The Best Diabetes Slow Cooker Recipes

Judith Finlayson is a food-writer and food journalist and the author of 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes, Delicious and Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes and The Healthy Slow Cooker.

Barbara Selley is a registered dietitian, published author and cooking instructor.

Introduction

This is my sixth slow cooker cookbook. The more I use my slow cooker, the more ideas I have for using this versatile appliance. It fits so well with how I like to cook that I'm constantly seeing new ways to incorporate its services into my life. So, perhaps not surprisingly, I became interested in finding ways to combine the burgeoning interest in health and nutrition with the convenience of using a slow cooker.

Like most people, I'm becoming increasingly aware of the important role diet plays in health. By habitually eating an assortment of foods from all the food groups, you're making sure you get the range of nutrients you need.

Planning what and when you will eat is especially important for people with diabetes. You need to

• take time for breakfast;
• eat each day a variety of foods from all the food groups grains, preferably whole grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives;
• choose appropriate portions;
• space meals 4 to 6 hours apart; and
• snack only if you and your dietitian and other health care providers decide it is necessary for good blood glucose control.

For people with diabetes, one of the primary goals is maintaining or achieving a healthy weight. This means controlling calorie intake and limiting total fat to no more than 30% of calories and saturated fat to no more than 10% of calories.' For a person eating 2,000 calories a day, for example, the total fat consumed should be about 65 grams, including no more than 22 grams of saturated fat.

Controlling sodium is also important. Sodium in the diet comes primarily from salt, whether it be used in cooking, added at the table or hidden in manufactured and prepared foods. Consider that one teaspoon (5 mL) of salt contains about 2,400 mg of sodium. The American Diabetes Association limits sodium to 2,400-6,000 mg per day, while the Canadian Diabetes Association suggests 2,000-4,000 mg. In both cases, the lower end of the range is recommended.2

There is a common misconception that those with diabetes should avoid carbohydrates, especially sugar. This is not true, but you should control the total amount of carbohydrate eaten and spread it evenly throughout the day's meals and snacks. Glycemic index, a scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods by how fast and how much they raise blood glucose, is also important. Foods such as legumes, vegetables and whole-grain foods have a lower glycemic index and should be consumed often. To learn more about glycemic index, consult your diabetes educator or visit www.diabetes.ca or www.diabetes. org.

A slow cooker makes it much easier to plan and prepare in advance and to have meals on the table on time. I've included a wide range of recipes, from hearty soups to elegant desserts, most accompanied by Make Ahead information to help you take full advantage of the convenience provided by a slow cooker.

The recipes

• emphasize healthy servings of whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit;
• generally provide, per serving, not more than 35 grams of carbohydrate, 3 Meat Exchanges/3 Meat and Alternatives Choices, and O grams of fat;
• contain moderate amounts of salt (less than 800 mg of sodium per serving, and often much less); and
• call for non-hydrogenated fats and oils.

Commercially produced trans fats, which have a well-documented adverse effect on cardiovascular health, should be avoided and, whenever possible, saturated fats should be replaced with unsaturated fats, which have numerous health benefits. To help you get the most out of this book, in addition to the total amount of fat per serving, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat are also reported.

Vegetarian and vegan recipes are labeled as such.

I hope you will find this book helpful. More importantly, I hope you will use it often to get the most out of the convenience your slow cooker provides by preparing delicious and nutritious meals that help to keep you and yours happy and well.

- Judith Finlayson

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Using Your Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Tips
Portion Calculator
Food Safety in the Slow Cooker
Nutrient Analysis

Breakfast, Breads, Dips and Spreads

• 17 recipes

Soups

• 33 recipes

Chilies

• 13 recipes

Vegetarian Main Courses

• 21 recipes

Fish and Seafood

• 13 recipes

Poultry

• 17 recipes

Meat

• 29 recipes

Grains and Sides

• 11 recipes

Desserts

• 8 recipes

Index