Diabetes Cookbook For Canadians For Dummies Cheat Sheet

For the more than four million Canadians who have diabetes, eating a balanced, nutritious diet is an essential part of maintaining good health. If you have diabetes, there are some great websites that you can consult for recipes, meal planning suggestions, and nutritional information. You can also follow some helpful tips when preparing food at home or eating out at a restaurant, so no matter where you are, you can maintain a healthy diet and keep your diabetes in check.

Recipe and nutrition web sites for Canadians with diabetes

A number of excellent websites provide healthy eating tips and recipes for Canadians with diabetes. Visit the reference links below to find nutritional information and recommendations from Diabetes Canada, Health Canada, and other reliable sources, and check out the recipe links for lots of healthy diabetes meal planning ideas.

References for Canadians with diabetes

Here are some resources for finding information about diabetes and nutrition:

• Diabetes Canada
• ‍Diabetes Canada’s Just the Basics
• ‍Unlockfood.ca by Dietitians of Canada
• ‍Canada’s Food Guide
• ‍Nutrition Labelling in Canada
• Health Canada’s Nutrient Database
• ‍Dietitians of Canada
• ‍BMI Calculator

Recipes for Canadians with diabetes

The following links take you to websites that offer food and diet ideas for healthy living with diabetes:

• Diabetes Recipes from Diabetes Canada
• ‍Diabetes Food Hub from the American Diabetes Association
• ‍Diabetic Gourmet Magazine

Healthy eating at home: Tips for Canadians with diabetes

One of the best ways to manage diabetes is by being conscious of your diet — which is a lot easier to do if you’re eating your own food at home. Here are some handy tips for keeping your healthy diet on track and in line with the Canadian recommendations when eating and preparing meals at home.

• Eat within one hour of waking up. Meals are recommended to be not more than six hours apart; if they are, enjoy a snack in between meals.
• A healthful snack is one with a carb and a protein, such as a slice of whole-grain bread with hummus or peanut butter or plain Greek yogurt with fruit.
• Choose whole-grain options (like whole-grain bread, quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, or whole-grain pasta) more often. The higher fibre from whole-grain foods helps manage blood sugars.
• Limit your use of margarine or butter.
• Use light mayonnaise instead of margarine or butter on your bread. Just 1 teaspoon of margarine or butter has 35 calories and 1 teaspoon of light mayonnaise has 15 calories. Or try whipped cream cheese — 1 tablespoon is just 35 calories.
• If you’re going to be adding peanut butter to your toast, don’t also use margarine or butter. Stick to the peanut butter alone.
• Use salsa, light sour cream, or low-fat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt on top of a baked potato instead of butter or margarine.
• Bake, air fry, broil, roast, microwave, or stir fry more often; avoid deep frying.
• Remember that with easier access to food in the home (compared to a restaurant), you need to keep an eye on how much food you’re eating.

Tips for eating out in restaurants for Canadians with diabetes

Having diabetes can make eating out at a restaurant quite challenging. It can be hard to find foods that are diabetes-friendly, but increasingly Canadian restaurants are offering healthier food options. Here are some strategies you can follow to make eating out a healthful experience:

10 ways to enjoy a meal andfor diabetes

Having diabetes still means you can enjoy a meal just like every person without diabetes does. Planning ahead and preparing everything from your ingredients to the mood of the room can help you have a successful dining experience. Click here to check out a bonus chapter from Diabetes Cookbook For Canadians For Dummies.