For all you diabetics out there!

[tbear1923]

I am looking for some tried and true sugar-free (equal or whatever) recipes for Jams and any other desert recipes recommended. My future MIL is diabetic and I would like to make more sugar free recipes including jams/jellies for her.

[HRJ]

Hi tbear:

How nice of you for thinking of your future MIL, and wanting to accommodate her dietary needs. May I first suggest that you ask her about whatever meal plan she has developed with her doctor or dietitian?

The reason I say this is that the current thinking in the medical community and among diabetes experts is that sugar, in moderation, can be a part of a diabetic food plan -- just like any other carbohydrate -- and that it's often not necessary to do the old "sugar-free" style of cooking anymore.

I have Type 2 diabetes. I love to cook, and enjoy food -- and, for the most part, I don't use any artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes (except for Diet Coke, which is my weakness! :rolleyes: )

So, your future MIL's food plan may allow for "real" desserts -- especially if you're able to provide her with nutritional information from the recipes, particularly the amount of carb. per serving.

I know there are some people who have had diabetes for a long time, and are more comfortable with the style of eating they learned when they were first diagnosed. Or, for whatever reason, your MIL's health-care team may insist on no sugar, and I certainly don't want to undermine anyone's medical treatment or doctor's orders.

There's a really good article on this from the Joslin Diabetes Center's web site:

http://www.joslin.org/education/library/nodiet2.shtml


So, you might be able to make her many yummy CL recipes. If you want some recipes specifically geared for people with diabetes, I'd recommend any of the cookbooks put out by Joslin, particularly:

"The Joslin Diabetes Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Recipes for 1 to 4 People" by Frances Towner Giedt,Bonnie S. Polin


"The Joslin Diabetes Healthy Carbohydrate Cookbook" by Bonnie Sanders Polin,With Joslin Diabetes Center, Frances Towner Giedt.

Also, "The Art of Cooking for the Diabetic" by Mary Abbott Hess (it's not from Joslin, and it has a stupid title, but it's a pretty good book.)

If you'd like me to post any recipes from these books for specific desserts, just let me know. Also, try doing a search for "diabetes" and "muffins," because I recently posted three or four diabtes-friendly muffin recipes.

Hope this helps,

Helene

[tbear1923]

thanks HRJ for the update. I don't know the specifics about her diabetes/menu but she is very overweight and she is not very good about checking her blood sugar so I think I want to try to keep it as sugar-free as possible (especially since jams ar 90% sugar!) to avoid her temptation of sugary stuff. I will do a search for sugar-free stuff (I like the idea of your muffins).

[yorkshirepud]

tbear,

Check out this URL - http://www.recipezaar.com/browse/?&ls=d&path=0FC09B

There are over 700 recipes listed created specifically for diabetic diets.

HTH!
YP

[Emilylynn]

Sure-jell has a lot of recipies for jam/jelly, including some sugar-free. Their website is www.surejell.com Good luck!