Diabetes Recipes: A Round Up to Boost Your Health with Fruits and Vegetables

Diabetes-friendly recipes should be loaded with health-shielding ingredients that protect the body without jacking up blood sugar levels. And, of course, the dish should taste fantastic. You’ll love this diabetes recipe round up during National Diabetes Month and every month!

Thanks to colleagues and others for sharing these terrific diabetes recipes featuring two food groups that don’t get enough attention – vegetables and fruits.

Diabetes Recipes Featuring Non-Starchy Vegetables

I usually advise my patients and clients to fill half of their plates with nonstarchy vegetables like asparagus, spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and zucchini. These are the epitome of diabetes-friendly foods. They’re low-calorie – about 50 calories per cup – and they’re low in carbohydrate – only about 10 grams per cup. At the same time, they’re filling and jam-packed with health-boosting nutrients and phytonutrients.

Some of the following recipes showcase vegetables on their own in simple or unusual ways. Other recipes slip vegetables into grain-based dishes or other food combinations. I always try to lighten up (or “healthify”) a recipe by adding nonstarchy vegetables. You’ll see that in my two healthy comfort food recipes below.

Keep scrolling to get the to diabetes-friendly fruit recipes too.

Roasted Lemon Pepper Asparagus, Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, Amy Gorin Nutrition (shown above)
Grilled Summer Veg Kamut Salad, Chef Catherine Brown, Organic Grower, Culinary Nutritionist

Here's a roundup of 16 diabetes-friendly recipes with veggies and fruits. #NationalDiabetesMonthClick To Tweet
Kale and Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Cranberries, Shelby Kinnaird, person with diabetes, Diabetic Foodie

Hashbrown Casserole with Veggies, Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, Food and Nutrition Solutions by Jill (shown above)
Very Veggie Pizza Pasta Salad, Kim Galeaz, RDN, CD, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Culinary Consultant to the food, beverage and agriculture industry
Greek-Inspired Macaroni and Cheese, Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, Food and Nutrition Solutions by Jill

Savory Steel Cut Oats with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Tofu, Sharon Palmer, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian (shown above)
Cauliflower “Hash Brown” Patties, Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN, culinary nutritionist and author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook

Diabetes Recipes Featuring Fruit

Let’s bust a diabetes myth! Fruit gets a bad reputation because it’s a source of sugar. But this natural sugar is packaged with a host of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are natural plant compounds that interact with other nutrients and phytonutrients to protect us from chronic health problems. Each fruit (and vegetable, nut, grain, legume) has a unique array of phytonutrients, so variety boosts health the most.

I always remind my patients and clients with diabetes that their blood sugar levels react primarily to the total amount of carbohydrate at one meal or snack – not to the source or type of carbohydrate. With this mind, enjoy your fruit. Just remember to count the carbohydrate as part of your meal or snack allowance. Check out my post How to Count Carbs for Diabetes.

You'll want to see this round up of healthy diabetes recipes. #NationalDiabetesMonthClick To Tweet

Cold Melon Soup with Ginger, Shelby Kinnaird, person with diabetes, Diabetic Foodie (shown above)
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Overnight Oats, Lauren Harris-Pincus, RDN, Nutrition Starring YOU

Grilled Mango Salad with Avocado and Pistachios, Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN, culinary nutritionist and author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook (shown above)
Curried Chicken Salad with Dried Cherries and Cashews, Kim Galeaz, RDN CD, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Culinary Consultant to the food, beverage and agriculture industry

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Balls, Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, Food and Nutrition Solutions by Jill (shown above)
Dark Chocolate Orange Slice Wheels, Roxana Begum, RDN, The Delicious Crescent
Chocolate Dipped Apricots, Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, Food and Nutrition Solutions by Jill

Cheers to happy, healthy and diabetes-friendly eating!

And don’t forget to count your carbs for diabetes.