Diabetic Thanksgiving

[lapislazuli]

I was wondering if anyone had personal experience here. My husband is a diabetic and he’s only in his 50s. He’s thin but has taken a steroid for a long time that can cause diabetes, plus it runs in his family on his mother’s side.

I was diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago but recently have gotten normal blood sugar results without medication. This is partly due to a much lower stress level and partly due to some changes in diet which I’ve been trying sometimes without success to keep up with.

We’re going to my family but the issue is how tempting all these carbs are. In general I’m trying to retrain myself to like healthier foods more but it’s hard. Has anyone actually learned to like healthy foods that aren’t high in carbs that might be good for the holiday?

My husband really loves pumpkin but I don’t. However most pumpkin recipes call for a lot of carbs.

 

[Joshua_Shorter]

I’m a Type 1 diabetic so I am able to get away with some things that you can’t. However, I try to eat as few carbs as possible. I know how difficult it can be to live a healthy lifestyle when everyone around doesn’t care.

If you can, try to load up on meats like turkey and ham. The veggies are always plentiful at my house but limit the corn and mashed potatoes. Try to feast on green beans or even carrots instead.

The very fact that you are asking for help is proof positive that you can do this! Believe in yourself. Indulge a little, but only a little.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

 

[juno24]

Has anyone actually learned to like healthy foods that aren’t high in carbs that might be good for the holiday?

My husband really loves pumpkin but I don’t. However most pumpkin recipes call for a lot of carbs.

Absolutely! Several years ago, I was on a low-carb, high-protein diet to lose a large amount of weight. I have kept it off for nearly 4 years now by eating the same way. Thanksgiving and Christmas were not hard for me at all. I love turkey, so of course that was my main dish. Instead of regular whipped potatoes, you can add mashed cauliflower (which is really creamy when cooked and mashed with a little light cream cheese). You won’t be able to taste a difference, and the texture is terrific. Instead of green bean casserole (with fried onions or onion rings and heavy cream sauce), make roasted green beans, sprinkled with olive oil and seasoned with garlic and coarse salt. Forego the stuffing, or make your own with toasted low-carb bread. Desserts don’t have to be super-sugary, either. I don’t eat much in the way of dessert anymore, but check online for low-carb pumpkin desserts. Make a pumpkin mousse instead of pumpkin pie (or search for low-carb pumpkin pie recipes). It takes planning, but it is definitely doable!

 

[lapislazuli]

Absolutely! Several years ago, I was on a low-carb, high-protein diet to lose a large amount of weight. I have kept it off for nearly 4 years now by eating the same way. Thanksgiving and Christmas were not hard for me at all. I love turkey, so of course that was my main dish. Instead of regular whipped potatoes, you can add mashed cauliflower (which is really creamy when cooked and mashed with a little light cream cheese). You won’t be able to taste a difference, and the texture is terrific. Instead of green bean casserole (with fried onions or onion rings and heavy cream sauce), make roasted green beans, sprinkled with olive oil and seasoned with garlic and coarse salt. Forego the stuffing, or make your own with toasted low-carb bread. Desserts don’t have to be super-sugary, either. I don’t eat much in the way of dessert anymore, but check online for low-carb pumpkin desserts. Make a pumpkin mousse instead of pumpkin pie (or search for low-carb pumpkin pie recipes). It takes planning, but it is definitely doable!

do you have a recipe for mashed cauliflower? I’d like to try that.

 

[UbiCaritas]

I was wondering if anyone had personal experience here. My husband is a diabetic and he’s only in his 50s. He’s thin but has taken a steroid for a long time that can cause diabetes, plus it runs in his family on his mother’s side.

I was diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago but recently have gotten normal blood sugar results without medication. This is partly due to a much lower stress level and partly due to some changes in diet which I’ve been trying sometimes without success to keep up with.

We’re going to my family but the issue is how tempting all these carbs are. In general I’m trying to retrain myself to like healthier foods more but it’s hard. Has anyone actually learned to like healthy foods that aren’t high in carbs that might be good for the holiday?

My husband really loves pumpkin but I don’t. However most pumpkin recipes call for a lot of carbs.

As to your husband’s love of pumpkin, I can make one suggestion. This is not something that I imagine he could do routinely, but it would at least cut down on the carbs.

When I was a kid, we always made a deep-dish pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert. However, because it was deep-dish, it meant that we doubled the usual recipe for filling, but would only use about 3/4 of the total amount of filling mix. We’d bake the rest in a greased 8x8 pan alongside the pie. The result was, essentially, crustless pumpkin pie. Again, still quite high in carbs, but at least it didn’t have the carbs from the white flour crust, y’know?

