ready in just 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 50g low-fat Cheddar cheese (shredded)
• 1 large green bell pepper (diced)
• 300g fresh spinach (chopped)
• 200ml egg whites
• 160g Quorn-style sausages (crumbled)
• A handful of your favourite mushrooms (sliced)
• Cooking spray
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cayenne pepper or chipotle powder (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200°C using the grill setting.

Coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray and sauté the peppers, spinach, and mushrooms for approximately 3 minutes. Add the crumbled sausages to the vegetable mix and cook for another minute, then add salt and pepper to taste. Set the mix aside.

Beat the egg whites lightly and add them to the vegetable and sausage mix.

Transfer the mix to an oven-proof dish and broil for 5-6 minutes.

Sprinkle the low-fat Cheddar cheese and the cayenne or chipotle powder over the cooked mix and broil until the cheese has melted.

Main course: Pan-seared sesame tuna

You will not believe just how easy it is to prepare this classy Asian-style main course. Tuna is one of the healthiest foods for diabetics because of it’s low-carb content and high omega-3 fatty acid content.

Ingredients:

• One 200g tuna fillet
• 25g black and white sesame seeds
• 2 garlic cloves (sliced)
• One 2.5cm long piece of fresh ginger root (peeled and grated)
• 80ml hoisin sauce
• 45ml orange juice
• Cooking spray

Preparation:

Prepare the tuna fillet by rinsing it, patting it dry, and slicing it into 3cm thick pieces. Coat the sliced fillets in sesame seeds and set aside.

Coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray and bring it to a medium heat. Fry the garlic for a couple of minutes or until it is crispy. Set it aside.

Sear the tuna fillets in the same non-stick pan, cooking them for about 20-30 seconds on each side.

Mix the ginger root, hoisin sauce, orange juice, and fried garlic, then set aside in a bowl.

Once the tuna has cooled down, slice into thinner pieces (1.5cm each) and pour the sauce over it. You can serve this dish with a mixed green salad.

Dessert: Biscuit and cream crunch

You will be pleased to know that low-sugar desserts do not necessarily have to be boring. In fact, there are some tasty and downright scrumptious diabetic-safe desserts. Take this biscuit and cream treat, for example, which is perfect anytime of the year. The light but creamy texture is similar to that of a cheesecake, and you only need four ingredients to prepare it.

Ingredients:

• 1 litre of fat-free vanilla or coconut ice cream
• 200g of sugar-free bourbon biscuits
• 45ml fat-free margarine (melted)
• 50g pecans or walnuts (chopped)

Preparation:

Before you start cooking, leave to ice cream outside of the freezer until it softens. In the meantime, crush the bourbon biscuits into small crumbs.

Mix the pecans or walnuts, the biscuits, and the fat-free margarine in a bowl and reserve 1 cup (about 50g) of the mix.

Transfer the remaining mix into a square pan (a 9-inch pan will do) and press it against the bottom to create a solid layer that will be the base of this ‘cheesecake’. Place it in the freezer for approximately 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the freezer and spread the ice cream over the crumbled biscuit base, creating a thick layer, then top it up with the 50g of the nut and biscuit mix that you had reserved.

Transfer the pan to the freezer and leave it in for at least 8 hours.

Before you serve this dessert, let it defrost for five minutes to get the best consistency.

Snack: No-dough mini courgette pizzas

As a diabetic, it is crucial that you maintain your blood sugar within healthy levels. One way of achieving this is by regularly snacking on diabetic-safe foods, but the good news is that you don’t have to limit your options to raw fruit, vegetables, or nuts. These ingenious courgette pizzas are a healthy snack that takes virtually no time to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium courgette
• 30ml tomato sauce or your favourite pizza sauce
• 25g shredded low-fat cheese (ideally mozzarella)
• A handful of cherry tomatoes (thinly sliced)
• Half a green pepper (thinly sliced)
• Cooking spray

Preparation:

Start by slicing the courgette diagonally, making sure that each slice is approximately 6mm thick.

Preheat your oven to 200°C using the grill setting. In the meantime, lightly coat the courgette slices with cooking spray and set aside.

Transfer the courgette to an oven-proof dish or pan and broil / grill for two minutes on each side.

Take them out of the oven and top them up with the sliced cherry tomatoes, green pepper, and shredded cheese, and put them back in the oven until the cheese has melted.

As you can see, being diabetic does not imply having to give up on one of life’s finest pleasures. A diabetic diet can be full of flavour and variety, and more importantly, it can help you stay healthy and manage your condition effectively.[/fusion_text][/one_full][/fullwidth]