00:00Whether you're managing a diabetes diagnosis or just want to eat a little healthier,
00:04cooking can still feel fun, creative, and delicious.
00:06I'm going to show you how to put together a day of balanced, blood-sugar-friendly meals for diabetes.
00:11But first, let's talk about the three main nutrients to focus on.
00:14Fiber, protein, and healthy fat.
00:16Fiber is a type of indigestible carb that feeds the good bacteria in our gut,
00:20helps remove excess cholesterol from our blood vessels,
00:23and keeps things moving in our digestive tract.
00:26Protein is a crucial macronutrient for healthy muscles and bones,
00:29and it's really important for helping you stay satisfied from your meals.
00:32Healthy fats add flavor and satiety, as well as some anti-inflammatory benefits, too.
00:37Let's get started with a healthy breakfast.
00:39Having a balanced breakfast to start your day is a non-negotiable for healthy blood sugar levels,
00:43and these cinnamon roll overnight oats are one of my favorites.
00:46It's like eating dessert for breakfast, but way more balanced and blood-sugar-friendly.
00:50Oats are packed with fiber, which is digested more slowly,
00:52which helps keep our blood sugar levels steadier for longer.
00:55And milk adds protein and fiber to give it more staying power to help you feel full for longer.
01:00Next, we're going to add six teaspoons of brown sugar.
01:02And you may be wondering if sugar is okay when you have diabetes,
01:05but making a breakfast like this yourself helps you control how much you add.
01:09And a little bit of salt, and the vanilla and cinnamon really bring the cinnamon roll vibes.
01:13And that's it.
01:14Super easy.
01:15Just mix it all up, and it's ready to store.
01:16I love overnight oats so much because they're so easy to customize,
01:20and they're really meal prep friendly so that you can have a breakfast ready for you when you wake up.
01:24It takes the decision making out of your morning, and you can customize the flavors to your liking.
01:28They're perfectly good on their own, but I like to add a little bit of fruit and nuts for even
01:32more flavor.
01:33And now that breakfast is covered, let's move on to a simple and healthy lunch.
01:36When I'm thinking about lunch, I want something that's easy enough to prep ahead,
01:40but delicious enough that I actually look forward to it throughout the day.
01:43And this spinach salad with sweet potatoes and white beans is just that.
01:46I'm going to start by making the dressing, and I love making my own salad dressings.
01:50It's super fast and easy if you have a well-stocked pantry,
01:53and you can control the added sugar and salt.
01:55Now we blend.
01:56Ooh, that looks really nice.
01:58And now that our dressing is made, we can set it aside while we assemble the salad.
02:01All these colorful veggies have different antioxidants, which have their own anti-inflammatory benefits,
02:06so eating the rainbow really is good advice.
02:08I love this recipe for meal prep.
02:10You can roast the sweet potatoes and make the dressing in advance,
02:12so it's easy to plate up whenever you want it.
02:15And last but not least, a sprinkle of pecans, which add healthy fats, which keep us more satisfied.
02:19The dressing really brings it all together.
02:21I like to serve this family style, but it's great for meal prep as well.
02:24This is a salad that you're going to love.
02:26Now that lunch is covered, we're going to make an easy sheet pan dinner.
02:29I'm the type of person that wakes up thinking about what I'll have for dinner that night,
02:32but after a long day, I don't always have the energy to use a bunch of dishes or clean them
02:36up after.
02:37That's why I love a good one-pan recipe like this chicken asparagus bake.
02:40So to our chicken, we're going to add some carrots and potatoes.
02:44Contrary to what you might think, potatoes can definitely be on the menu if you have diabetes.
02:48It's all in how you prepare them.
02:50Roasting them like this uses less added fat and salt than, say, deep frying them to make something like french
02:55fries.
02:55And we'll give this a toss later, but right now it's ready to go in the oven at 375 for
03:0015 minutes.
03:01And while that's roasting, we're going to make our dressing.
03:02So it starts with about two tablespoons of lemon juice and then two tablespoons of shallots.
03:08One thing I like to do is let raw alliums, like shallots or onions, hang out in vinegar or lemon
03:13juice for a few minutes.
03:14It just takes the bite off of them a little bit and gives them a nice little pickly texture.
03:18One reason I love making my own dressings is that you can control the amount of salt and sugar that
03:22you add.
03:23Now just whisk it all together.
03:24All right.
03:26And this is off to a great start, but we're going to add a little more veggies in our dressing
03:29and pop it back in the oven.
03:31So when we're thinking about balanced meals, the chicken is a great source of lean protein,
03:36while the veggies add carbohydrates and fiber, and the dressing adds a good source of healthy fats.
03:41And then we're going to set our oven to broil, and this is going to go about 10 more minutes
03:44until the chicken is fully cooked
03:46and the veggies are starting to brown.
03:48Mmm, it looks so good.
03:49You could mix and match your veggies, too, based on what you have and what's in season.
03:53It's really important to prioritize fruits and vegetables that you like because you're going to look forward to eating them
03:57much more.
03:58This also makes really great leftovers that can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.
04:02But now I'm kind of in the mood for something sweet, so let's make our last snack.
04:06I can't be the only one who loves something sweet after a meal or as an afternoon pick-me-up,
04:10and this strawberry chocolate Greek yogurt bark is perfect in those moments.
04:14It's higher in protein from the Greek yogurt and lower in added sugar,
04:17so it's just as good as a midday snack as it is for dessert.
04:20And then we mix our base.
04:21You just want to get it nice and uniformly combined.
04:24I love using Greek yogurt for this because it freezes up so nicely and it's super easy to cut into
04:29pieces.
04:30And you don't want it to be too thin so that you can adhere the toppings.
04:34Just make sure it's in a nice, even layer across your sheet pan.
04:37And that's one thing about cooking at home is you can really find the enjoyment of eating healthy.
04:42Like, this is going to be beautiful to look at and delicious to eat,
04:44and it's going to meet your nutrition goals, so it's a win-win all around.
04:47Dark chocolate, like the chocolate chips in this recipe, are packed with antioxidants,
04:51so they offer some health benefits too.
04:53And now this is ready.
04:54You can put it in your freezer for about three hours until it's nice and solid and ready to cut.
04:58This reminds me of all the flavors that I would love when I would go to the frozen yogurt store,
05:02but just a healthier twist that's easier to store.
05:04So we're going to add it to this container in layers, but between each layer,
05:08I'm going to add a sheet of parchment just so that they don't stick together at all.
05:11This will make it much easier to grab one slice after a meal and save the rest for later.
05:15Eating consistent meals and snacks throughout the day is a big piece of the puzzle for blood sugar management.
05:20But these aren't the only options.
05:22They're just some examples of how colorful and delicious healthy eating can be.
05:25And if you need more inspiration, we have hundreds of diabetes-friendly recipes on our site.
05:29Enjoy and eat well.
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