Shop wisely

The idea of shopping for healthy ingredients may seem intimidating, but we have a few straightforward tips to help you make the most of your next trip to the grocery store and take the stress out of shopping:

• Don’t shop when you’re hungry. Shopping when you’re hungry can lower your resolve to choose healthy ingredients. If you’re hungry, you may reach for comfort foods or snacks that contain a lot of carbohydrate, fat, sodium, or sugar instead of looking for more nutritious choices. Or you may end up buying more food than you actually need. Eat a healthy snack before shopping if it’s been a while since your last meal.
• Bring a shopping list. This seems like an obvious tip, but it can make a big difference! Bring a complete shopping list with you and try to stick to it. If you focus on finding the healthy ingredients you need, you’ll be less tempted to buy foods you don’t need. Don’t forget to check your refrigerator and pantry before you go shopping; if you’re out of any staple ingredients (spices, herbs, condiments, eggs, milk), add them to your list.
• Avoid the center aisles of the grocery store. When you get to the grocery store, take a moment to plan your route through the store. Stick to shopping on the outer perimeter of the store if possible; this is where you’ll find fresh produce and other fresh ingredients. The center aisles hold processed foods. You may need to dip into a few aisles to grab an item or two, but it’s best to do most of your shopping in the outer sections of the store.
• Skip “sugar-free” or “diabetic” foods. You’ll see many products in the grocery store that are labeled “sugar-free” or marketed to people with diabetes. You do not need to purchase these foods. They’re often expensive, and some of these products (such as sugar-free cookies or candies) contain sugar alcohols that may cause gastrointestinal discomfort if eaten in large amounts. You’re better off choosing fresh, whole ingredients than “diabetic” foods.
• Keep an eye on sodium and sugar. When it comes to produce, purchasing fresh or frozen unprocessed ingredients as often as possible is the ideal. Canned fruits and vegetables are also good options, but keep an eye on the sodium and sugar content of these products. Look for low-sodium canned vegetables or vegetable juices. If you can’t find low-sodium canned vegetables, drain and rinse these foods before using them. Fruits canned in juice or extra-light syrup are the best options when it comes to fruit.
• Add some variety to your diet. Choose a wide range of colors of fruits and vegetables from the grocery store. Eating all different colors and kinds of produce will ensure you get a full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients in your diet. Add some variety to your whole-grain choices as well; instead of sticking with brown rice, try adding quinoa, farro, barley, or bulgur wheat to your shopping cart.
• Read food labels. When buying packaged products, take a look at the Nutrition Facts panels and compare nutrients for similar foods to find the one that will work best with your meal plan.

Ingredient swaps for healthier recipes

One of the reasons people find it so overwhelming to make healthy food choices is because they have the idea that eating healthier means giving up all of the foods they love. Well, don’t worry — you don’t have to throw away grandma’s potato salad recipe or stop cooking your favorite casserole just because you have diabetes!

The trick is to find little ways to make these foods healthier or eat smaller portions. You may be able to reduce the carbohydrate, fat, sodium, and/or calorie content of your favorite recipes to help them better fit into your diabetes meal plan. Swapping out a few of the less healthy ingredients in a recipe for more nutritious options can make all the difference. Try some of the common ingredient substitutions shown in Table 3-1.

You can use these ingredient swaps in just about any recipe! Keep in mind that you don’t need to find a healthier substitute for every ingredient in a recipe. Even one or two ingredient swaps can make a dish healthier. A good place to start is finding a healthier option to replace the ingredient that is highest in fat, sodium, or carbohydrate.

Swapping ingredients when baking can change the look and texture of baked goods. It may take some trial and error to figure out which healthy ingredient swaps work best in your favorite baked-good recipe. If you decide to use a sugar substitute in your recipe, read the tips on the package so you know how much of the sugar substitute to use.

Another great way to make your recipes and meals healthier is to use some nonstarchy vegetables to add bulk to a dish or balance out your plate. Because nonstarchy vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrate, you can enjoy these vegetables in larger amounts than other foods, making them a great food option when you want to satisfy your hunger without compromising your meal plan. Here are a few simple tips for using nonstarchy vegetables to your advantage:

• Bulk it up. Nonstarchy vegetables can provide substance and flavor while adding healthy nutrients and very few calories to a recipe. Add an extra serving of nonstarchy vegetables into your meal by adding them to an omelet or a pasta dish (the bulk from the veggies may help you eat less pasta). Even if you’re not a big fan of vegetables, you can sneak in a serving by finely chopping some vegetables and “hiding” them in a pasta sauce or soup.
• Replace some protein with vegetables. You may be able to slightly reduce the fat and calorie content of a recipe and increase the fiber content by replacing some or all of the meat, seafood, or poultry in a dish with nonstarchy vegetables. This works especially well in recipes for combination foods such as soups, casseroles, pasta dishes, or even pizzas. These dishes have so many different ingredients that you may not even notice if you replace half of the animal protein with vegetables!
• Pay attention to sides. If you’re cooking a main dish that is a little higher in fat, carbohydrate, or sodium than you would like, pair it with healthier side dishes so you have a balanced meal. For example, if you’re cooking a burger for dinner, maybe opt for a side salad or a nonstarchy vegetable like baked zucchini wedges instead of making french fries.

Focusing on technique

Although it’s true that healthy ingredients are the basis for a healthy dish, it’s also important to use cooking methods that bring out the flavor of these ingredients without compromising their nutritional value. When it comes to cooking, some methods are better than others. Deep frying or adding lots of fat and salt to foods, for example, can turn healthy ingredients into an unhealthy dish and contribute many grams of fat and sodium to your meal. But using healthy cooking preparations doesn’t mean you have to eat plain baked proteins and steamed vegetables.

