What can you make your family for dinner
that's healthy and tastes good? You can
follow the plate method! This healthy
eating plan works for everybody,
including people with diabetes. Indeed,
making nutritious healthy meals will be
a snap.
What's a healthy plate? It's a way to
control your serving sizes where you
don't have to count. Simply use a 7-inch
plate for children and a 9-inch plate
for adults. First, divide the plate in
half and fill one of them with
vegetables. There are two types of
vegetables, starchy like potatoes, corn,
pea,s or plantains and non starchy like
zucchini, jicama, cucumbers, carrots, or
salad. If you have diabetes, fill half
your plate with non starchy vegetables,
then fill 1/4 with whole grains or
starches like brown rice, corn, beans, or
whole wheat pasta. In the other quarter
add some lean protein like tofu, grilled
fish, or chicken. What about adding a side
of tortilla or bread? It's hard to resist,
I know! The trick is, serve yourself a
smaller portion of the other starches on
your plate instead. To complete your meal,
add a drink like unsweetened coffee, tea,
or a glass of milk, but remember that
drinking 8 ounces of milk affects your
blood sugar just as it would if you ate
another tortilla or a slice of bread.
Or, you can also choose water with a squeeze
of lemon or lime. How you create your
plate is up to you, you have many options,
as long as you remember to follow these
healthy guidelines, and tara, you're all set!
You might be thinking how can you use the
plate method to make vegetable beef soup
or other meals? Simply follow the same
idea.
Fill your pot with low sodium broth and
lots of healthy vegetables like corn,
cabbage, zucchini, carrots, and onions and
some lean beef, but not too much. Just
like you'd put on a quarter of your
plate for each person you're serving. If
you want, add your favorite type of
bread on the side, and you've got the
right amount for a healthy meal. Mm-hmm,
enjoy!