Cooking For The Diabetic Client

Written by Chef Panasiuk
Edited by CHEF Sonia

Is not as difficult as people would think.

A few years ago, I received a phone call from a potential client who was told by his doctor that he was now a diabetic.  As well, he was on his way to having possible heart surgery, if he didn’t start taking care of himself.  This client was a priest, who through his work had spent years being invited to dinners & lunches for communions, weddings, baptisms and the like.

My client had to learn a new way to prepare food.  So I went to the book store and picked up a copy of Complete Canadian Diabetes Cookbook, which is published in cooperation with the Canadian Diabetes Association. I found this book to be a wealth of information; it has recipes from appetizers, dips and spreads to vegetarian main dishes and sides, through the meats and fish, breads and desserts, plus a section just for kids.

I found that the best way to cook for someone with diabetes was to understand the disease before starting. The Canadian Diabetes Association reports that one in thirteen people have diabetes, and it is rapidly becoming the largest public health problem in the Western world.  As society becomes over-weight and ages, there are many more of us at risk for developing diabetes.  A healthy diet and physical activity can actually help reduce the risk or postpone the development of Type 2 diabetes see (www.hc-gc.ca/english/diseases/diabetes.html).

Current nutrition principles for people with Diabetes are:
1. Eat a variety of foods.
2. Emphasize cereals, breads, other grain products, vegetables and fruit.
3. Choose lower fat dairy products, leaner meats and food prepared with little or no fat.
4. Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by enjoying regular physical activity and healthy eating.
5. Limit salt, alcohol and caffeine.

“A major goal for diabetes care is to improve glycemic control by balancing food intake with endogenous and/or exogenous insulin levels.  For people with Type 1 diabetes, insulin does need to be adjusted to balance with nutritionally adequate food intake and physical activity.  For individuals with Type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose, attention to food portions, and weight management combined with physical activity may help improve glycolic control.*

There are a variety of foods that contain carbohydrate, protein, fat and energy these are compiled into one of eight groups, grains & starches, fruits, milk & alternativeness, other choices (sweet foods and snacks), vegetables, meat & alternatives, fats and extras.

Below is a chart of the food groups

After interviewing my client, I planned his menu and started providing his Personal Chef Service.  Within a few short weeks, he was losing the weight he needed to, plus his sugar levels where getting better. 

After cooking for him for several years, his dietician has given me 4 more clients who are either diabetic or borderline diabetic, or who have very low sodium diets.  I now don’t cook with any fat or salt, and the sugars are all natural ones or I use no sugar at all. 


* “the Guidelines for the Nutritional Management of Diabetes Mellitus in the New Millennium: a Position Statement by the Canadian Diabetes Association, “ Canadian Journal of Diabetes Care 23:3 (1999), 56-69

Below, are a few samples of some of the meals I cooked for my diabetic client.  Recipes from Complete Canadian Diabetes Cook Book.


Santa Fe Sweet Potato Soup – Slow Cooker Recipe

2                  dried New Mexico chili peppers
2 cups        boiling water
1 tbsp         vegetable oil
2                  onions, finely chopped
4                  cloves garlic minced
1                  finely chopped jalapeno pepper, (optional)
1 tsp           salt (optional)
1 tsp.          Dried oregano leaves
4 cups        peeled cubed sweet potatoes, about ½” cubes
6 cups        vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups        corn kernels, thawed if frozen
1 tsp           lime zest
2 tbsp         lime juice
2                  roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips
                    Finely chopped cilantro

1.    In a heatproof bowl, soak chilies in boiling water for 30 minutes.  Drain, discarding soaking liquid and stems.  Pat dry, chop finely and set aside.
2.    In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, jalapeno pepper and salt, if using, oregano and reserved chilies and cook stirring for 1 minutes.  Transfer mixture to slow cooker stoneware.  Add sweet potatoes and broth and stir to combine. 
3.    Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.  Until sweet potatoes are tender.  Strain vegetables, reserving broth, in a blender of food processor, purée vegetables with 1 cup reserved broth until smooth.  Return mixture along with reserved broth, to slow cooker stoneware. Or using a hand-held blender, puree the soup in stoneware. Add corn, lime zest and juice.  Cover and cook on high for 20 minutes, until corn is tender.
4.    When ready to serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with red pepper strips and cilantro.

Choices per serving
2 Carbohydrates
½ Fat

Nutritional Analysis Per serving
Calories        175    Fat, total    3 g
Carbohydrate     31g    Fat, saturated     0g
Fiber          4g    Sodium     439mg
Protein        7g    Cholesterol    0mg
 

Best-Ever Meat Loaf

Preheat oven to 350F
Use a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan

1 tbsp     vegetable oil
1              medium onion, chopped
2              cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp       dried basil
1 tsp       dried marjoram
¾ tsp      salt (optional)
¼ tsp      pepper
1              egg
¼ cup     chili sauce or ketchup
1 tbsp     Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp     chopped fresh parsley
1.5 lbs    lean ground beef
¾ cup     rolled oats
or
½ cup     dry bread crumbs

1.    In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, basil, marjoram, slat and pepper; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened.  (or place in microwave-safe bowl; microwave, covered, at high for 3 minutes.) Let cool slightly.
2.    In a large bowl, beat the egg; stir in onion mixture, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce and parsley.  Crumble beef over mixture and sprinkle with rolled oats.  Using a wooden spoon or with your hands, gently mix until evenly combined.
3.    Pack meat mixture lightly into loaf pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until meat thermometer registers 170F.  Let stand for 5 minutes; drain fat in pan, turn out onto plate and cut into thick slices.

Choices per serving
1 carbohydrate
3 meat & alternatives
1 fat

Nutritional Analysis Per serving
Calories         345        Fat, total 21g
Carbohydrate     13g         Fat, saturated 7 g
Fiber         2 g        Sodium 498 mg
Protein         25 g        Cholesterol 100 mg