Diabetic meals don't involve any special foods, so if you're diabetic, you can still enjoy delicious meals with your family and friends. Your diabetic dinner menu can include healthy foods that you like, in moderate amounts. Learn some simple and easy diabetic dinner ideas.

Serving Sizes

Diabetic meals involve attention to serving size in order to achieve the right balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins to manage your blood sugar. Your dietitian will determine the exact proportions that are right for you, and how many servings of a particular food group you can enjoy at each meal. Here are some basic examples to help you understand serving sizes at the dinner table or when preparing your favorite recipes:

• Dairy: One serving of dairy is equal to a cup of milk or yogurt.
• Fat: One serving of fat might be a tablespoon of peanut butter or salad dressing, or a teaspoon of butter.
• Fruit: One medium sized fruit, about the size of a tennis ball is considered a serving. Or you might substitute ½ cup of fruit juice or 15 grapes.
• Meat: One ounce of meat, about the size of a deck of cards, is considered a serving.
• Starches: You might choose ½ cup of rice, cereal or beans, one slice of bread or a small bagel.
• Vegetables: A serving of vegetables equals ½ cup cooked, or one cup of raw veggies.

Ideas for Quick Diabetic Dinners

Trying to cook a complicated dinner with the demands of work and family can sometimes be nearly impossible. Here are some diabetic dinner recipe ideas for healthy dinners in a hurry:

• Combine a bag of frozen vegetables with whole-grain pasta during the last three minutes of the pasta's cooking time. Toss in a healthy salad dressing and some diced chicken or tofu for a simple pasta salad.
• Scramble eggs with diced onions and peppers and serve in tortillas topped with salsa.
• Spread flour tortillas (preferably whole wheat) with low-fat cream cheese. Add thinly sliced meat or veggies and roll up in plastic wrap. Stick toothpicks into roll, about an inch apart, and chill. Cut between toothpicks for a fun snack or appetizer.
• Stir-fry fresh or frozen vegetables with chicken, tofu or seafood. Add light soy sauce and serve over brown rice or noodles.
• You can make an easy Indian-style egg dish by adding hard-boiled eggs to cooked brown rice. Season with olive oil, raisins or currants and lightly sautéed chopped apples.

Resources

American Diabetes Association. (2010). Quick meal ideas. Retrieved June 3, 2010, from http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/quick-meal-ideas.html.

Healthcastle Nutrition. (2010). Meal planning for diabetes control. Retrieved June 3, 2010, from http://www.healthcastle.com/diabetes_meal_planning.shtml.