You don’t have to give up the food you love with these 5 diabetes food hacks!
Finding out you have diabetes can be a shock to the system and what’s more, finding out that you potentially have to change some major things in your life can be even more overwhelming. Changes to your diet are often the first to make. Contrary to what many think, cutting out everything you love doesn’t have to be the only answer! Using the following diabetes food hacks will help you enjoy the things you love while cutting down on calories and carbs. It’s time to reinvent your way of thinking about eating with diabetes!
1. Yogurt Substitute
When it comes to making your food creamier, try adding Greek yogurt. Green yogurt can be a great substitute for mayonnaise as well as sour cream. Adding Greek yogurt to your oatmeal, your tacos or even using it as a replacement for certain ingredients in dressings.
If you’re a big fan of sweets and enjoy a bowl of ice cream from time to time try substituting Greek yogurt for ice cream. It may sound unnatural but it you blend Greek yogurt with some of your favorite fruits you can create a delicious smoothie. At the same time if you freeze your Greek yogurt blended with fruits in Popsicle molds and freeze them, you can have your own delicious and healthy Popsicle.
2. Black Beans for Baking
Have you ever considered adding a can of pureed black beans to your brownie batter? This is another great one of our life hacks for diabetics. Adding a can of pureed black beans to your brownie mix can replace oil and or flour and still result in a soft, warm glorious brownie. Using types of nuts and legumes in baking can help lower the amount of sugar and carbs in your sweet treats. You can buy things such as chickpea flour as well as almond and coconut flour that you can use to bake cookies or cakes. They are high in fiber and protein and low in starch and generally easy to find.
3. Avocados in Place of Butter
Did you know that avocados can be used in place of butter? Although it may sound weird, adding avocado to your baked goods can add a healthy source of fat and keep the creamy texture. Adding avocado to your baked goods is one of the great type 2 diabetes life hacks because it helps you cut down on calories as well as that bad stuff: saturated fat. You can even use avocado in the morning and spin it into a butter texture to add to your toast in the morning. This type of breakfast will provide you healthy fat as well as a good source of fiber to keep you full and help manage your blood sugar from the get go.
4. Cauliflower Crust, Rice, and Breading
Cauliflower is becoming the next best thing, especially when it comes to type 2 diabetes life hacks. Substituting cauliflower is a great option when it comes to Buffalo wings, pizza crust and rice! If you haven’t tried a cauliflower pizza crust yet, you should. Cauliflower is ground up and mixed with egg, cheese and spices to create a crunchy crust that is low in carbs and high in fiber making you feel good about eating pizza. Another great way to eat cauliflower is by putting it in the food processor and creating a rice. Using it instead of rice adds a great source of fiber with less carbs!
5. French Fry Alternatives
Unfortunately you can’t always find a good substitute to French fries, they’re a great tasting indulgence that is hard to re-create. If you’re willing to try, using ingredients such as turnips and rutabaga to create your at home, healthier version of French fries is a close second. These root vegetables offer much more fiber and are much healthier for your heart to consume. This doesn’t mean you can’t eat those delicious French fries from time to time, but try adding more root vegetables to your life.
At the end of the day, it’s all about finding the little life hacks for diabetes. Making small changes can turn into big changes in the larger picture. The above diabetes food hacks are great to use, especially when cooking at home, but remember that occasionally you can enjoy some of the “less” healthy versions of these foods. Make sure that you speak with your doctor before making major changes in your diet and habits to ensure you are doing it in the healthiest way.
Sources:
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2016/nov-dec/diabetes-food-hacks.html
https://blogs.webmd.com/diabetes/2017/05/5-food-hacks-for-diabetes.html