What Can My Guest with Diabetes Eat?

By Glenna Wilson, Kansas Senior Press Service
A project of the KU Center on Aging

We're having company here for dinner tomorrow night. That's great-but there's a problem. One of our guests is diabetic, and I don't know what to cook.

Norma Slagle, a certified diabetes education at Mercy Regional Health Center, Manhattan, suggests a menu:

• For the meat, baked chicken would be good, she suggests. Baked potatoes would go well with that, but they may need to be cut in half so the person with diabetes can choose a small serving.
   
• Mashed potatoes would be all right, too-or even sweet potatoes, Slagle says, "but probably a third of a sweet potato would be as much as the guest should eat.
   
• For a vegetable, green beans or broccoli would be a good choice. "Either would add green color to the menu, which would be appealing and make the table attractive," Slagle says.
   
• For a salad, slaw or a tossed salad would be a good choice. "If you make a Jello salad, choose diet Jello and put fruit or vegetables in it," she suggests.
   
• Dinner rolls or whole wheat bread go well with this menu.
   
• Dessert? A choice Slagle recommends is angel food cake and fruit. "Choose fruit in its own juice; if in light syrup, drain the syrup off.: Don't use fruit in heavy syrup for the person with diabetes.

As general guidelines for a meal, Slagle says to have a good variety-especially make it colorful. Try to limit carbohydrates to four servings a meal.

Here's another hostess questions. What kind of snacks can people have on hand when people with diabetes drop in?

Slagle has suggestions for that too.

"Fruit is always a good choice," she says. "However, the person with diabetes may need only a small or medium apple, orange, peach or pear, or a half a banana.

"Popcorn is an excellent snack," she says, and crackers such as Wheat Thinks, Triscuits, and Vanilla Wafers are all right. Light yogurt or a cup of frozen fruit might be welcome.

If the fruit needs sweetening, she recommends using Splenda or a similar sweetener.

A final suggestion: use a low amount of fat in the food you prepare. Some people with diabetes-along with many of the rest of us-do have a weight problem.

 

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