Glycemic Index Cookbook For Dummies

Cooking low-glycemic foods is a wonderful tool for overall health, but it's especially beneficial for weight management and insulin resistance. Understanding the glycemic index and glycemic loads of foods, using appropriate portion sizes, sprucing up your favorite recipes, and using low-glycemic cooking techniques can start you on your way to successfully meeting all your health goals.

Dips add some healthy, low-glycemic ingredients to not-so-healthy chips, so make a batch of this 8-layer vegetable dip. Dips work well as low-glycemic snack or appetizer because they help you feel more satisfied when you’re eating munchies and addictive foods like chips. You have a better chance of eating fewer chips when you add healthy dips because the dips slow down your eating and allow you to feel more satisfied.

If you’re looking for a new (and low-glycemic!) ways to bake chicken, try this herbes de Provence recipe. Herbes de Provence is a wonderful mix of herbs that typically contains savory, fennel, basil, and thyme, with thyme being the dominant flavor. In the United States, you may even find a little lavender added to the mix.

Polenta is a basic Italian dish of cooked cornmeal mush — a versatile food that forms the base for a variety of flavor-packed toppings. Polenta is low-glycemic and has some fiber and a small amount of B vitamins. This recipe for Baked Polenta with Tomatoes isn’t too difficult to make, but it does take some time (and gives your arm a workout since you have to stir for about 30 minutes!

This recipe for banana strawberry oatmeal pancakes is a delicious, low-glycemic breakfast treat. Following a low-glycemic diet means reducing many of the refined grains and sugars in your diet, but you can still enjoy some sweet breakfast choices, such as banana strawberry oatmeal pancakes. Decreasing the amount of white flour and adding some bulk with fruits or nuts can turn a high-glycemic meal into a low-to-medium one.

Mushrooms and barley team up in this low-glycemic recipe. Pearl barley has a creamy texture and can provide a great low-glycemic base for a hearty vegetarian meal. Because pearl barley is processed, it doesn’t have as high a nutritional value as regular barley, but it’s still a good source of fiber and B vitamins.

To make these low-glycemic blueberry oatmeal muffins, you just add oats to a traditional recipe. The result is a wonderful, tasty muffin that’s perfect as part of your low-glycemic breakfast or as a healthy snack. The oats, oat flour, and blueberries provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer.

Make protein-rich eggs a part of a healthy, low-glycemic breakfast with this recipe for breakfast burritos that you can spice up or down. Low-glycemic burritos add a nice Tex-Mex kick to breakfast. The recipe is pretty standard, but if you like a little spice, go ahead and add some cayenne pepper or hot sauce.

You can dress up eggs by adding other healthy ingredients to make a hearty, delicious, low-glycemic breakfast that isn’t loaded in fat or calories. This low-glycemic Canadian bacon and cheese frittata will start your day off with a bang; serve it with a slice of whole-wheat toast if you want. With this frittata, you’ll feel full for a longer period of time and may even experience an increase in energy.

You can vary recipes for low-glycemic muffins in so many different ways, using grains, fruits, nuts, and even vegetables for high satisfaction and low glycemic load. If you want to turn these carrot-cake oat muffins into a dessert, top them off with cream cheese frosting. Keep in mind, though, that the frosting increases your glycemic load a bit.

This low-glycemic chicken stew is easy to make and wonderful to eat. Hominy (a type of processed corn) adds great flavor and texture to stews and soups and is low to medium glycemic, depending on how much you eat in one sitting. You can find canned hominy at your local grocery store. It’s usually stashed in the aisle with other canned veggies or sometimes in the Southern-inspired section where you find collard greens.

The next time you feel a crab-cake craving coming on, use this low-glycemic recipe to save yourself about one-third the calories and fat you’d get from a fried crab cake. Lowfat yogurt is the secret ingredient that helps keep the crab cake together and gives a special tang. Low-Glycemic Crab Cakes Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15–18 minutes Yield: 8 servings 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 teaspoon dried parsley 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 egg white, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon lowfat plain yogurt 2 tablespoons lowfat mayonnaise 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 pound lump crabmeat, flaked 1/4 cup plus 1/2 cup plain, dry bread crumbs Nonstick cooking spray In a large bowl, combine the onion, parsley, garlic, bell pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, egg white, yogurt, mayonnaise, black pepper, salt, mustard, and paprika.

Maintaining a low-glycemic diet doesn't mean boring food — especially if you try this recipe for cranberry-walnut salad. Low-glycemic salad greens are topped with a slightly sweet and savory dressing. Toasted nuts, dried cranberries, and Gorgonzola cheese crumbles create differing textures. And there's lots of flavor in the dressing, so add it gradually — you may not want to use it all.

