A word made famous by Sylvester the Cat, succotash is a traditional, American side dish made of lima beans and corn kernels. Sweet, buttery, and easy on the mouth, it’s a high-fiber comfort food, but can be made more diabetes-friendly with some substitutions.
Lima beans have a relatively low glycemic index value of 32 (under 55 is considered low), and a half-cup (of frozen baby limas) contains 18 grams of carbohydrate, 5 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein. A perfect stand-in for limas, however, is the green soybean known as edamame. Generally available frozen, shelled, or in the pod, these beans are very similar to lima beans, but a half-cup contains 10 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber, and 11 grams of protein. In addition, they are an excellent source of vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Green soybeans also contain all the amino acids needed to make a complete protein, and all of this means they are a very decent substitute for meat.
Instead of corn in your succotash, use diced, sauteed summer squash and yellow pepper. You’ll end up with a delicious side dish that looks just like succotash, with the same sweet and buttery flavors and textures, but a lot less impact on your sugar.
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