Healthy General Tsos Chicken
For a healthier version of a popular Chinese takeout dish, try this General Tsos chicken recipe found on the Plated Cravings blog. This homemade version removes the breading and skips the deep frying, both of which make it a healthier option for people with type 2 diabetes, Poulson says.
It starts with a lean protein source and marinades it in a very small amount of cornstarch, salt, and pepper. It then adds a simple stir-fry made of peanut oil, dried chiles, toasted sesame seeds, and chopped scallion. Peanut oil, for one, is a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, according to the ADA.
Finally, youll pour on a sauce made of ketchup, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, a touch of brown sugar, and soy sauce .
One-quarter of this recipe packs 207 calories, 10 g of carbs, 12 g of protein, 12 g of fat , and 7 g of sugar. To keep the meal low-carb, serve with a side of sauteed or steamed veggies instead of piling it on a bed of white rice, Poulson says.
What Is A Heart
Heart-healthy foods help lower your risk of having heart disease in the future. They do this by reducing your blood pressure, overall cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting blood sugar.
They may also contain high levels of antioxidants. These protect against oxidative stress and inflammation, which contribute to the development of heart disease.
In general, heart-healthy means:
Sweet & Sour Lentil Dhal With Grilled Aubergine
Spice up supper with this superhealthy recipe that’s high in fibre, packed with iron and counts as 4 of your 5-a-day – it’s cheap too!
Angela Nilsen creates a luscious ice cream that is creamy, fresh and – wait for it…. low-fat!
We’ve made getting your five of day simple with this healthy tagine
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Substitute Healthier Ingredients In Your Favorite Recipes
Regular ground beef | Try 90% lean ground beef or better yet, try lean ground turkey breast.
Lean ground beef is fewer calories, less saturated fat and less cholesterol.
Sour cream on tacos or in dips | Try plain yogurt .
Plain yogurt has fewer calories and less saturated fat.
Butter or margarine when cooking | Try oils like olive, safflower, and other plant-based oils or reduce how much butter you use.
These oils have less of the bad fats and more heart-healthy fats.
Snack foods like crackers, chips, candy or baked goods | Try fruit with plain yogurt, fresh vegetables and hummus, a slice of whole wheat toast and natural peanut butter, or nuts.
These options have less sodium, less saturated fat and zero trans fat.
Regular mayonnaise | Try mustard on sandwiches, or try yogurt or a combination of yogurt and less mayonnaise if used in dressing, sauces, and dips.
These options have fewer calories and more nutrients.
Bologna, salami or pastrami | Try sliced low-sodium turkey or roast beef. Or better yet, cook fresh chicken or turkey on the weekend and use throughout the week for meals.
These options have less total fat, less saturated fat and less sodium.
Homemade And Fresh Is Best
Preparing foods at home gives you more control over what you are eating. Restaurant foods are almost always larger portions with more fat, sugar, and salt added to them.Use the Diabetes Food Hub to get some ideas for healthy foods you can cook at home. It doesnt have to be complicated, and it can save time and cost less, too.
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Slideshow: 7 Grab And Go Foods For The Holidays
Holidays can be hectic, whether its running from store to store buying gifts, traveling to see family, or dashing from event to event. And being on the go is when temptation and convenience conspire to derail best intentions. With a little planning, these easy, quick, and delicious recipes will help you eat well on the move.
More Flavor With Less Fat Sugar And Salt
Try using herbs and spices for flavor instead of salt, butter, lard, or other unhealthy fats. Here are a few ideas to add flavor to your food:
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice or lime juice on steamed vegetables, broiled fish, rice, salads or pasta.
- Try a salt-free herbs and spices. Fresh herbs are also a great choice.
- Onion and garlic add lots of flavor without the bad stuff.
- Try marinades for meat with healthy plant based oils, herbs and spices.
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Grilled Chicken Kebabs With Pistachio Gremolata
Yogurt-marinated chicken stays juicy on the grill, even when you crank the heat to get those gorgeous grill marks. And pistachio, parsley, and lavender gremolata is what will keep you going back for another bite. Just make sure to use low-fat yogurt and reduce the amount of olive oil to suit your dietary regimen if needed.
Autumn Balsamic Sheet Pan Dinner
A sheet pan dinner is a recipe that is self-contained in one vessel, a sheet pan. Everything goes onto the sheet pan and into the oven at once and its finished all at the same time, making it an easy family meal! Chef Brandy reports, Its colorful, its healthy, its delicious and its seasonal. If you wanted to add a little extra something, this dish would be perfect with some brown rice or mashed potatoes…Or perfect just as is.
- 4 chicken thighs, skin on
- 1 delicata squash
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.2. Combine all vegetables in large bowl – set aside.3. Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar and brown mustard until well combined.4. Add dressing to the large bowl and toss until vegetables are evenly coated. Add salt & pepper to taste.
