A person with diabetes should consume food with the right balance of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Lunch time food is different in different cultures. What the Europeans eat for lunch may be slightly different from what the American take, and certainly what Indians eat for lunch is vastly different from what people take for lunch elsewhere in the world. Nevertheless the fact remains that food taken at lunch-time is indeed the principal meal of the day for most people in the world.
Coffee is known to be beneficial for diabetics. Exactly how this happens is not clear. A European nutrition study has indicated that drinking coffee especially at lunch time was beneficial to type 2 diabetics. But this had to be black coffee and not coffee mixed with milk.
Here are a few lunch ideas for people of western cultures based on the American Diabetes Association's List for meal planning. Although the food we all eat contains carbohydrates, proteins and fats, diabetics have to carefully monitor the carbohydrate intake as they contribute the maximum towards rise in blood sugar.
The following lunch ideas or recipes taken Sunday to Sunday will ensure you get the right mix of nutritious food, yet keep your food far away from stimulating your diabetes any further.
Sunday
1. 1 cup mushroom barley soup with
2. 2 ounces smoked seitan (vegetarian mock meat)
3. 1/2 cup green and wax bean salad with
4. 2 teaspoons sesame seeds and
5. 2 Tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing
6. 8 ounces enriched soymilk
Monday
1. 6" pita stuffed with 2 ounces fake meat
2. (Equivalent to 2 ADA meat exchanges), lettuce, radishes, and cucumbers
3. 1 cup shredded cabbage with
4. 1 1/2 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
5. 8 ounces enriched soymilk
Tuesday
1. 1 1/2 cups spinach and romaine salad with
2. 1 Tablespoon sliced berries, 6 almonds, and fat-free salad dressing
3. Bean enchilada (Fold 1/2 cup beans into 1 tortilla and top with salsa.)
4. 8 ounces enriched soymilk
Wednesday
1. 1 cup vegetable bean soup
2. 1/4 bagel with 2 teaspoons soy cream cheese
3. 1/4 bagel with 1 Tablespoon nut butter
4. 8 ounces enriched soymilk
Thursday
Veggie Wrap:
1. One 7-8" tortilla with 1/2 cup grilled vegetables,
2. 1 1/2 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise,
3. 1 1/2 ounces vegan cheese, and
4. 6 strips soy bacon
5. 8 ounces enriched soymilk
Friday
1. 2 veggie burgers on 1/2 whole wheat bun layered with lettuce, tomato, and shredded carrots
2. Cucumber sticks
3. 8 ounces enriched soymilk
Saturday
1. 1 cup scrambled tofu with chopped veggies
2. 1/2 English muffin
3. 1 medium corn-on-the-cob with
4. 1 teaspoon vegan margarine
5. 8 ounces enriched soymilk
Sunday
1. 1 cup steamed broccoli, red pepper, and cauliflower with l/2 cup black beans and 1/4 cup prepared
2. Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) over
3. 1/3 cup rice or barley
4. 1/2 cup spinach salad with 1/4 cup raspberries
5. 8 ounces enriched soymilk
Along with the lunch ideas mentioned above, you can of course eat certain food items that are considered extremely low in calories and fat. These are considered almost free of calories, and hence harmless to a diabetic---they are sparkling waters, seltzers, unsweetened fresh or frozen cranberries, unsweetened pickled vegetables, ketchup, fat-free salad dressing, and a cup of raw vegetables come under this category. Taking any one of these items alongside your lunch of the day, would be perfectly appealing to your taste buds.
The key to de-risking your health from the complications that may arise due to diabetes is to take your prescribed medication along with healthy food. This may mean changing the way you eat. But this is easily said than done. Perhaps make changes to your diet very slowly as for example start adding fiber rich food to your diet, cut down intake of meat and sweets and progress to adding more of fruits and vegetables. Perhaps the lunch ideas given in this article may help you eat wholesome food and help you combat diabetes as well.
