|
Planning ahead is the best way to make sure you stick to eating
the healthy foods necessary to keep your blood glucose levels in the
normal range. Also, by planning meals and menus, you can shop smart
and save money. One of the best ways to save money at the grocery
store is to go in with a list and stick to it. Knowing what you are
going to buy also helps you with coupon clipping, saving you a
little bit more. The best part about the new suggestions for
diabetic menus is that they don’t have to be different from the
meals you plan for the rest of the family.
A diabetic diet consists of making choices from the diabetic food
pyramid. The base of the pyramid is grains, starches and cereals.
Vegetables and fruits make up the next layer. These two groups are
the foundation of your eating plan. Form here you can choose to
count carbohydrates or work from an exchange system, both ways are
pretty easy and take minimal effort. The key to planning healthy
meals for anybody is balance; the next step for planning healthy
diabetic menus is establishing a routine with consistency in
schedules and portions.
Diabetic menus and menu planning do require some effort, but when
compared to the effort it takes if you don’t eat right, it seems
pretty simple. Choosing fresh foods and preparing them properly can
make all the difference. Keep your menus interesting by varying the
color selections and use different textures when planning meals.
Make sure to choose low fat selections when choosing meats, take
the skin off the chicken and turkey, choose a higher grade beef with
less fat or make sure to trim the fat off other cuts of beef or
pork. Grilling, steaming and stir-frying are fresh and tasty ways to
prepare your vegetables, grilling meats and fish adds a lot of
flavor.
Most importantly, don’t forget that dessert is on a diabetic
menu, too. Variety is the answer here, too. Fresh fruit and cheese
ends a meal nicely and still splurge sometimes with ice cream or
baked goods, choose low fat, low sugar products or use your
exchanges and split portions to enjoy guilt-free desserts.
|