By Lori Brookhart-Schervish; Contributing writer Marsha McCulloch, RD; Reviewed by Connie Crawley, RD, LD, 2009
Including these extra-healthy power foods in your diet will help you meet your nutritional needs as well as lower your risk of diabetes complications such as heart disease. Of course, the foods on this list shouldn't be the only foods you eat, but incorporating some or all into your diabetes meal plan will help improve your overall health.
Are These Power Foods in Your Diet?
If you already follow a healthful meal plan filled with whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, and lean protein, congratulations! You're on your way to a long, healthy life and are taking a major step in controlling your weight and blood glucose levels. Plus, you're probably already eating a bunch of the foods on this list.
For those who are taking the baby-steps approach to eating better, this list is even more helpful. Not only are these power foods high in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals, they're also familiar and easy to find. That means you don't have to hunt down any exotic ingredients or shop at specialty grocery stores to find foods that will help you get on track with a healthful meal plan.
#1 Asparagus
If you love asparagus, you'll really love that it's a nonstarchy vegetable with only 5 grams of carb per serving and nearly 2 grams of dietary fiber. It is also high in the B vitamin folate, vitamin C, and a health-promoting antioxidant called glutathione, says Jeannette Jordan, MS, RD, CDE, a Charleston, South Carolina-based registered dietitian and advisory board member for Diabetic Living. Glutathione may help boost the immune system and promote lung health by protecting against viruses.
The cardiovascular benefits of folate and other B vitamins have been studied in relation to homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood that has been linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends including foods containing folate and other B vitamins in your diet to help lower homocysteine levels.
A serving of asparagus is 1/2 cup, or 4 ounces cooked, and provides 33 percent of the daily recommendation of 400 micrograms of folate, according to the FDA.
Thyme-Roasted Asparagus
Shaved Parmesan cheese makes an attractive topper for this colorful side dish. Start with a wedge or block of cheese and run a vegetable peeler across a flat side to make super thin bite-size pieces.
SERVINGS: 4 side-dish servings
CARB GRAMS PER SERVING: 5
1 medium red sweet pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
Olive oil (optional)
Cracked black pepper (optional)
1. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil; set aside. Halve sweet pepper lengthwise; discard stem, membranes, and seeds. Place sweet pepper, cut sides down, on prepared baking sheet. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until blackened and blistered. Carefully bring foil up and around pepper halves to enclose. Let stand about 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Peel skin off sweet pepper. Cut sweet pepper into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Set strips aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine oil, thyme, salt, and freshly ground black pepper; pour over asparagus spears. Toss lightly to coat. Arrange spears in a single layer in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned and tender, turning asparagus once.
3. Arrange asparagus spears and sweet pepper strips on warm serving platter. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley. If desired, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cracked black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 4 side-dish servings.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
* Servings: 4 side-dish servings
* Calories110
* Total Fat (g)9
* Saturated Fat (g)2
* Cholesterol (mg)5
* Sodium (mg)269
* Carbohydrate (g)5
* Fiber (g)2
* Protein (g)4
Diabetic Exchanges
* Vegetables (d.e.)1
* Fat (d.e.)2
http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/
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