A smaller slice of this with some either unsweetened-but-flavored (vanilla extract, perhaps) whipped cream would reduce the overall carb load because of the fat content of the whipped cream. You might even make it with brown sugar Splenda, though I know some people avoid artificial sweeteners altogether. Still carby, but less so.

 

[lapislazuli]

I’m a Type 1 diabetic so I am able to get away with some things that you can’t. However, I try to eat as few carbs as possible. I know how difficult it can be to live a healthy lifestyle when everyone around doesn’t care.

If you can, try to load up on meats like turkey and ham. The veggies are always plentiful at my house but limit the corn and mashed potatoes. Try to feast on green beans or even carrots instead.

The very fact that you are asking for help is proof positive that you can do this! Believe in yourself. Indulge a little, but only a little.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

I don’t really know the difference between type 1 and type 2 in terms of diet. I’m aware of what it is medically but am not sure how that affects what people eat. I don’t want to backslide during this time of year. Unfortunately my husband can’t have ham either - no red meat which he says includes pork even though some people call that “white” meat. He can have chicken and turkey as well as seafood.

I’m working on finding lower-fat alternatives to cheese since we both love cheese and the high fat versions are tempting but I’ve read diabetes can increase risk of heart disease.

One thing that is surprisingly hard for me to give up is diet soda although I’ve heard many times it’s not good for people especially diabetics.

thanks for the reassurance

 

[lapislazuli]

As to your husband’s love of pumpkin, I can make one suggestion. This is not something that I imagine he could do routinely, but it would at least cut down on the carbs.

When I was a kid, we always made a deep-dish pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert. However, because it was deep-dish, it meant that we doubled the usual recipe for filling, but would only use about 3/4 of the total amount of filling mix. We’d bake the rest in a greased 8x8 pan alongside the pie. The result was, essentially, crustless pumpkin pie. Again, still quite high in carbs, but at least it didn’t have the carbs from the white flour crust, y’know?

A smaller slice of this with some either unsweetened-but-flavored (vanilla extract, perhaps) whipped cream would reduce the overall carb load because of the fat content of the whipped cream. You might even make it with brown sugar Splenda, though I know some people avoid artificial sweeteners altogether. Still carby, but less so.

I didn’t know they made splenda with brown sugar. my husband does use splenda so I’ll have to look into this. thanks.

 

[maryjk]

Crust-less Pumpkin Pudding, using Spoonable Splenda

I’ve made it, and it was incredible.
crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/crockpot-pumpkin-pudding-crustless.html

1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)
–1 can evaporated milk (12 oz–the big can, not the little guy!)
–3/4 cup white sugar
–1/2 cup Bisquick-type mix (I used Pamela’s Baking Mix)
–2 eggs
–2 T butter, melted
–1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
–1/2 tsp nutmeg
–1/4 tsp cloves
–1/8 tsp ginger
–2 tsp vanilla extract

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot and it was the perfect size. If you only have a big one, you can use it, but be aware that the batter will be spread out more and will cook much quicker. If you insert an oven-safe dish into the crock, it will work, but the batter will be quite thick and will take a VERY long time. Plan accordingly.

Spray cooking spray into your crockpot.

Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, and whisk until fully blended. No need to use a hand or stand mixer, just some elbow-grease.

Pour the batter into the prepared crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for about 6. Check your “pie” after 2 hours on high, and 3 hours on low, then check every 30 minutes.

When fully cooked, the pie will look just like a finished pumpkin pie. The batter will have browned and will crack in a few places. The center will have set enough for you to touch it without getting batter on your finger.

Let sit in the crockpot until room temperature, then spoon into serving dishes and top with whipped cream.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

Gosh, that^^ looks tempting. Might have to give that a go at some point…

do you have a recipe for mashed cauliflower? I’d like to try that.

This is the recipe I use, except that I reduce the cream cheese to a mere 3 tablespoons per one-pound head of cauliflower. More than that and the texture is too runny for my taste. Also, I often add minced garlic.

Faux Ta Toes - Low Carb Mashed Potato Substitute

 

[PhiloMed]

For appetizers you can have raw veggies on a tray with some dip. Use non-fat greek yogurt with a package of either onion or vegetable soup/dip mix. It is just like using sour cream, but fat free and I think better than the ff sour cream which tastes like melted plastic.

 

[RoseMary131]

I think a healthy meal is good for those with and without diabetes.

This are my thoughts. You may need to speak with your doctor for how many carbohydrates you and your husband should eat throughout the day.

My ideal day is to have 4 servings of carbohydrates each per lunch and dinner, with possibly 2 servings of carbohydrate for a snack between lunch and dinner and again after dinner.

A quick way to count a serving of carbohydrates is to look at the food label of a prepared food or in a carbohydrate book for fresh food.

A carbohydrate serving is 15 grams of carbohydrate.

