Diabetic Recipes: Salads

Salads have come a long way from their reputation as the traditional “diet food”. Depending on their ingredients salads are considered a healthy and satisfying main entrée, especially for a diabetic. Building a meal around vegetables and protein can help people with diabetes control their blood sugars.

However you use salads, as an appetizer, main course, or snack, remember to keep portion size in mind, especially if the salad contains pasta or other starches. Use dressings wisely. Regular fat dressings can contain up to 17 grams of fat per tablespoon, whereas lowfat or fat free dressings may contain more sugar and sodium (the flavor has to come from something!). Read the label and ingredient list to make sure you’re choosing a low carbohydrate, low fat dressing. Or, make your own dressing, as described in the “Chicken, Spinach, and Fruit Salad” recipe below.

Enhance these salads by adding a serving of nuts (6 almonds, cashews, or mixed nuts, or 10 peanuts), which counts as a fat exchange or 3oz of tuna or cubed chicken or turkey for more protein, which counts as 3 very lean meat exchanges.

Recipes

Chicken, Spinach, and Fruit Salad

Ingredients

6 oz fresh spinach

2 oranges, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

2 cups fresh strawberries

Dressing:

3 Tbsp orange juice

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil

1/3 tsp poppy seeds

1/4 tsp dry mustard

Directions

Mix all dressing ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate. To make salad, wash spinach and tear into bite size pieces. Place in large salad bowl. Add chicken, strawberries, and oranges. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Serving and Nutrition Information

Makes 7 servings.

Per 2 cup serving: Calories 135, Sodium 46 mg, Cholesterol 31 mg, Fat 4 g, Carbohydrates 10 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Fruit, 1 1/2 Lean Meat

Adapted From: “Cooking Healthy and Fast”

Cucumber and Yogurt Salad

Ingredients

3 cucumbers, medium sized

1 cup yogurt, plain, lowfat

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried mint leaves

Directions

Peel cucumbers and cut in half. Discard the seeds and slice cucumbers thin. In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients together. Add cucumbers and stir.

Serving and Nutrition Information

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: Calories 37, Protein 3 g, Sodium 46 mg, Carbohydrates 1 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Vegetable

Source: “The Diabetic Newsletter”

Pasta Salad

Ingredients

3 cups cooked pasta (such as tricolor spiral pasta, 1 1/2 cups dry)

1 large ripe tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

1/2 cup black olives, drained and sliced

1/2 cup fat-free Italian or parmesan-pepper dressing

Directions

In a large salad bowl, toss together all of the ingredients. Chill one hour to overnight to blend the flavors.

Serving and Nutrition Information

Makes 6 servings. Per 1 cup serving: Calories 165, Protein 9 g, Sodium 355 mg, Cholesterol 10 mg, Fat 4 g, Carbohydrates 22 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

Adapted From: “The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes”