Check out These 7 Diabetes Dinner Recipes for the Week Ahead
Managing diabetes with diet just got easier and a little more appetizing with these seven diabetes dinner recipes. You will find that you won’t have to reinvent your flavor palate because most of these easy diabetes recipes are a flavorful twist on an old favorite. Apart from being healthy and delicious, they help to provide some essential nutrients that can support your health rather than work against it. The best part is that most of these diabetes dinner recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. The only requirement is that you get the ingredients ahead of time.
Monday
Seared Shrimp and Ginger Stir Fried Vegetables
Not that you needed anything to entice you to try this dish; but there is a promising benefit embedded in this easy diabetic recipe. According to a new study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, as a close relative to turmeric; ginger contains some of the same medicinal properties that help to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes in prediabetics. And that is just one of the amazing ingredients in this dish. Other ingredients include:
- 2 ounces medium sized shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 teaspoon fresh ginger crushed
- 1 teaspoon Canola Oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- ½ cup Snow Peas
- ½ cup Shitake mushrooms
- ½ cup carrot sticks
- 2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon water
- Pinch each of ground sea salt and black pepper
(you may also substitute any of the vegetables above with a vegetable of your choice).
To prepare; season shrimp to taste with freshly ground salt and pepper. In a sauce pan, heat canola oil and quickly sear shrimp on both sides until opaque and pink. Set aside.
Mix together sesame oil, ginger, garlic and lime juice. Pour over the broccoli, carrots, snow peas and mushrooms then lightly toss to coat vegetables with this mixture. Stir fry for approximately 2 minutes in the same sauce pan used to sear the shrimp. Add soy sauce and water. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Top with Shrimp and serve.
Tuesday
Crispy Oven Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Fries
Many people with diabetes shy away from sweet potato for fear of the carbohydrate and perceived sugar content. However, apart from the fact that it is loaded with phytonutrients, fiber and rich in vitamins A, C and B6 sweet potato also has some unexpected beneficial blood sugar lowering effects. Research indicate that diabetics tend to have lower levels of adiponectin; a protein hormone that is naturally produced in the body by fat cells. In people with type 2 diabetes, sweet potato has been shown to significantly increase adiponectin levels. So, despite being a carbohydrate, according to medical research, eating a small portion of sweet potatoes may actually help to lower insulin resistance and stabilize blood sugar levels.
The following ingredients for chicken and sweet potato serves four adults.
- 3-4 Medium Sized Sweet Potatoes
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halved
- 3/4 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Snipped fresh parsley (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425° F. Spray a wire rack with olive oil cooking spray, place on foil or on a large baking sheet and set aside.
Combine buttermilk, the paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and toss together in a bowl. Immerse chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture. Let marinate while preparing sweet potato.
Wash and cut sweet potatoes into small wedges. Dry and lightly spray potato wedges with olive oil cooking spray. Toss with salt, black pepper and garlic powder (optional). Arrange on a cookie sheet so none overlap. Set aside.
Drain chicken and discard buttermilk mixture.
In a bowl, mix together panko, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Coat all sides of the chicken one piece at a time with panko mixture. Place chicken pieces on the prepared rack. Spray tops of chicken pieces lightly with olive oil.
Bake chicken and sweet potato for 20 minutes or until thermometer read 165 degrees Fahrenheit (F) for chicken and sweet potatoes pierce easily with a fork. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Wednesday
For approximately 10 servings with only 149 Calories, 12 grams’ carbohydrate and 0 g sugar, black beans are the super ingredient in this easy diabetic dinner recipe. Others include:
- 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2 cans (15-oz. each) black beans that has been rinsed and drained
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 medium sweet red peppers, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (4-oz.) chopped green chilies
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 can (28-oz.) Italian stewed tomatoes
- 1 beer or a cup of low sodium chicken broth
To prepare; heat olive oil in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Add chicken, onion and peppers. Sauté until chicken is lightly brown and onions and peppers are softened. Add green chilies, chili powder, garlic, coriander and cumin. Let spices cook for one minute. Toss in black beans, chopped Italian stewed tomatoes and the beer or broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir and serve
Thursday
Lemon Salmon with Garlic Spinach
Here’s a twist on an old favorite that is such an easy addition to the managing diabetes with diet scheme of things that it is hard to believe it is also packed with flavor and nutrients. The following ingredients in this recipe serves four.
