My In-Laws Are Coming...what's Great for a Diabetic

[babywings76]

My father-in-law is diabetic and has very strange eating habits. He pretty much rationalizes what he eats and then makes up for it with his insulin. He goes overboard sometimes, like eating a half gallon of ice cream with his dinner.

But anyway, I thought I should try to offer diabetic friendly meals for him. What are some of the best recipes for this?

 

[raebates]

Basically, a diabetic needs to eat like we're all supposed to eat--high fiber, lean protein, and whole grains, all in moderation.

 

[babywings76]

So taking that into consideration, what PC recipes would be the best to make? What ones do you love to eat and are crowd pleasers?

 

[Stephaniecafe]

My sister is diabetic--type 1. She says beans "love her blood sugar"--meaning they are really good at keeping her levels right. The white chicken chili is really good and pretty low fat and lean! Perfect! We make it vegetarian by using white hominy instead of chicken, but sis' is good with meat so it's not an issue. It doesn't sound like your father in law cares much if he controls his sugars, but I think it is wonderful that you care enough to offer something healthy! There are a lot of recipes at this website:
http://vgs.diabetes.org/recipe/index.jsp (posted by janet a while ago). Hope that helps! Seriously one of my favorite books on this (thanks to my sis'--again) is the Glucose Revolution. It really helped me get a real grasp on her situation and how the body deals with carbs. Good luck! Hope your father in law appreciates the effort!!

 

[pkd09]

My first thought was "depends on how much you like your in-laws". If you like them, stay away from the carbs. If you don't like them, carb away! Just kidding

 

[babywings76]

I made the fajitas last night and everyone LOVED them! I'm so glad I finally got to try that recipe. (He did end up eating several with the flour tortillas, and a bowl of ice cream afterwards ) I decided to hold off on getting all the groceries for meals until they arrived. So today, I'm going over the menu with my MIL and see what she thinks of my choices. Last night, when I mentioned that, she said he pretty much eats whatever he wants now. (Last time they were here, he was trying to stay away from carbs and also personally was going through a no meat phase to lose weight, so it was a struggle coming up with things that fit both categories.)

 

[raebates]

That sounds like a good plan, Amanda. I was diagnosed years and years ago. I have really good control, and I basically just try to eat a standard, healthy diet now. When I was first diagnosed, though, I became the food police in our house. Everything that wasn't part of the diabetic diet had to go. Once I got used to eating better, I was able to adjust to a more normal regular diet.

 

[Jane the PC]

My boyfriend and I care for his father who is disabled and diabetic. I do most of the shopping and pretty much all of the cooking, and I am having a hard time comming up with new things for him to eat. I changed him from eating white bread to whole grain wheat, which he did not complain about. But he eats two loaves a week, and he always slathers it with a dab of "I cant believe its not butter" . I dont want to take away his ability to eat, because he is so blind he cant really cook. All he can do is toast bread and use the microwave. He makes alot of sandwhiches also. When he tries to eat left overs in the fridge, there is almost always a huge mess to clean when I come home from work. (I dont not even want to mention the Nestle Quick Episode) But I care about his health, and I feel sad that he is an active man in his mind, but is confined to the house most of the time because of his condition. Eating food seems to be enjoyable for him. Last night I gave him a jar of sugar free Orange Marmalade for his toast instad of the other butter like stuff in the yellow tub. He went bonkers, and said he LOVED it so much, and thanked me over and over. Do you guys have any websites, thoughts or suggestions that might help me ? I'm going to make a grocery bill this weekend, and I want to get him the goodies that are good for him.

Thanks!!

 

[baychef]

How about Berries and Cream Wontons? They are low in carbs and really tasty!

 

[NooraK]

My husband's team at work gave him http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764584502/?tag=pfamazon01-20 as a gift.

I haven't had a chance to really dive into it, but from a quick browse it looks like it's got some great recipes in it.

When I did a search on Amazon, I saw that there is also a Healthy Carb Cookbook for Dummies, a Fix-it and Forget-it Diabetic Cookbook: Slow-Cooker Favorites, and The 4-Ingredient Diabetes Cookbook: Simple, Quick and Delicious Recipes Using Just 4 Ingredients or Less. And of course a gazillion more, but those stuck out as ones I've seen before in a non-diabetic version.

 

[janetupnorth]

http://www.diabetic-recipes.com/
http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/diabetic-recipes/
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Healthy-Cooking/Diabetic/Main.aspx
http://www.diabetes.org/food-nutrition-lifestyle/nutrition.jsp