Entry bubble Holiday Cooking for Diabetics

By: Ginger | November 13, 2009 | Category: Health

Woman displaying Thankgiving turkeyI used to hate to cook. In fact, the word “hate” may not accurately describe my old feelings towards cooking. On my “Least Favorite Things in the World” list, I considered cooking ranked right between explosive diarrhea and having my eyeballs fried in oil.  Not that I have ever had my eyeballs fried in oil, but a girl can imagine.

The only things that I could cook were spaghetti and tater tot casserole. We ate these things a lot. I used to joke that we ate so much tater tot casserole that my husband had nightmares about giant tater tots chasing him. The other thing we did was eat out a lot and I confess, we ate way too much fast food.

Then I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. After a period of denial, I got a grip. I realized that I had to alter my old habits. I began watching cooking shows and browsing through cookbooks. Inch by inch and culinary misstep after misstep, I taught myself to cook. It started out that I was doing this to learn to help manage my diabetes, but now, I also do it because I really LOVE to cook! And, I think it must be said, compared to my old cooking skills, I am a total rock star in the kitchen!

I used to dread cooking for holidays, but not anymore. Every year I try a few new recipes. I try lots of new ingredients and new ways of making dishes. Anyone who cooks for the holidays has to think about and plan a balanced menu. Being a diabetic means you do the same, but diabetics really have to pay attention to carbohydrates, fats, and sugars.

Fortunately, there are so many holiday tips, recipes, and resources out there to help:

The government offers these resources to help diabetics year round with recipes and tips:

Now, if I could only make myself LOVE housework. Oddly enough, I really do enjoy cleaning toilets... I'm sure Freud would have something to say about that! LOL! Anyway, if you cook for a diabetic and have any comments, tips, or recipes to share, I would love to hear from you!

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: diabetes   diabetic_diet   ginger   healthy_cooking  

 

Entry bubble Experimenting with new recipes

By: Jess | March 12, 2009 | Category: Health

Vegetables in a bowlWhen I was thrust into the real world after college, it was my first real opportunity to cook my own meals. As a health nerd, I had a couple recipes that I knew were nutritious, but after making grilled chicken with vegetables or salmon with broccoli hundreds of times, the recipes started to get boring and I was craving something different.

Often that meant I would hit the salad bar at my grocery store or order a veggie hoagie from a sandwich shop. While still nutritious, these on-the-go meals started to make a dent in my budget.

In honor of National Nutrition Month, I'm challenging myself to try at least one new recipe a week. This week I made a vegetarian stir fry that I found on a friend's blog. Next week I might try some of the heart-healthy recipes from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. In my quest to put lots of color on my plate, I'll definitely explore recipe options from the the Centers for Disease Control that focus on creating meals around fruits and veggies. And of course, I'll check out meal options from the United States Department of Agriculture as I try to put as much variety in my menus as possible.

If this sounds like a challenge you are up for, I'd love to have you join me. If you're worried that healthy cooking is going to be too expensive, you can check out tips for cooking thrifty meals that are still healthy. Nutrition.gov is another place you can turn for healthy eating guidelines.

If you know of any other great nutritious recipe sources please feel free to share in the comments!

| Post a Comment | View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cooking   food   fruits   healthy_cooking   hearty_healthy_recipes   jess   nutrition   recipes   vegetables   vegetarian