Figuring out what you can eat when you are watching your blood glucose can be tough – and even tougher during the holiday season.

The food you consume not only makes a difference to how you manage your glucose level, but also to how well you feel and how much energy you have. There is no single magic diet that is suitable for people with diabetes though. In general, eating healthily when you have diabetes is similar to general healthy eating.

Yet, having diabetes does not mean that your holiday spread has to be limited. Our dietitian has searched the internet to recommend a few festive recipe ideas for your appetizers, mains, and desserts for the holiday season. 

Appetizers

Mushroom soup (Serves 4)

Pre-packaged mushroom soup usually is high in fat and sodium. This recipe, originally contributed by Ms Lauren Ho, former Dietitian/Nutritionist at the Singapore Heart Foundation, uses fresh shiitake mushrooms which gives an umami taste and enhances the flavors of the soup. Hence, less salt is needed in the recipe. Skimmed milk powder is used instead of heavy cream or evaporated milk to make this mushroom soup lower in fat, especially saturated fat. 

Nutrients per serving

• Energy: 131 kcal

• Protein: 9g

• Total Fat: 4g

• Carbohydrate: 17g

• Sodium: 246mg

• Dietary Fibre: 2g

• Calcium: 225mg 

Ingredients

• Shiitake mushrooms, washed and sliced, 1 packet

• Onion, sliced, 1 medium

• Flour, 1 tbsp

• Canola or corn oil, 1 tbsp

• Skimmed milk powder, 1 cup

• Water, 4 cups

• Salt, ¼ tsp

• Black pepper, 1 tsp

• Coriander (cilantro) leaves, 1 handful

Method

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan and fry the onion for 1 minute.

2. Add mushrooms and stir for 3 minutes.

3. In a bowl, combine the flour with skimmed milk powder and some water until well mixed, without lumps.

4. Add the flour and skimmed milk mixture to the saucepan. Stir to mix well, then add the rest of the water, salt and black pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture boils. Turn off the heat and leave the soup to cool.

5. Once the soup has cooled, transfer half of it into a blender, and puree until well blended.

6. Repeat the process with the rest of the soup.

7. Finally, garnish with some coriander leaves and serve.

Curried pumpkin soup (Serves 6)

Kick start the feast with a fibre rich soup. Filling up the stomach with fibre first would help prevent over-indulging on other foods. As this recipe is not thickened with starch, there is a lower impact on glucose reading compared to most cream based soup with added cornstarch. This recipe was originally contributed by Ms Tai Yee Fui, Regional Nutrition Director at Danone Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd, Singapore.

Nutrients per serving

• Energy: 155 kcal

• Protein: 9g

• Total Fat: 3g

• Cholesterol: 4mg

• Sodium: 215mg

• Dietary Fibre: 3g

• Calcium: 300mg

Ingredients

• Fresh pumpkin flesh, thinly sliced, 1kg

• Carrot, cubed, 1 medium

• Onion, chopped, 1 medium

• Curry powder, 1 tsp

• Ground cinnamon, 1 tsp

• Ground nutmeg, 1 tsp

• Canola or corn oil, 1 tbsp

• Skimmed milk powder, 1 cup

• Water, 4 cups

• Salt, ¼ tsp

• Pepper, 1 tsp

• Coriander (cilantro) leaves, a handful

Method

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan and fry the onion & curry powder for 1 minute.

2. Add pumpkin & carrot.  Stir for 3 minutes.

3. Add water. Boil until the pumpkin & carrot are softened. Turn off the heat and add salt, pepper, ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to mix well, and leave the soup to cool.

4. Once the soup has cooled, transfer half of it to a blender, and puree with half of the skimmed milk powder until well-blended.

5. Repeat the process with the rest of the soup and skimmed milk powder.

6. If you like it hot, re-heat, then garnish with some coriander leaves and serve. Alternatively, serve it chilled in shot glasses, as a party appetizer.

Roasted cashew and orange salad with cider vinaigrette (Serves 4)

Making your own salad dressing helps you control the amount of salt, oil or seasoning that you consume. Cider vinegar is a salad dressing option that is lower in fat than most others. In addition, lightly toasted nuts are good sources of high unsaturated fat and protein. Fiber, protein and unsaturated fat increase satiety.

Nutrients per serving

• Energy: (1 kcal = 4.2kJ) 131 kcals 

• Protein: 3.1g

• Total fat: (g and % of total calories) 9.8 g (66.4%)

• Saturated fat: 1.5 g

• Cholesterol: 0 mg

• Carbohydrate: 8.1 g

• Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g

• Sodium: 356 mg.

Ingredients

• Mesclun salad, washed and dried, 240g

• Orange Sunkist, peeled and cut into wedges, 1

• Cashew nuts, lightly toasted, 40g

• Macadamia Oil, 1 1/2 tbsp

• Cider vinegar, 11/2 tbsp

• Mustard Dijon paste, 10g

• Salt, to taste

Method

1. Combine oil, mustard, vinegar and salt to make the vinaigrette, mix well. 

2. Toss mesclun salad with vinaigrette. 

3. Add orange wedges on top. 

Mains

Cauliflower pizza (Serves 2)

If you’re craving pizza, opt for this low-carb pizza recipe, using cauliflower as base to replace dough. Indulging it while still able to keep your total amount of carbohydrate per sitting in check! This recipe was contributed by Ong Rong Ting, a Nutrition Intern at Singapore Heart Foundation.

