How to Prepare a Diabetes-Friendly Dinner

From glazed hams and roasted turkeys to decadent pies and desserts, the holidays are known to be a time for people to enjoy the delicious flavors of all their favorite foods. However, big holiday meals are also typically loaded with sugar and carbs, making it a difficult time of the year for those in our lives who have diabetes. If a senior loved one, friend, or family member at your holiday table has diabetes, here are some tips on how to create a diabetes-friendly dinner that everyone will enjoy.

Planning Your Diabetes-Friendly Dinner

Fortunately, many foods at your holiday table are already perfect for a diabetes-friendly dinner. Naturally lean meat like turkey is great for diabetic guests because it has zero carbs. Furthermore, grilled and roasted vegetable side dishes are also a great choice, and they taste great too.

However, not all dishes are as friendly. A side dish like stuffing is full of carbs and sugar, making it not a particularly diabetic-friendly option. For dishes like this, we recommend either changing some of the ingredients to make it healthier, like using whole-grain bread instead of white or skipping it completely. As a rule of thumb, avoid foods rich in sugar and carbs.

Be Mindful of Time

Managing diabetes is all about paying attention to time. This can be an issue because it always seems like dishes take longer to prepare than we intend. Before the dinner, be sure to tell your diabetic guests when the expected dinner time will be so that they can plan their insulin intake around then. That being said, when hosting someone with diabetes, it’s also a good idea to prepare healthy appetizers if the food takes longer than expected. Have some assorted nuts and cheeses on hand for your diabetic guests to nibble on so their blood sugar doesn’t go down while they wait for dinner to be served.

Healthy Eating at Encore at Avalon Park

As time goes on, it can be difficult for seniors to navigate and maintain their health on their own. Fortunately, the caring staff at Encore at Avalon Park are trained and equipped to make life easy for our seniors during the holidays and year-round. Not only do our seniors enjoy fun recreational and social activities, but they also enjoy comfortable accommodations and healthy meals that adhere to their individual physical and dietary needs. If you’re looking for a new living solution for your senior loved one, then consider Encore at Avalon Park — the premier assisted living community in Central Florida. Call us today at 407-270-7500 for more information or to schedule a virtual tour.