Cooking for a diabetic

Hester, I am talking to some experts here at Johns Hopkins to give me some guidelines. Then I will find some recipes that I hope will help with your dilemma.

Wow — your mother is difficult to cook for not so much because of her diabetes, but because of her likes and dislikes. Clearly she likes her sweets and carbs, but all is not lost.

Start the day with French Press Coffee. If she can’t have cream and sugar than she might as well enjoy perfectly brewed beans.

I would then recommend shopping for organic and locally grown fruits and vegitables. The fruit and veg grown locally will taste better and the changing seasons will allow for variety. If the veg tastes good then she will not miss the generous slabs of butter drowning them. Always steam veg when plausible or par boil. Some of my favorite veg recipes are:

Beans Almondine (leave out the butter)
Shocked Broc!
Steamed Rapini
Steamed Broccoli
Roast asparagus
Blanched okra
Rocket and Watercress Salad

Also read my Anatomy of a salad for making tasty salads. Be sure to bear in mind your mother’s dietary limitations when choosing toppings and mixing dressings.

For main course stick to vegetarian dishes since she does not like the meat and shouldn’t have too much of them. We have a lot of delicious ones and I will look for those that meet your mother’s guidelines and post those later. And lots of soups — no cream based ones of course — make for great meals. Here are a few that should keep both your mother and her doctor happy:

Sue’s Spinach and Lentil Soup
Vegetarian French Lentil Soup
Harira
Jewsian Chicken Soup
Ox Tail Soup

This should be enough to get your keep your mother happy for a short while. I will post more options soon. Be sure to read the recipes carefully and adjust where necessary to meet her dietary requirements.

Sometimes simple things can make all the difference. When my husband had to give up sodas (even his blessed diet ones), I started keeping small bottles of bubbly water in the fridge. Lemon, orange or cucumber slices make a nice addition to both bubbly and flat.

Also, having fresh fruit on the counter gave him something to nosh on once he had finished ranting and raving about their being nothing in the pantry.

And then I gave him incentives. I took away his precious whiskey until he got his weight under control and now he can enjoy a tipple or two on the weekend and special occasions. Perhaps giving your mother a treat every now and then will give her something to look forward to. I can’t promise that she won’t complain as much as my Harvey, but it did work for him.

A!!!!!! Soup, glorious Soup, now that’s one thing that my mother loves to eat. I am greatfull for the recipes that I got from everybody. I will try them all starting tomorrow, only the brocolli will have to go as my mother absolutely hates it, never even taste it, but cauliflower and brussels sprouts she will eat. I like brocolli ( I call it green flowers and I love it with a nice cheese sauce) Andrews salad does sound nice and I will give it a try. I made some olive oil fried butternut slices the other night with some chicken spices sprinkled over it and that was quite nice, my mother did enjoyed it. You only peal and slice the butternut and lightly fry it in a little olive oil till medium done, drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with flavouring of your choice and have for a starter or with you main dish. That’s it.

Thanks for all the help

Be Good

Hester

Well,I am agree with your reviews about the cooking for a diabetic so mostly i like the energetic foods for cooking.Healthier foods so good for the nutrition and the energy.Mostly i like the vegetarian and supplements foods….