This recipe for curried cauliflower is great for low-glycemic diets because you steam-cook the cauliflower. On a low-glycemic diet, you’re looking for lots of healthy nutrients, and steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables because it retains all the nutrients. Instead of just adding butter and salt to bland veggies after you steam or boil them, you can throw them into a pan and coat them with some great ingredients while you finish cooking them, as you do in this flavorful curry dish.

Luckily chocolate desserts don’t have to be laden with calories and fat. This decadent chocolate mousse is low glycemic and faily low calorie. This quickie version of a mousse doesn’t require a double boiler, so it’s easy, tasty, and still satisfies your chocolate fix. What more can you ask for? Low-Glycemic Easy Chocolate Mousse Preparation time: 5 minutes Yield: 8 servings One 3-1/2-ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix 1-1/4 cups lowfat milk 1/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled One 8-ounce package frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed In a medium bowl, mix together the pudding, milk, coffee, and whipped topping with a hand mixer until thick.

The combination of flavors in this low-glycemic fruit and veggie salad may seem a bit odd when you first read through the recipe, but it’s the perfect combo for a light, refreshing summer salad. The mix of fruits and vegetables provides lots of texture and flavor, and the citrus-pineapple-cinnamon dressing brings everything together.

By adding a protein source — in this case, chicken — to salad, you create a balanced meal that’s low glycemic, too. You can feel fuller and more satisfied from a loaded salad entree than from a burger and fries, with about half the calories to boot. To make this meal even faster, buy a bottle of low-fat Caesar dressing at the store and skip Step 3 altogether!

Grilling chicken is a simple way to create a low-glycemic meal with a lot of flavor, and it’s perfect for serving guests on a nice summer day. Plus, cleanup’s a snap! The cooking time for this jerk-chicken recipe is short, but you need to marinate the chicken to get the jerk flavor, so prepare the marinade the night before or first thing in the morning — if you can face peeling the chiles that early!

Mango salsa is the perfect accompaniment to this low-glycemic grilled salmon recipe. It complements the little kick the salmon gets from the cumin and chili powder. Of course, if you prefer less spice in your meal, simply omit the cumin and chili powder; the salmon is still wonderful with the mango salsa.Preparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 8 minutesYield: Four servingsIngredients: One 1-pound salmon fillet, skinned Juice of 1 lemon 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped 1 jalapeño chile, minced 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons orange juice Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder Nonstick cooking spray Instructions: Place the fish on a large sheet of aluminum foil on a oblong dish or pan.

This recipe for grilled teriyaki shrimp is a special-treat appetizer that's super quick, super simple, and has virtually no glycemic load! Teriyaki-inspired recipes always create a lot of flavor, and this one is no exception. Just be sure not to marinate your shrimp too long, or the flavor may end up being too strong.

You don't have to be a kid to like fish sticks, especially when they're homemade and low-glycemic. Try this easy recipe when you want something healthy and low-glycemic but don’t have tons of time to prep. It’s a great dish for those nights when you want to serve something simple, and tasty. For a darker crust, turn the oven to the broil setting and cook the fish sticks for an additional 1 minute on each side.

Beef is naturally low glycemic (because it doesn’t contain carbohydrates), and skewered beef cooked on the grill is a real taste treat. When you make this recipe, surround the cooked beef chunks with some grilled veggies, and you have a quick, delicious, and low-glycemic meal. Low-Glycemic Honey Mustard Beef Skewers Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus refrigerating time Cooking time: 4–6 minutes, plus resting time Yield: 4 servings 1 pound sirloin steak 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Nonstick cooking spray Cut the sirloin lengthwise in half and then cut each half lengthwise in half again.

Lemon chicken is a great, low-glycemic recipe to have on hand because it’s so versatile. You can eat the chicken as it is, or you can cook it in batches and use some of it later in the week on salads or in a light pasta dish with Italian-style dressing. Low-Glycemic Lemon Chicken Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 9–14 minutes Yield: 4 servings 2 teaspoons canola oil 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 2 medium cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon butter In a large nonstick skillet, heat the canola oil over high heat.

Following a low-glycemic diet plan is really easy to do with south-of-the-border entrees, because they’re loaded in low-glycemic ingredients like lean meats, cheese, vegetables, beans, and tortillas. Plus, you can easily change up the recipes to be spicier by adding some hot peppers, tangier by adding some citrus (like lime), or more savory by using bolder flavors like cumin.