5. Pour vegetables onto a sheet pan and spread out so they are in one even layer – set aside.
6. Sear chicken skin side down in a skillet with olive oil over medium high heat and sprinkle with a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook for two minutes.
7. Flip chicken and sprinkle with another pinch of salt & pepper. Cook for one minute.
8. Remove seared chicken thighs from skillet and place on top of the dressed vegetables in sheet pan.
9. Place sheet pan in preheated oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees.
10. Remove sheet pan from oven and sprinkle with fresh rosemary.11. Enjoy alongside brown rice, mashed potatoes or just as is!
NUTRITION FACTS
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Eating For Your Heart With Diabetes
You’re going to want to incorporate smart food choices for both diabetes and heart health in your diet. According to the American Heart Association , that includes controlling your total carb intake and choosing complex carbs over refined carbs .
You should also eat plenty of fruits and vegetables lean proteins like poultry, tofu and fish and heart-healthy fats found in nuts, seeds, avocados, low-fat dairy and olive oil. Avoid or limit foods that are high in saturated and/or trans fats, such as fried foods, fatty meats and processed foods.
“It’s really important to get more fiber, especially from non-starchy vegetables,” Heidi Karner, MS, RDN, LDN, at the Joslin Diabetes Center, tells LIVESTRONG.com. Opt for veggies like broccoli, asparagus and cauliflower, according to the American Diabetes Association . Fiber helps with blood sugar control and reduces the risk of heart disease, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
Although this meal plan involves reducing overall fat intake, Karner advises patients to continue to “include heart-healthy fats like the omega-3 fatty acids in fish” because omega-3s are known to promote heart health, according to the Mayo Clinic. In addition to salmon, fish such as mackerel, herring and sardines are especially high in omega-3s, as are chia and flax seeds and walnuts.
Read more:Top 10 Healthy Fish to Eat
Read more:6 Ways to Control Blood Sugar for Healthy Weight Loss
World Renowned Nutritionist Dr Lisa Young Can Be Your Health Coach
Posted by Lauren Finkelstein | Mar 16, 2021 | Blog Posts | 0 |
// by Dr. Lisa Young
February is American Heart Month. American Heart Month is a great way to remind Americans to focus on keeping their hearts healthy. According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death with more than 17.3 million deaths each year and this number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030.
As a nutritionist, Ive seen firsthand how a heart-healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet, can make a huge difference in improving ones health. A heart-healthy diet consists of foods rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins and low in added sugar, salt, and saturated fats .
This February, in honor of American Heart Month, eat your heart out with my top picks below. Your heart will be happy! And keep a focus on including more heart healthy foods all year longnot just for the month of February.
1.BERRIES
Berries, including blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, are chock full of heart-healthy antioxidants, polyphenols and fiber, which help fight chronic diseases including heart disease. They are also a good source of vitamin C which has been linked to a lower risk of stroke. And they taste great too! For an added nutrition boost, add your favorite berries to cereal, yogurt, smoothies, and salads. Your heartand your waistwill be happy.
2. OATMEAL
4. SALMON
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Nutrients And Fiber Count
The best eating plan for people with diabetes has two goals: control blood sugar and protect your heart. It should fuel you with key nutrients and plenty of fiber — 30-38 grams for men and 21-25 grams for women. Build your meals with whole foods — all colors of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy proteins, and unsaturated fats. This approach can help you lose weight, too, which is often a must to manage diabetes. Here are standout choices to keep meals tasty and heart healthy.
2
Healthy Dinner Recipes For Diabetics
Diabetes-friendly recipes should be just as interesting and tasty as any other type of recipe! There is no reason why we should eat bland and boring food just because we are pancreatically challenged!
That why I have made this collection of healthy and easy dinner recipes for diabetics!
All of the recipes are relatively low carb and most of them take less than 30 minutes to make. And they all taste AMAZING!
People often ask me: What can a person with diabetes eat for dinner? I dont think there is a single right answer to that question, but I have a few guidelines I like to follow:
- Less than 20 grams of carbs
- Mostly carbs with a low glycemic index
- At least 20 grams of protein
- Some healthy fat
This should give you a healthy and balanced dinner that wont spike your blood sugar. You can, of course, make changes to these guidelines if you follow a specific diet but this is what I prefer.
I could eat this Stuffed Chicken Breast every single day! Its super tender, tastes fantastic, and is a healthy meal all by itself. The best part – it only takes 25 minutes to make!
262 calories – 9 g carbs – 46 g protein -4 g fat
This low carb zucchini lasagna is a healthy and tasty alternative to normal lasagna. You dont need pasta or a heavy sauce for this delicious lasagna with makes it the perfect healthy dinner.
244 calories – 13 g carbs – 30 g protein – 8 g fat
This is a great vegetarian recipe . The spinach rolls are savory, filling, and just a little bit spicy!
