Diabetic recipes

How we choose diabetic recipes

According to Diabetes UK, there is no such thing as a special type 2 diabetes diet. The American Diabetes Association recommends more non-starchy vegetables and lean protein, less added sugar and refined grains, whole and minimally processed foods, and less saturated fat and salt. Our selection is based on these principles. We calculate carbs, sugars, fiber, calories and fat for every recipe from its ingredients and their amounts using the USDA FoodData Central food composition tables (for Slovak products such as quark or bryndza, from a typical label) and divide them by the number of servings – just like for the light recipes. All values are shown with each recipe under Nutrition facts.

• No added sugar: the ingredients contain no sugar, honey, syrup, jam, chocolate, sweetened products (ketchup, fruit yogurt, canned fruit in syrup, juice, cookies) or dried fruit. Natural sugars from fresh fruit, vegetables and milk are included in the carbs.
• Per serving at most: lunch and dinner 45 g carbs and 650 kcal, breakfast 40 g carbs and 500 kcal, soups 30 g carbs and 400 kcal, side dishes 30 g carbs and 350 kcal, salads 30 g carbs and 500 kcal. Saturated fat at most: breakfast 8 g, soups 6 g, lunch and dinner 10 g, side dishes 6 g, salads 7 g. Salt at most 2.5 g (the World Health Organization recommends that adults have less than 5 g of salt a day). If the number of servings is our estimate, the limits must also hold with one serving fewer. Deep-fried dishes and processed meats are not included.
• Add the side dish: for a lunch or dinner without a side, add the carbs from potatoes, rice, pasta, dumplings or bread. The American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Plate helps you put a meal together: half non-starchy vegetables (not potatoes or corn), a quarter lean protein (meat, fish, eggs, tofu) and a quarter carbohydrate foods, ideally whole grain.
• The values are approximate: they depend on the specific ingredients, the size of the serving and the preparation. We give total carbohydrates including fiber, as on US nutrition labels and in the USDA tables.
• The recipes are not a treatment or a personal diet. How many carbs you need per meal and per day is individual. If you take insulin or medication that can cause hypoglycemia, follow the advice of your doctor or a dietitian.