THE DIABETIC KITCHEN
The best way to stay on a healthy eating plan is to rid yourself of the unhealthy temptations in your kitchen and fill it with healthier choices. Throw out those cookies, crackers, and cakes and make room for a new healthy life. With the following foods readily available, you'll be ready for a fast, healthy meal anytime.
purchase plenty of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meats, nuts, and whole grains. Healthy frozen, canned, and dried foods make preparation easy and convenient.
IN THE PANTRY:
The most obvious place to start is IN THE PANTRY
. Get rid of those out-of-date cans and bring in fresh, healthy foods.
==> Fruits (bananas, melons, oranges, etc.)
==> Dried fruits (cranberries, prunes, apricots, raisins, etc.)
==> Garlic and onions
==> Whole grains (amaranth, barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, rye, semolina, wheat, and more)
==> Ordinary potatoes and sweet potatoes
==> All kinds of beans (low or no salt,fresh, dried and canned)
==> Brown sugar
==> Healthy canned soups and broths
==> Canned fish (tuna, sardines, etc.)
==> Canned vegetables of every kind (low or no salt is best)
==> Canned tomatoes and tomato sauces (avoid high-fructose corn syrup or trans fats)
==> Teas (black, green, and oolong)
==> Whole wheat flour
==> Vinegar (balsamic, cider, red, and white)
==> Oils (olive, canola, vegetable with no saturated or polyunsaturated fats)
IN THE REFRIGERATOR:
Clean out your refrigerator and make it sparkle with the following healthy diabetic food choices.
==> Bottled water
==> Low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese, and yogurt
==> Fruits (raspberries, apples, lemons, grapefruit, grapes, blueberries, etc.)
==> Vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, peppers, greens, carrots, celery, cauliflower, eggplant, mushrooms, cucumbers, squash, etc.)
==> Trans fat free margarine
==> Nut butters (all natural peanut butter, almond, or cashew)
==> Eggs
==> No sugar mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard
==> Lean meats (skinless chicken, turkey, beef, fish)
IN THE FREEZER:
==> Frozen meats
==> Frozen veggies
==> Frozen fruits (berries freeze great)
HERBS AND SPICES:
HERBS AND SPICES can go a long way in making the same old healthy foods taste more inviting, depending on how they are cooked and the ingredients used.
Don't be scared to splurge and keep plenty of different exotic herbs and spices in your new diabetic kitchen. Also, add herbs and spices to oils for extra flavoring.
==> Herbs and spices (cinnamon, rosemary, saffron, basil, allspice, vanilla beans, parsley, pepper flakes, and more)
Use citrus fruits, citrus peels, or vinegars to enhance the taste of a healthy meal. Make a tasty dressing of olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar for salads.
Dried fruits, such as apricots and raisins, and dried vegetables, such as sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms, are convenient, long lasting, and add interesting flavor.
Ready to use sauces can make a plain dinner sizzle. Consider keeping some salsa and hot sauce handy.
As you can see, a diabetic kitchen can be a really tasty and healthy place to be. It's a lot easier to stick to your diet plan, when your kitchen is full of the right foods and all temptations are eliminated.
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