People who have diabetes or high blood sugar for other reasons need to plan ahead and make sure they have healthy meals available to them. Diabetics need to be especially vigilant about the amount of simple carbohydrates, sugar and fat they consume. Cooking for people with high blood sugar means learning about the nutritional value of all types of foods, as well as knowing what healthy eating looks like.
Instructions
1. Learn the exchange values of various foods before you begin to cook for someone with high blood sugar. Each type of food is assigned a numerical value based on the amount of fat, carbohydrates, sugar and protein it contains. The Mayo Clinic website provides lists of exchanges that you can use to plan meals in conjunction with your doctor's advice (see Resources).
2. Cook with monounsaturated fats such as olive or canola oils when you are preparing meals for people with high blood sugar. People with diabetes have more of a risk of developing heart disease than those with normal blood sugar levels. Monounsaturated fats are considered "heart healthy" substances.
3. Choose lean meats as part of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diabetes diet. Grill, bake or broil beef, pork and chicken instead of frying it to reduce the fat content even more.
4. Plan your meals around dishes that are high in fiber. Eat brown rice, whole grain pasta and breads instead of their white, more refined counterparts. Beans and other fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber that can help regulate blood glucose levels.
5. Bake or broil salmon, tuna or other types of fish as part of a health diabetic diet. Eating fish two to three times each week can lower your risk for high cholesterol, which can also have a positive effect on your blood sugar levels.
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