A meal might look like this:
3 oz turkey breast
salad made with lots of non-starchy vegetables - 2 T olive oil based dressing
1/2 cup sweet potato (prepared in microwave, sprinkled with cinnamon)
non-startchy vegetables steamed:
—broccoli with carrots
----sliced zucchini and cherry tomatoes heated together in a skillet, sprinkled with basil

At this point, I would roughly call this meal 1 serving of carbohydrate or 15 grams of carbohydrate.

So, the above meal still has room for 3 more servings of carbohydrates or 45 grams of carbohydrates.

I usually eliminate foods with wheat or gluten in my diet. If you want bread or stuffing (gluten or gluten free), check the serving size and carbohydrate amount. Then measure the amount you put on your plate.

I look at a food and decide “is it something I want to ‘spend’ 15 grams of carbohydrate eating or drinking?”

Don’t forget to look at the number of carbs and the serving size of drinks. I usually drink water.

You can make a healthier pie or a carb loaded pie. Some pie (frozen Key Lime) may have 55 grams of carbohydrate in one serving size piece (1/8 pie). That is almost the entire 60 grams that I would want for an entire meal. By cutting the pie slices into 1/16 of a pie, the pie counts goes down to close to 30 grams or 2 servings of carbohydrates. Meaning the meal can contain 2 servings of carbohydrates.

You can make a fantastic meal and stick to 60 grams of carbs (which is 4 servings) or even less.

You can use 30 grams of carbohydrate for pie as your 2 servings of carbohydrate for the snack between lunch and dinner.

Sometimes, we mistakenly believe we have to over-eat on Thanksgiving or holidays and eat high fat, high carbohydrates. We can celebrate and enjoy healthy eating.

You are off to a wonderful start by planning in advance to serve a healthy and tasty meal for your family.

 

[Rita77]

try the preseason vegetable packs in frozen foods or roast vegetables in the oven with olive oil and salt and pepper.

my dad is diabetic my whole family tries to make everything diabetic friendly as possible. really its not so bad and gives dad plenty of options. its almost a competition each year who can make the best healthy dishes.

 

[juno24]

do you have a recipe for mashed cauliflower? I’d like to try that.

It is super simple:
1head cauliflower (fresh is best, but frozen can work)
salt, pepper, fresh minced garlic
1 to 2 ounces Neufchatel (also called 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
whatever herbs, spices or cheese you like in mashed potatoes

Remove the stem from the cauliflower and discard; chop the rest into florets
Boil cauliflower until it can be pierced with a fork (no more than 10 minutes, you don’t want mush)
Drain, and then put it back into the pot you boiled it in. Let it sit for 5 minutes (this is important, as it will finish steaming and it will absorb any leftover liquid)
Mash with a potato masher
Add Neufchatel and season as you like. If you are adding cheese, add it now. Parmesan works beautifully in this dish.

I like raw garlic in mine, but if you want garlic and don’t want raw, roast a whole bulb in the oven until soft, then mash in as much as you like with the cauliflower.
This is terrific all by itself, but if you want it with real potatoes, just boil a couple of potatoes separately and mash in with the cauliflower. Or you can use flaked or powdered mashed potato mix (just add a bit of milk or cream if you are using potatoes-- real or powdered).

 

[lapislazuli]

thanks for all the advice and recipes. I’ll have to try them out.

 

[juno24]

That sounds amazing! I may try that this fall! I have a large crockpot, so I would use a pie tin instead of just putting it in the bottom of the crock. If anyone else wanted to try it with a pie tin, just add a little water to the crock and set the tin on top of the water. Make sure no water gets into the pie tin, though!

Crust-less Pumpkin Pudding, using Spoonable Splenda

I’ve made it, and it was incredible.
crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/crockpot-pumpkin-pudding-crustless.html

1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)
–1 can evaporated milk (12 oz–the big can, not the little guy!)
–3/4 cup white sugar
–1/2 cup Bisquick-type mix (I used Pamela’s Baking Mix)
–2 eggs
–2 T butter, melted
–1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
–1/2 tsp nutmeg
–1/4 tsp cloves
–1/8 tsp ginger
–2 tsp vanilla extract

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot and it was the perfect size. If you only have a big one, you can use it, but be aware that the batter will be spread out more and will cook much quicker. If you insert an oven-safe dish into the crock, it will work, but the batter will be quite thick and will take a VERY long time. Plan accordingly.

Spray cooking spray into your crockpot.

Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, and whisk until fully blended. No need to use a hand or stand mixer, just some elbow-grease.

Pour the batter into the prepared crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for about 6. Check your “pie” after 2 hours on high, and 3 hours on low, then check every 30 minutes.

When fully cooked, the pie will look just like a finished pumpkin pie. The batter will have browned and will crack in a few places. The center will have set enough for you to touch it without getting batter on your finger.