Consider the following healthy cooking methods that will keep your meal plan on track without sacrificing taste:

• Sautéing: Sautéing refers to frying ingredients in a pan using a little fat. Depending on the type and amount of fat used, this can be a relatively healthy cooking method. Try to avoid sautéing your foods in animal fats like butter; instead use a small amount (aim for 1 tablespoon or less) of a vegetable oil such as olive oil, canola oil, or avocado oil. Use nonstick cookware when sautéing ingredients, or spray the pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray so you don’t need to use as much oil. You can also try sautéing foods in a small amount of cooking wine, broth, or water if you don’t want to use oil.
• Stir-frying: Stir-frying is a method similar to sautéing in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil. Certain oils are more appropriate for high-heat cooking methods (like stir-frying) than others; use an oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado, canola, safflower, or peanut oil. Heating an oil with a low smoke point too far beyond that smoke point could possibly cause a fire. It’s important to stir continuously when preparing a stir-fry. You should use a plant-based oil for stir-frying instead of using butter.
• Boiling and poaching: Boiling and poaching are both healthy cooking methods because they don’t require adding fats to your ingredients. In both of these methods, the ingredients are cooking in hot liquid (usually water). Boiling is a good way to prepare starchy and nonstarchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, dried beans, carrots, and broccoli. Poaching is a slightly gentler method of cooking that is great for preparing eggs, fish, and vegetables.
• Steaming: Steaming fish, vegetables, and even some grains is another healthy cooking method because no added fat is required to cook the ingredients. Instead the steam from boiling water gently cooks the ingredients, keeping them moist.
• Roasting, grilling, or broiling: All three of these cooking methods can be healthy ways to prepare meat, poultry, and seafood. Try not to add a lot of extra fats to ingredients before cooking. And if you’re basting meat or poultry, try using a small amount of broth instead of basting with the pan drippings. Roasting or grilling vegetables (and fruits if you’re feeling adventurous) is a wonderful way to enhance their flavor. Broiling, however, has the potential to dry out vegetables quickly.
• Microwaving: Almost everyone has a microwave, though few people associate microwaving with healthy eating. But the microwave can be a big asset to a healthy kitchen because it saves you time and you can cook many ingredients in the microwave without adding fat. Use your microwave to cook vegetables or bake a potato so you don’t have to turn on the stove or oven. Many grocery stores even sell frozen vegetables that steam in the bag or microwavable rice.

You can take advantage of all these different cooking methods when you’re preparing diabetes-friendly meals! Just remember to keep the amount of fat used while cooking to a minimum, and choose vegetable oils (sources of unsaturated fat) over animal fats such as butter and lard.

Reducing the amount of fat you add to dishes

Reducing the amount of oil you use while cooking is a great way to make sure you’re not adding too much fat to your foods. Excess fat can cause weight gain, and eating too much saturated fat (found in butter, lard, cream, poultry skin, full-fat dairy products, and other animal fats) can increase your risk for heart disease. People with diabetes already have an increased risk of heart complications, so it’s important to monitor your fat intake.

Here are a few easy ways to reduce the amount of fat in your meals:

• If you’re pan-frying meat, drain the fat off the meat as you’re cooking.
• After making a soup or stew, let it cool to room temperature and then chill it in the refrigerator until the fat settles at the top of the soup and hardens. Skim the fat off the top and discard it before reheating and enjoying the soup.
• If you’re roasting, grilling, or broiling meat, cook it on a rack so the fat can drain off the meat as it cooks.
• Remove the skin from chicken, turkey, and other poultry either before cooking or before eating. The skin contains saturated fat.
• Avoid recipes and foods with butter- or cream-based sauces.

Amping up the flavor

People with diabetes need to find healthy ways to flavor their foods without adding high-fat or high-sodium ingredients to the mix. Here are a few cooking tips to help you boost the flavor of your foods:

• Marinate your proteins. Try marinating meats, poultry, and seafood using fresh herbs, spices, lemon or lime juice, cooking wine, vinegar, or low-sodium broth. These ingredients are low in fat, sodium, and calories and are a healthier alternative to store-bought marinades. You can marinate your vegetables, too!

• Use herbs and spices. Adding fresh or dried herbs, ground spices, or salt-free spice blends to a dish is a great way to add flavor without adding salt or fat. Experiment with fresh herbs — such as dill, parsley, cilantro, sage, rosemary, and thyme — to find out which flavor combinations are your favorites. If you’re using dried herbs and spices, make sure they haven’t been sitting in your spice cabinet for too long; many bottled herbs and spices begin to lose potency after 6 months to 1 year.

  Be careful not to overseason your dish. Add herbs and spices in small quantities at first and taste the food to see if you need more flavor.

• Cook with aromatic vegetables. Aromatic vegetables, such as garlic, ginger, onion, and celery add a wonderful smell and incredible flavor to a dish. You’ll be amazed at what adding some aromatic vegetables to a stir-fry, soup stock, or roasting pan (along with a protein or other vegetables) can do to enhance the taste of an otherwise plain dish. It’s a good idea to always keep a few of these vegetables on hand in your kitchen.
• Add some citrus. The juice of citrus fruits is a great way to add brightness to a dish and enhance its natural flavors without adding salt. Try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon, lime, or even orange juice to fish, vegetables, or grains either before or after cooking. Citrus juice also tastes great in marinades and salad dressings.