- 4 wild salmon fillets
- Two large garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 Tbsp. lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12 ounces’ baby spinach, rinsed
To prepare; preheat broiler to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with foil or spray with olive oil cooking spray. Brush salmon filets with olive oil and drizzle with lemon juice (reserve 1 teaspoon of oil and juice each for the spinach). Season to taste with freshly ground salt and black pepper. Broil until the fish is cooked for approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
While the fish is in the broiler, heat remaining olive oil in a sauté pan. Add garlic and sauté for about 20 seconds. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Gradually pile spinach into the pan with the garlic and allow each batch to wilt before adding more. Stir in the remaining oil and lemon juice. Toss to integrate all ingredients. Plate spinach then top with a salmon filet and serve.
Friday
Italian Turkey Oregano
If you have a craving for something Italian on a Friday night, forgo the heavy sauce and try this easy diabetic recipe that serves two.
2 turkey tenderloins
Garlic powder
Olive oil cooking spray
1/3 cup Italian flavored panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
To prepare, preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a cooling rack with olive oil. Place on a cookie sheet and set aside.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic to taste evenly on each turkey tenderloin. Add dried oregano to breadcrumbs. Roll turkey tenderloins in the panko breadcrumbs. Place on cooling rack and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. When done the internal temperature on a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the cutlet should read 165° F. Broil for another 5 minutes or until the tops of the tenderloins are brown and crispy.
Serve with a fresh green salad.
Saturday
Pasta Faggioli
It’s Saturday night and who wants to be sweating in the kitchen before heading out on the town or hunkering down for a movie with the family. This soup is loaded with lots of diabetic friendly ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to make. Made with small shell quinoa pasta and other nutritious tweaks on a traditional recipe. The best part is that you may still have room for an appetizer or popcorn without any guilt. The ingredients for this recipe serves three.
- 1 cup diced zucchini, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 teaspoon butter or margarine
- 1 can (16-ounce can) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (16-ounce can) pinto beans
- 1 can diced tomato
- 1 can low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup small shell quinoa pasta uncooked
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
To prepare, cook onion, garlic, zucchini and carrots in butter in a saucepan until tender. Stir in beans and diced tomato. Add quinoa pasta, broth, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Stirring occasionally let simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Plate in a bowl and top each with a sprinkling of cheese.
Sunday
Prepare a hearty Sunday dinner for the whole family that does not defeat your diabetes management plan. This roast takes about 20 minutes to prep and cooks for approximately 2 hours in the oven. The ingredients in this recipe can serve 10.
- 1 Roasting Chicken approximately 6 to 7 pounds
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium red onions, chopped
- 1-1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
- Salt and Black Pepper
- 1/2 cup dry red wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary minced or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
To prepare; preheat oven to 350° F. In a roasting pan layer chopped onions on the bottom and set aside.
Pat the chicken dry. In a bowl, mix together fresh or dried rosemary, garlic, 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper or according to taste. Work rosemary mixture under the skin of the chicken before securing it to the underside of the breast with toothpicks. Tuck chicken wings underneath the bird and tie the drumsticks together.
Combine the wine and vinegar. Place seasoned chicken on top of onion in the roasting pan breast side up. Pour the wine and vinegar mixture over the chicken and roast in the oven for two hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken thigh reads 170°-175° F. Remove chicken from the oven. Discard skin from the chicken, cover and let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. In the meantime, skim the fat from the dripping. Pour onion and chicken gravy in a small bowl.
Serve with green bean, asparagus or other side dish.