No time for a full breakfast? This simple recipe for low-glycemic oatmeal raspberry bars helps you start your day the right way. Low-glycemic oatmeal bars provide a great smaller option if you don’t like eating a big meal in the morning. For a larger meal, you can pair a bar with 8 ounces of lowfat yogurt and a slice of fresh fruit.

Despite health scares about the high cholesterol levels found in shellfish, you can make shrimp and similar foods a part of a healthy low-glycemic diet. As a matter of fact, shrimp and crab both contain omega-3 fatty acids that promote heart health, and the cholesterol found in shellfish doesn’t contribute to your cholesterol levels as much as saturated fats do.

The great thing about peanut butter cookies is that their main ingredient — peanut butter — is naturally low glycemic. Just make sure to buy natural peanut butter with no added sugar — you know, the kind you mix and store in the refrigerator. Other peanut butters contain more sugar and will increase the glycemic load of this recipe.

Pork cutlets, chops, and tenderloins are all healthy, lean, low-glycemic cuts that you can add to your weekly menu for a little variety. The pork cutlets called for in this recipe are a thin cut of meat, so they cook quickly and take up the flavor of any sauce well. To get an accurate read on a tenderloin’s temperature, use a meat thermometer (preferably an instant read variety) and test in the thickest part of the meat.

Potatoes au gratin is a creamy, cheese-spiked potato dish that may not sound compatible with a low-glycemic diet. You just need to know how to choose and eat your potatoes to make them a little lower in the glycemic department. Russet potatoes have one of the highest glycemic loads of any plant-based food, but potatoes in general are also loaded with healthy nutrients like fiber and vitamin C.

This appetizer recipe for low-glycemic prosciutto-and-melon bites pleases both the eye and the palate. It offers a variety of colors and textures for a simple-to-make treat full of complex flavors. You can play with color, texture, and taste even more by substituting papaya or cantaloupe for the honeydew melon.

Pumpkin soufflé is a nice change from pumpkin pie, and it works well in a low-glycemic diet. Most soufflé recipes already use low amounts of sugar, and pumpkin itself is a low- to medium-glycemic food, depending on how much you use. Low-Glycemic Pumpkin Soufflé Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 30–45 minutes Yield: 6 servings 3 egg whites 3 cups canned pumpkin 1/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup lowfat milk 3 teaspoons butter 6 tablespoons reduced-fat whipped topping Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Half a cup of quinoa has a glycemic load of around 9, making it a great and tasty low-glycemic option. Quinoa is a protein-rich grain that has a creamy texture and a nutty taste, which makes it a great base for this veggie-and-pine-nut recipe. It cooks as easily as rice and is one of the only plant-based foods that provide a complete protein (including all nine essential amino acids).

Quinoa is a great grain to use in a vegetarian meal. Not only is it low glycemic and high in fiber, but it’s also a complete protein providing all the essential amino acids vegetarian meals sometimes lack. Plus, it’s easy to cook and super tasty to eat! Low-Glycemic Quinoa with White Beans and Tomatoes Serve this entree with a big side salad for a complete and balanced meal.

If you love quick breads anytime of day, add this fruit and nut bread to your low-glycemic meal plan. This recipe for raspberry-orange nut bread makes a great snack for kids in place of packaged cookies or other store-bought sweets and a beautiful loaf for brunches, holiday parties, and gifts. Low-Glycemic Raspberry-Orange Nut Bread Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Yield: 12 servings Nonstick cooking spray 3/4 cup frozen raspberries, unsweetened 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole-wheat flour 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup chopped walnuts 3/4 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon orange zest 2 tablespoons canola oil 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 egg plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and spray a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Red snapper is a popular and low-glycemic white fish. It has a firm texture and works well with many different flavors. If you’re feeling like cooking up some fish but don’t know what to get, red snapper is a great pick. In this recipe, it gets jazzed up with some green chiles. For this recipe, fire-roasted chiles are best — if you can find them; look for them right where you find the regular diced green canned chilies.

Sautéing vegetables is a step up from boiling and steaming them. And you can keep this carrot dish low on the glycemic scale with a bit of olive oil and not too much butter. You don’t necessarily need a recipe to sauté veggies; for example, you can sauté some asparagus or spinach in a little oil and just sprinkle a little salt on top.

For this low-glycemic black bean soup, all you have to do is toss your ingredients into a pot, cook, and serve. Although the recipe calls for a slow cooker, you can easily make this soup on the stove top if want to. Just sauté your vegetables in a little olive oil in a large saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Looking for low-glycemic veggies with a lot of flavor and a little spicy heat? The marinade in this grilled-vegetable recipe makes any vegetable taste amazing, so feel free to mix in whatever your heart desires — mushrooms and zucchini turn out especially great. Grilling vegetables may well be the tastiest way to cook them.

