03/04/2025
March is Nutrition Month !!
Comfort food makeovers from Diabetes Canada:
Changing up a few ingredients can make comfort foods a healthier option that does not affect your blood sugar so dramatically. Here are some tips for updating your favourites:
• If you do not have time to make your broth from scratch, choose a store-bought one with no added salt, or at least with reduced sodium.
• Instead of a filler like breadcrumbs (which are used in meatloaf and other dishes), substitute oats or wholegrain breadcrumbs.
• Adding more veggies (especially those with low carb counts) to your comfort foods is always a good idea for people with diabetes. When making dishes such as macaroni and cheese, stews, or chili, add zucchini or dark leafy greens and reduce higher-carb ingredients, such as potatoes. This is also a way of keeping meat portions down to the recommended amounts.
• To cut down on saturated fat in dishes such as creamy mashed potatoes, use buttermilk and less butter. Also consider substituting sweet potatoes in fare such as baked stuffed potatoes, for higher nutritional counts.
• Baked goods made with refined flours can be tempting, but they can also send your blood sugar soaring. Instead, choose recipes that use whole-grain flours or smaller amounts of refined flours. If you are updating a favourite, start with small substitutions on your first try increasing the amounts each time you make it.
• You can also try lighter options for baked goods, such as a phyllo dough instead of a premade pie crust (you can find phyllo in the freezer section at the supermarket). Another option: Instead of a fruit pie, try a fruit crumble made with less topping.
