Diabetes is a disease that affects numerous persons in Jamaica. Many of us know a family member or friend who is living with this illness. As such, I felt compelled today to write about foods, which are good for a diabetic because much to my alarm, it seems to be all too common. It is often touted as a lifestyle disease, and I wonder if the national love for starches and sugar is the culprit.

Diabetes mellitus is defined as a group of diseases characterised by high glucose levels due to defects which affect the body’s ability to produce and use insulin. There are three main variants of the illness: Type 1 (Juvenile, mostly children), Type 2 (Gestational, developed during pregnancy). You are all aware I am not a medical doctor, so please forgive my liberties in undertaking such a weighty subject, but I am only going to write from a food-centric versus medical perspective.

One of the biggest questions diabetics ask is what to eat. When first diagnosed, many believe that their days of eating pleasurable foods are doomed. This is not the case. Although challenging, diabetics can eat wonderful foods if smart choices are made and portions are controlled. The first factor a diabetic must identify are foods they must avoid and those which are suitable. The key to good foods for diabetics is that they are low in sugar, high in fibre, low in simple carbohydrates, contain a low glycemic index, high in good fats, low in saturated and trans- fats, and lean proteins.

A list of healthy foods would include oats, fish, egg whites, avocado, beans, chicken without the skin, lean meats, whole grains, fruits and uncooked vegetables or non-starchy vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, callaloo and string beans. Diabetics should avoid sodas and other sweet drinks and stick to water or low-calorie/sugar-free beverages or natural fruit juices. Anything white…white bread, white flour, white sugar, white rice should be avoided. Instead replace with brown rice, wholewheat pasta, and brown or multi-grain bread.

The best advice I can give you if you have been diagnosed with this illness is to seek a nutritionist who can help and show you the ropes. There exists a Diabetic Exchange Diet. Basically each food group possesses items which are beneficial. For each individual there are a certain number of calories allowed from each group to form a balance between the amount of carbohydrates, fats and proteins one consumes depending on personal requirements according to age, degree of illness and weight. Most diabetics need to control their weight, so they can make wise decisions if suitably informed.

I have many readers who have written to me of late, stating that they are diabetic and don’t know what to prepare for their dining needs. Ask your medical doctor or contact the Diabetes Association of Jamaica for advice. Hopefully I will be able to do some more research on this topic at a later date, but I felt the urge to touch upon the subject briefly in view of the many requests.

Balsamic Chicken with Herbed Peas and Escallion

These chicken breasts/thighs are delicious served with a simple side of green peas garnished with your favourite herb plus escallion and some healthy brown rice for a complete meal.

Ingredients:

4 Skinless and boneless chicken breasts or thighs

2Tbsps Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard

2 Garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Wash off chicken and pat dry, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Whisk together balsamic vinegar, mustard and garlic together to make a marinade

Add chicken breasts and allow to sit for at least an hour.

Grill chicken breasts for at least 8 minutes per side or until cooked through and flesh is no longer pink inside.

Pinto Bean Soup with Ham

I’ve used lean ham in this hearty soup. This makes a lovely supper on a rainy afternoon. Bean dishes are good for diabetics. I just happen to have some leftover pinto beans in my pantry. Experiment with other beans like gungo to make a similar soup. Serves 6.

Ingredients:

500g Pinto Beans, soaked overnight

2 Litres of water

1 Large onion, diced

1 Large carrot, sliced

2 Stalks of celery, thinly sliced

1 Green sweet pepper, diced

1 Clove of garlic, sliced

1 Can of diced tomatoes

250g Ham, roughly cut up (omit if you don’t eat pork)

1 Tsp oregano

2 Tsps chili powder

1 Tsp cumin

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a large pot, sauté onions, celery, carrots, garlic and sweet pepper over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Add ham pieces and continue frying until it just begins to colour.

Pour in water and beans, raise temperature to high, bring to a boil and then lower temperature back to medium heat and simmer for an hour.

Add tomatoes, oregano, chili powder and cumin and continue cooking for 30 minutes.

Take out half of the soup, cool it down a little and puree in a blender and return to the rest of the pot.

Serve

Baked Granola Apples

Many baked apple recipes call for lots of butter and sugar. I try to avoid this because fruits are naturally sweet, and cooking further concentrates the sugars. However, if your apples are tart, you can use a sugar substitute or a little honey. Many diabetics have to watch their sugar intake, but this does not mean they must deprive themselves of a sweet treat now and then. Instead of ice cream with this, serve with non-fat plain yoghurt, preferably unsweetened. If you wish, flavour it yourself with a drop of vanilla extract or even almond extract.

Ingredients:

4 Apples cut in half lengthwise, deseeded and cored

A pinch each of salt, ground cloves, nutmeg and ginger

1Tsp ground cinnamon

1 Lime, skin grated plus 1 Tbsp of its juice

Oat based Granola, for garnish (read the label to make sure it’s not loaded in sugar and sodium or make your own)

Plain Non-Fat Yoghurt, for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 400ûF

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil.

Toss prepared apples with the spices, lime juice and zest and layer inside baking dish

Bake for about 20 minutes or until tender, then remove from heat.

Top each apple half with a couple tablespoons of granola and drizzle some yoghurt over it.

Please contact me at info@juicychef.com

Thanks to Megamart, Upper Waterloo

Bon Appétit!