At a summer buffet, start by scanning the table to see what's available. Fill up your plate with mostly vegetables and whole grains. If there are meat dishes, limit your portion to about the size and thickness of a deck of cards. Choose lean meats, poultry or fish instead of high fat meats, such as barbequed ribs. Choose grilled chicken (remove the skin) instead of something fried.
Look for high-fiber foods, such as dried beans and peas, lentils, and dark green vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, spinach and kale. Dishes with green beans, threebeans, black beans and black-eyed peas, are always good choices, as are whole grain foods such as brown rice, couscous, whole wheat bread and pasta.
Watch out for those fatty foods! Avoid dishes with a lot of mayonnaise, sour cream and butter. Choose veggies that are light on dressing and cheese. For fun, try making your own dressing with a little olive oil and vinegar. If you make a sandwich, use whole wheat bread with mustard or salsa instead of mayonnaise.
Try to drink water, unsweetened tea, or diet soda with your meal. If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, drink only with a meal and don't drink more than one (for women) or two (for men) a day.
Don't forget dessert! Dessert is a great opportunity to get in some of your daily fruit intake. Everyone-including people with diabetes-needs three to four servings of fruit a day. Let's face it; what is summer without delicious watermelon or strawberries? Fruit is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and has zero fat. Those pies and cookies taste good, but have a lot of fat and cholesterol and not much nutrition. So, try to stick to the good stuff! If you can't resist, have a small serving.
Summer is a time to enjoy family, friends, and life. It's also a great time to refocus on feeling better, eating healthy, and controlling your diabetes, for life! For more tips and free materials on diabetes control, visit the National Diabetes Education program at http://ndep.nih.gov or call us at 1-800-438-5383.