Try this strawberry mousse recipe when you’re looking for a quick and easy dessert that’s full of flavor but low on the glycemic index and light on calories and sugar. You can store the mousse covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Low-Glycemic Strawberry Mousse with Chocolate Shavings Preparation time: 10 minutes Yield: 8 servings One 10-ounce package frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed 1/4 cup powdered sugar One 3-1/2-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix One 8-ounce package frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed 8 tablespoons grated dark chocolate Put the strawberries and any juices from thawing in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Try this recipe for low-glycemic stuffed bell peppers for a filling (and tasty) entree. You need to do a bit of work cleaning out peppers and doctoring tomato sauce, but this dish is well worth the effort. Low-Glycemic Stuffed Sweet Peppers Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Yield: 6 servings 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice 3 small Roma tomatoes, chopped 1 small sweet onion, chopped 2/3 cup canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained One 4 1/4-ounce can sliced ripe olives 1/4 cup pine nuts 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 6 large orange or yellow bell peppers, cored and seeded, with bottoms intact One 8-ounce can tomato sauce 1/4 cup water 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil Nonstick cooking spray 6 tablespoons grated mozzarella cheese Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mushrooms are a great addition to vegetarian meals. They’re low in calories and low on the glycemic scale. This recipe for stuffed mushrooms is super simple and delicious, and it makes a great presentation for guests. The mushrooms, which have a meatlike texture, makes a satisfying meal that even your meat-loving friends and family will enjoy!

Pasta is one of the toughest foods to incorporate into a low-glycemic diet because most pastas fall into the high-glycemic category. But you can go low-glycemic and still enjoy pasta if you’re smart about it: Use low- to medium-glycemic pastas like whole-wheat spaghetti, tortellini, and vermicelli in place of some of the higher-glycemic choices like penne, linguini or fusilli.

In this recipe for a low-glycemic egg bake, you make a flavor-packed mixture of sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. Cheese is a low-glycemic food option that's a great source of calcium and a delicious addition to almost any meal. You can leave this dish as is, or if you’re craving a bit of meat with breakfast, you can add some chicken sausage.

Using lean beef cuts like sirloin and tenderloin is a great way to incorporate beef into your low-glycemic diet. Another great way to go is to find beef products that are completely grass fed so you get even leaner beef cuts. You can find grass-fed beef at your local grocery store. The mushroom sauce in this recipe helps keep the steak moist.

Ground turkey is a great alternative to ground beef — it’s lower in fat but still has great flavor, and it works well in low-glycemic recipes. However, because turkey is such a lean meat, it can often turn out dry. The trick is to add ingredients like onions and vegetables that release moisture into the meat. Low-Glycemic Turkey-Stuffed Peppers with Mozzarella Cheese Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 62–67 minutes Yield: 8 servings Nonstick cooking spray 8 green bell peppers, tops cut off, cored and seeded 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound lean ground turkey 1 medium onion, chopped 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced One 15-ounce can hominy, rinsed and drained 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme 1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

One of the best-kept secrets for managing your health and weight, especially on a low-glycemic diet, is keeping a low-calorie vegetable soup recipe on hand for those evenings when you just don’t feel like having a steamed vegetable. This recipe is perfect when you want to whip up a quick and healthy soup to go with your meal.

Low-glycemic soy products formed into chicken-like strips are found in most supermarkets and are gaining popularity among vegetarians. Instead of just eating the prepared soy products as they are, though, try adding your own seasonings and lemon to transform them into a delicious entree over mixed salad greens.

Having a side salad every day with lunch or dinner definitely isn’t a bad habit to start. Salads are healthy and low-glycemic. And you can vary the greens, veggies, dressing routine with a little heat for this tasty wilted salad. Low-Glycemic Wilted Spinach Salad with Feta Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 4–5 minutes Yield: 4 servings One 9-ounce bag baby spinach 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 sweet onion, sliced 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to taste Mix the spinach and feta cheese in a large bowl; set aside.

Vegetables are a major component of a low-glycemic diet, so eats lots of them. This low-glycemic recipe for wilted spinach with pine nuts perks up your palate with a bright lemon-dijon dressing. Prevent food boredom by trying new recipes like this one! The dressing in this recipe has lots of pizzazz — so much that you may not need to add all of it; the lemon flavor is strong.