Revamp your eating habits

Treat your body right with these healthy recipes from Toby Amidor’s The Create-Your-Plate Diabetes Cookbook: A Plate Method Approach to Simple, Complete Meals

What you eat makes a difference for your blood glucose levels, cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight. Eating healthful foods does not have to be difficult. Using the Create Your Plate approach to meal planning, which includes five easy steps to balance your meals, helps simplify your food choices.

 

Roasted Salmon with Chimichurri Sauce

 

Total time: 15 minutes plus 10 minutes cooling time

Prep time: 3 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Serves: 4

Serving size: 1 (5-ounce) piece salmon and 2 tablespoons sauce

 

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

4 (5-ounce) salmon fillets

1/2 cup Chimichurri Sauce

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Coat a medium ovenproof pan with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the salmon and cook for 1 minute, then turn and cook the other side for an additional minute.
  3. Using an oven mitt, carefully place the pan into the oven and continue cooking the salmon until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a fillet reads 145°F, 10 minutes.
  4. Carefully remove the hot pan and place on the stove to cool for about 10 minutes. Serve each piece of salmon with 2 tablespoons of the Chimichurri Sauce

 

Choices/Exchanges 4 Lean Protein, 2 Fat

Calories 280

Calories from Fat 150

Total Fat 17.0 g

Saturated Fat 3.3 g

Trans Fat 0.0 g

Cholesterol 75 mg

Sodium 240 mg

Potassium 580 mg

Total Carbohydrate 2 g

Dietary Fiber 1 g

Sugars 0 g

Added Sugars 0 g

Protein 28 g

Phosphorus 375 mg

 

Chimichurri Sauce

 

Total time: 5 minutes

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

Serving size: 2 tablespoons

 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

 

 

  1. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

 

 

Choices/Exchanges 1 1/2 Fat

Calories 70

Calories from Fat 60

Total Fat 7.0g

Saturated Fat 1.0 g

Trans Fat 0.0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium 150 mg

Potassium 80 mg

Total Carbohydrate 2 g

Dietary Fiber 1 g

Sugars 0 g

Added Sugars 0 g

Protein 0 g

Phosphorus 10 mg

 

Slow-cooker ratatouille with white beans

Total time: 6 hours 15 minutes

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 6 hours (on low)

Serves: 6

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium great northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-ounce) can no-added-salt fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 cup low-sodium tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 medium eggplant, diced with peel on

2 cups shredded green cabbage

1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1-inch strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 bay leaves

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

  1. Brush the inside of the slow cooker with the olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker; stir to combine.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, until the vegetables and beans soften. Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.

 

Choices/Exchanges 1 Starch, 3 Nonstarchy Vegetable, 1 Lean Protein

Calories 180

Calories from Fat 30

Total Fat 3.5 g

Saturated Fat 0.5 g

Trans Fat 0.0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium 230 mg

Potassium 970 mg

Total Carbohydrate 30 g

Dietary Fiber 10 g

Sugars 8 g

Added Sugars 0 g

Protein 10 g

Phosphorus 225 mg

 

-30-