Let sit in the crockpot until room temperature, then spoon into serving dishes and top with whipped cream.

 

[maryjk]

That sounds amazing! I may try that this fall! I have a large crockpot, so I would use a pie tin instead of just putting it in the bottom of the crock. If anyone else wanted to try it with a pie tin, just add a little water to the crock and set the tin on top of the water. Make sure no water gets into the pie tin, though!

I just double the recipe.

 

[Bonnie]

I didn’t know they made splenda with brown sugar. my husband does use splenda so I’ll have to look into this. thanks.

I have read that the Splenda brown sugar is part regular sugar. Sugar Twin brown sugar is not. Have to admit I have not read the ingredients on the boxes.

 

[Bonnie]

I’m diabetic, but even before getting serious about the diet we scaled back on feasts of food. Thanksgiving and Christmas are first of all about worship - we go to Mass. Then it’s being with family and friends. The food comes in third.

I’ve had to give up some of my favorite holiday foods, but I’ve found new ones.

One festive low carb vegetable that’s easy is Green Beans with Almonds. I got the recipe from The James Beard Cookbook, which has a surprising number of low carb recipes.

Green Beans with Almonds

Melt a tablespoon or two of butter in a saucepan.* In it brown 1/4 to 1/2 cup slivered almonds. Toss or stir the almonds and keep an eye on them, they can burn quickly. Sliced fresh mushrooms can be added to the almonds. Stir in drained, cooked fresh or frozen, or canned green beans. When the almonds are brown, stir in the beans. Re-heat if necessary.

*The original recipe called for 6-8 tablespoons of butter for 1 pound of beans – I’ve never cooked that many beans at once, but it would be a good amount for a holiday feast.

When I make this, I usually use 1 can of green beans and 1/4 cup of slivered almonds. I’ve used canned mushrooms, but fresh are much better. I have never measured them, I just eyeball the amount.

When I’m a guest, I stick to the turkey, lamb and/or goat (we have some fun friends! ) and the “safe” vegetables. If there is a green salad I load up on that with vinegar and oil dressing. I stay away from sauces - they’re usually loaded with carbs.

I used to take hostess gifts of baked treats, jams, chutneys, fruit liqueur - all high carb stuff. Now I think my next hostess gift will be a couple of varieties of local goat cheese.

 

[lapislazuli]

I’m diabetic, but even before getting serious about the diet we scaled back on feasts of food. Thanksgiving and Christmas are first of all about worship - we go to Mass. Then it’s being with family and friends. The food comes in third.

I’ve had to give up some of my favorite holiday foods, but I’ve found new ones.

One festive low carb vegetable that’s easy is Green Beans with Almonds. I got the recipe from The James Beard Cookbook, which has a surprising number of low carb recipes.

Green Beans with Almonds

Melt a tablespoon or two of butter in a saucepan.* In it brown 1/4 to 1/2 cup slivered almonds. Toss or stir the almonds and keep an eye on them, they can burn quickly. Sliced fresh mushrooms can be added to the almonds. Stir in drained, cooked fresh or frozen, or canned green beans. When the almonds are brown, stir in the beans. Re-heat if necessary.

*The original recipe called for 6-8 tablespoons of butter for 1 pound of beans – I’ve never cooked that many beans at once, but it would be a good amount for a holiday feast.

When I make this, I usually use 1 can of green beans and 1/4 cup of slivered almonds. I’ve used canned mushrooms, but fresh are much better. I have never measured them, I just eyeball the amount.

When I’m a guest, I stick to the turkey, lamb and/or goat (we have some fun friends! ) and the “safe” vegetables. If there is a green salad I load up on that with vinegar and oil dressing. I stay away from sauces - they’re usually loaded with carbs.

I used to take hostess gifts of baked treats, jams, chutneys, fruit liqueur - all high carb stuff. Now I think my next hostess gift will be a couple of varieties of local goat cheese.

wow, that green bean recipe sounds really good. I may try that this weekend along with the mashed cauliflower. my husband doesn’t like almonds but I love them. however we both love fresh mushroom and can even get it sliced. we’ve had mushrooms sauteed in olive oil which is really good.

I’ll have to look at that cookbook you recommend. I’m working on drinking a lot of water both to lower hunger and to avoid the stuff in diet soda.

 

[Bonnie]

I’ll have to look at that cookbook you recommend. I’m working on drinking a lot of water both to lower hunger and to avoid the stuff in diet soda.

James Beard never met a calorie or a carb that he didn’t like, so there are a lot of “bad” recipes in the book. But his veggie recipes are mostly good. I’m sure it’s out of print, but you might be able to find an old paperback pretty cheap.

Water doesn’t really do much to lessen hunger. Try herb teas - there are a lot of nice flavors.