Reviewed by Susan Weiner, RD, MS, CDE, CDN. Updated on 7/23/19.
You’ve heard about diabetes superfoods. They’re foods packed with nutrients that may help protect against diabetes and its complications. You may already have them on your grocery list. But it’s not always easy to fit them into your daily meals. To help, we’ve created a week’s worth of d-Friendly dinners that feature superfoods. You can use the dLife recipes we provide or go off on your own and be creative. Enjoy!
Monday Night’s Menu
Tomato Caper Halibut Fillets Recipe
Split Pea Soup with Barley Recipe
Spinach Strawberry Salad Recipe
Halibut is an all-star fish. It has loads of protein, B vitamins, and important minerals. Split pea and barley have less impact on your blood sugar than other grains. It’s also a good source of fiber. Double the amount you need, and keep some leftover soup in the fridge to reheat. Once ready to serve, garnish with a good amount of cilantro for added freshness. Next, round out your meal with a spinach and strawberry salad. Here, you get the benefits of the spinach’s fiber. Lastly, the apple cider vinegar lessens the rise in blood sugar from your meal. Use the recipes above or make your own, simple versions of these easy-to-prepare foods.
Tuesday Night’s Menu
Baked French Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
Crunchy Fennel Salad Recipe
Faux Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
A great protein dish is baked chicken drumsticks. Try making a crunchy fennel salad with some chopped sweet onion and a vinaigrette or creamy dressing. Next, faux garlic mashed potatoes are always a superstar. You can even try making mashed potatoes out of cauliflower if you feel adventurous. A little oil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese can go a long way in making these veggies taste great.
Wednesday Night’s Menu
Baked Artichokes with Parmesan Cheese Recipe
Zucchini Mint Salad Recipe
One-half cup of artichoke hearts contains 7 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. Follow this recipe, cook it up, and you have an easy dish full of nutrients. Add this unique zucchini mint salad and you have a great meal.
Thursday Night’s Menu
Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Recipe
Tabbouleh Recipe
Flank steak is a flavorful, inexpensive cut of meat. It’s usually prepared, marinated, and grilled. The recipe above allows for pan-frying if grilling isn’t an option. Tabbouleh, while you think may go with Mediterranean food, will actually be a delightful accompaniment. Bulgur is a healthy stand-in for rice or couscous. It has more nutrients and less impact on blood sugar. Bulgur, like barley, is a grain that can be served many ways. It’s worth making extra when you cook a batch. To complete this dinner, toss a green salad. Remember, you can always add crushed walnuts and crumbled cheese to any greens to add flavor and nutrients.
Friday Night’s Menu
Cucumbers and Yogurt (Side Dish) Recipe
Spicy Curry Style Veggies Recipe
Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its bright yellow color. Curcumin is the ingredient in it that makes it so good for us. Reap the benefits of this Indian spice in a simple chicken dish. Add nutritious, disease-fighting green beans as a side dish and it’s a diabetes super meal.
Right about now, some of you may be saying “What about dessert?” Well, what about it? Dessert is a custom we’ve become used to. But there’s no rule that says your biggest meal of the day should be followed by something sweet. Think about the European custom of eating your salad after your entrée.
Or having a cheese plate to finish your meal. You might be surprised at how satisfying it can be to eat this way.
Another great idea at the end of a meal is nuts. Buy an assortment of nuts in the shell and put a big bowl on the table with some nutcrackers.
Finally, when berries are in season, add a bowl of those to the after-dinner repertoire. Raspberries are a low carb, high-fiber treat.
Some other diabetes superfoods to have when you can: green tea, red wine, lentils, cayenne, pomegranate, and tofu.
Lastly, don’t forget the most important part of any meal. Relax and enjoy it. Stress is a sneaky contributor to health problems. And these days it takes effort to keep things simple and stress-free.
But along with healthy eating and exercise, it may be the best thing you can do for your diabetes health.