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Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
This hearty chicken noodle soup combines skinless chicken breasts, low-sodium chicken broth, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and a variety of herbs. Plus, it uses zucchini in place of pasta noodles. Because there are no noodles, its low-carb, making it a great option for someone who is watching their carbohydrate intake, Poulson says.
Plus, this chicken vegetable soup is jam-packed with color and nutrients, and brings plenty of flavor as well, Poulson notes.
One-sixth of this recipe from A Sweet Pea Chef offers 226 calories, 5 g of fat , 14 g of carbs, 3 g of fiber, 32 g of protein, and 5 g of sugar.
Mediterranean Grilled Salmon Kabobs
These grilled salmon kabobs from Erhardts Eat are healthy and packed with flavor. They take chunks of omega-3-packed salmon and nonstarchy veggies like zucchini, grape tomatoes, and red onion, and then marinate everything in dried spices, olive oil, and lemons. Add the lean protein and veggies to skewers and cook on the grill for a quick, healthy meal for diabetes.
One serving offers 316 calories, 20.7 g of fat , 4.3 g of carbs, 30.4 g of protein, 1.2 g of fiber, and 2.2 g of sugar. Optional: Top the kabobs with tzatziki sauce.
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Banh Mi Chicken Burger Lettuce Wraps
Enjoy the flavors of a banh mi sandwich without tons of blood-sugar-spiking carbs and unhealthy saturated fats. These burgers from Diabetic Foodie use lettuce wraps in place of bread, and lean proteins like ground chicken or turkey in place of pork.
All those pickled cucumbers, radishes, and carrots also help make this a great meal for people with type 2 diabetes: I love that this recipe piles the vegetables on top, hitting that goal of increasing nonstarchy vegetables at meal time, Poulson says. Top the burgers with thinly sliced jalapeños and a small amount of sriracha mayo . Be sure to use low-sodium soy sauce to whip up the burgers.
Each burger offers 242 calories, 11 g of fat , 11 g of carbs, 2 g of fiber, 11 g of sugar, 23 g of protein, and 561 mg of sodium.
Keeping Your Heart Healthy With Diabetes
Quick. Whats the first thing you think about when you hear type 1 or type 2 diabetes? Most often, its blood sugar. Yes, that’s importantbut don’t forget, the heart deserves lots of TLC too. Maintaining heart health and preventing heart disease is critical for everyone living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Let’s start at the beginning with the basics.
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Whole30 Chicken And Avocado Salad
The blogger behind North South Blonde, Michelle Nemis, created her Blackened Chicken & Avocado Salad, to change salad’s reputation as sad diet food. “Salads tend to get boring quickly, especially when you are trying to stay on a healthy regime,” she explains to Brit + Co. “I wanted to make something that had big and bold flavors.”
Diabetic & Heart Healthy
Well for anybody who knows me, I love food. I love cooking it, I love eating it, I love sharing it. If you know me you also know that a short time back I had a little heart attack. Nothing to great, heck I drove myself to the doctors office. Yes I know, I should have dialed 911 and all that, but remember I am a respiratory therapist and we make the worst patients. I did have a stress test and all that fun stuff and found out it was due to my having apnea. I also had high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The blood pressure I can blame on the apnea, but the cholesterol not so much. I have tried to change my diet around somewhat now, I dont eat as much of all those good things I make. My portions are smaller and I dont snack as much, but now the whole heart thing is back in my face. NOT me, but my step father. He had a heart attack at work and ended up having a stint put in and bypass surgery. He is doing fine and the doctors said there was no permanent heart muscle damage. That we have to be thankful for. But, and this is a big but, he has to change his diet. Now let me tell you what, if there is a man who loves food more than me, at least the eating part, its him. So I have decided to come up with some recipes that mom can make to help him through all this. I hope these recipes also help anyone else out there with similar issues.
Click HERE to jump to the full list of HEART HEALTHY recipes that you can go through.
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Oats And Whole Grains
If you have type 2 diabetes, its time to ditch the white bread. Consider purchasing whole-grain bread, pasta, and brown rice instead.
Compared to refined grains, whole grains are higher in fiber. They may help reduce cholesterol, lower your blood pressure, and decrease your overall risk of heart disease.
Oatmeal makes for a great breakfast. If you want to try something new, consider a recipe that includes whole-grain farro, quinoa, or barley.
lower levels of heart disease.
You can simply spread avocado on whole-grain toast and top with olive oil, a bit of salt, and pepper. Or, you can work avocado into many different dishes, like these flavorful turkey patties with avocado.
Ways To Flavor Food That Are Better Than Salt
If your doctor has advised you to ease off the salt shaker, you might be wondering why. The answer is sodium, a mineral found mainly in salt. Too much sodium in a persons diet can increase their blood pressure, raising their risk for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease, says Lori Zanini, RD, CDE, author of Diabetes Cookbook & Meal Plan for the Newly Diagnosed.
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