Nutrients per serving

• Energy: 275.9kcal

• Protein: 30.8g

• Total Fat (Saturated Fat): 11g (2.9g)

• Cholesterol: 72.5mg

• Carbohydrate: 17.8g

• Sodium: 377.9mg

• Dietary Fibre: 6.9g

Ingredients

For the base:

• Cauliflower head, ½

• Egg, beaten, ½

• Almonds, grounded, 25g

• Italian herbs blend, 2 tsp

For the toppings:

• Tomato sauce, 2 tbsp

• Sutchi fish (or other preferred fish), steamed and flaked, ½ fillet

• Reduced fat cheese, 2 slices

• Medium yellow capsicum, diced, ½

• Raw spinach, 1 cup

• Large portobello mushroom, sliced, 1

• Cherry tomatoes, halved, 5

Method

The crust:

• Preheat the oven to 200◦C.

• Cut the cauliflower into florets.

• Blend cauliflower florets in a food processor or blender.

• Place blended cauliflower florets in a bowl.

• Steam for 10 minutes.

• After the cauliflower blend cools, drain its excess water through a filter cloth.

• In a bowl, mix cauliflower, ground almonds, herbs blend and egg till well combined.

• Transfer the mixture onto a lined baking tray.

• Shape it on the tray, leaving a thickness of 3-4mm.

• Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.

Toppings

1. Spread tomato sauce on the crust.

2. Place cheese slices on the crust.

3. Arrange remaining ingredients onto the crust to your liking.

4. Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes and serve.

Bruschetta Margherita (Serves 4)

Is it necessary to cut out all carbs from your diet or, at the very least, restrict your intake of carbs? No, it’s not. Carbohydrates are your body's primary energy source; they help fuel your brain, kidneys, heart muscles, and all kinds of life-enabling bodily functions. To maximize your chances of staying within your target blood sugar ranges, you could simply be more thoughtful about the types of carbohydrates that you eat.

This recipe uses multigrain bread instead of wheat flour which adds more fiber, promotes a feeling of fullness and also helps in blood sugar control by slowing the digestion and absorption of the meal into the bloodstream. The use of reduced fat cheese and unsaturated oil such as olive oil lowers saturated fat content, it is more friendly to heart health. 

Nutrients per serving

• Energy: 260 kcal

• Protein: 13g

• Total fat: 2.9g (29.3%),

• Saturated fat: 3g

• Cholesterol: 8mg

• Carbohydrate: 33g

• Dietary Fiber: 4.5g

• Sodium: 361mg

Ingredients

• Multigrain bread, 8 slices

• Fresh tomatoes, 3

• Extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp

• Reduced Fat Cheese, cut into half 4 slices

Method

1. Cut tomatoes into small cubes and season with olive oil.

2. Sprinkle the tomato cubes on the sliced bread and then cover each with half a cheese slice.

3. Bake for 5 minutes in the oven at 200°C until the cheese has melted.

Tomato Herb Chicken (Serves 4)

This is a protein-rich dish which is lower in sodium and uses natural foods (tomato, lemon juice, parsley and olive oil) for flavoring. Pairing your meal with protein helps in stabilizing blood glucose. Moreover, consuming enough protein is important for maintaining lean muscle mass. 

Nutrients per serving

• Energy: 158 kcal

• Protein: 23.8g

• Total fat: 4.9g (28%)

• Saturated fat: 0.82g

• Cholesterol: 58.0mg

• Carbohydrate: 4.2g 

• Dietary Fiber: 0.9g

• Sodium: 219mg

Ingredients

• Chicken breast, 400g

• Lemon juice, 3 tbsp

• Tomatoes, 2

• Parsley, chopped 20g

• Olive Oil, 1 tbsp

• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Wash and pat the chicken breasts dry.

2. Season with salt, pepper and some chopped parsley.

3. Brush lemon juice and olive oil over the chicken.

4. Put the chicken in a dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. In a preheated oven, bake the chicken breasts at 130°C for around 20 minutes.

6. Add thinly-sliced tomatoes on top and bake for another 5 minutes.

7. Garnish the chicken with the remaining fresh chopped parsley.

8.  Serve hot.

Baked garlic fish (Serves 4)

Fish is an excellent protein source, has a lower impact on blood glucose and lower in saturated fat content compared to red meat (beef or mutton). Protein is also important for optimal immunity. This recipe also uses natural ingredients for flavoring, which means that this contains less sodium.

Nutrients per serving

• Energy: 184 kcal

• Protein: 27.7 g

• Total Fat: 7.8 g

• Saturated Fat: 1.6 g

• Cholesterol: 95 mg

• Carbohydrate: 0.8 g

• Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g

• Sodium: 124 mg

Ingredients

• 4 white fish fillets

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped finely

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C.

2. Combine olive oil and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl.

3. Rub fish filets with minced garlic and arrange fish on a baking dish. 

4. Pour olive oil mixture and sprinkle coriander over the fish.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 – 20 m

Dessert

Chia Seed pudding (Serves 1)

Chia seed is rich in dietary fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acid. It is a great choice for weight loss, blood sugar and cholesterol management. The sweetness from this recipe comes from natural fruit which provides additional antioxidants. This recipe was contributed by Mr Lim Kiat, Senior Nutritionist at the Singapore Heart Foundation.

Nutrients per serving

• Energy: 235.3 kcal

• Protein: 10.5g

• Total Fat (Saturated Fat): 11.8g (2.2g)

• Cholesterol: 6.5mg

• Carbohydrate: 21.8g

• Sodium: 36.3mg

• Dietary Fibre: 10.2g

Ingredients

• Chia seeds, 2 tbsp

• Low fat milk, ½ cup

• Blueberries, 10 pcs

• Strawberries, 2 pcs

Method

1. Mix chia seeds and low fat milk in a cup.

2. Cover the cup and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

3. Add fruits before serving.

4. Enjoy the healthy dessert.
   

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