Kitchen Tips and Tricks for Diabetes

A type 2 diabetes diet requires cutting back on certain foods. But with a little creativity, you can work around those restrictions and still cook up tasty and healthy meals.

By Dennis Thompson Jr.

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

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At first, people with type 2 diabetes may find it challenging to follow a healthy diabetes diet. It's normal to feel that many of your favorite dishes are now off limits due to restrictions on sugar, fat, carbohydrates, salt, and other ingredients.

However, there are many ways to tweak recipes to better accommodate a diabetes diet. You can also pursue healthier cooking methods that give the flavor you desire while helping to manage diabetes.

Goals of a Diabetes Diet

Following a healthy diet for diabetes is about choosing foods that will help you control your blood glucose levels and manage your weight. For people who are overweight, losing weight is an important part of managing diabetes, and a healthy diet along with exercise can help you do it.

The goals of a type 2 diabetes diet are to:

• Lower the amount of calories you consume from fat and sugar
• Reduce fat intake, particularly saturated fat
• Cut down on sugar
• Reduce sodium intake
• Eat more fiber, which can help stabilize blood sugar levels

Diabetes Diet: Modifying Recipes

You may need to make some changes for your diabetes diet, but you can still enjoy many of your favorite meals. Keeping your goals in mind, there are ways to alter recipes to meet the requirements of a type 2 diabetes diet:

• Only use one-third or one-half the sugar called for in a recipe, then add a teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, almond extract, or vanilla to replace some of that sweetness, or substitute some or all of the sugar in a recipe with an artificial sweetener such as Splenda (sucralose) or Truvia (made from the leaves of the Stevia plant).
• Cut back on the fat in a recipe by one-third or one-half. Substitute canola or olive oil for some or all of the butter called for, and use a low-fat cooking spray to coat pans.
• Replace the oil in a baking recipe with pureed fruit such as unsweetened applesauce or baby-food pureed prunes.
• When you’re making a recipe that calls for cheese, use strong flavored cheeses, which will allow you to use less and still have a lot of flavor.
• Replace a whole egg in a recipe with 1/4 cup egg substitute or 2 egg whites.
• Substitute whole milk products with low-fat or non-fat dairy products.
• Allow stock, soups, and meat drippings to cool, then skim off and throw out the congealed fat. Adding an ice cube or two will speed up the process. Use this method to strain out cooking juices for a low-fat gravy.
• Use whole-wheat flour, whole-wheat pasta, and brown rice in recipes that call for white flour or white rice.
• Add healthy ingredients like vegetables and beans into recipes when appropriate. For example, add broccoli or cauliflower to macaroni and cheese, and put garden vegetables in pasta sauces.
• When using meat, choose the leanest cuts possible for your recipes.
• Use low-sodium or sodium-free stocks and broths. Substitute fresh or frozen vegetables for canned veggies that contain sodium.
• Use lots of fresh herbs and spices to add flavor.

Diabetes Diet: Cooking Methods

Another way to make recipes healthier is to change your method of cooking, says dietitian Susan McLaughlin, RD, a certified diabetes educator and president of health care and education for the American Diabetes Association.

Cooking methods like broiling, grilling, poaching, steaming, baking, or roasting either do not require added fat or allow fat to drip away. These methods reduce the amount of saturated fat in food, making it healthier for you.

"Cooking methods that are healthiest for people with diabetes are baking, boiling, broiling, or grilling," McLaughlin says. "Meats can be marinated overnight to add flavor without adding fat. Low-sodium broth can be used in a skillet or wok to quick-brown meat without added fat."

Remember that indulging yourself a tiny bit can help you maintain your diabetes diet discipline. For example, in a recipe that calls for sautéing with lots of butter, use olive oil or low-fat cooking spray as a replacement. Then just before the cooking is finished, add a small dab of butter or a drizzle of oil for more flavor. Little additions like this can make your healthy meals even more enjoyable.