5 diabetes-friendly recipes to manage blood sugar levels: Breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner ideas

Diabetes is a World Health Organization recognized chronic disease that affects around 422 million people globally. The consequence of this metabolic disease includes an unhealthy elevation in the blood glucose/sugar levels in the body. There are two basic types of diabetic conditions, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes – out of which type 2 diabetes is the common type. If left untreated, the disease can process and cause harm to the eyes, heart, nerves, and kidneys. Apart from medication and insulin treatment, a healthy lifestyle and eating habits can positively affect the condition to great extents. Here are a few healthy and scrumptious recipe ideas that you can try if you suffer from diabetes.

Healthy recipes for people with diabetes

Breakfast

Try this capsicum paratha recipe to serve as breakfast. This recipe prepares 5 parathas. The preparation time is 10 minutes and the cooking time is 15 minutes.

The ingredients include:

• Spring onions, chopped – 2 tbsp

• Whole wheat flour -1 cup

• Oil – 1 1/2 tsp

• Salt

• Red chilli flakes – 1 tsp

• Capsicum, chopped – 1/4 cup

• Oregano – 1/2 tsp

Method of preparation:

• Take a bowl and add onions, wheat flour, salt to taste, oregano, capsicum, chilli flakes and oil to it. Mix and combine to turn it into a dough.

• Make 5 balls of the dough.

• Take a rolling pin and flatten out each ball until it turns into a flat chapatti.

• Take a non-stick pan and add some oil to it.

• Heat each flattened dough until each side is golden brown and cooked.

• Serve with low-fat curd or buttermilk

Lunch

Try this wholesome whole green gram and millet khichdi recipe to serve as breakfast. This recipe serves 4 people. The preparation time is 10 minutes and the cooking time is 27 minutes.

The ingredients include:

• Black millet (bajra) – 1/4 cup

• Whole green gram (moong dal) – 1/4 cup

• Ginger paste (1/2 tsp)

• Chilli powder – 1 tsp

• Oil – 2 tsp

• Cumin (jeera) – 1 tsp

• Green chilli paste – 1/2 tsp

• Turmeric (haldi) – 1/2 tsp

• Salt

• Garlic paste – 1 tsp

• Peas – 1/2 cup

• Asafoetida (heeng) – pinch

• Onions, finely chopped – 1/2 cup

• Tomatoes, chopped – 1 cup

Method of preparation:

• Soak the millet and gram in water and leave it for 5 hours. Drain it.

• Take a cup of water and combine it with peas, millet, green gram and salt in a pressure cooker.

• Cook it until you hear 5 whistles from the cooker.

• Set aside and let steam escape.

• Take a non-stick pan and heat oil in it.

• Add cumin seeds to it. Wait for it to crackle and then add asafoetida and onions.

• After coking for a minute on medium flame, add ginger paste, tomatoes, turmeric powder, garlic paste, salt, chilli paste and chilli powder.

• Cook, stir, and mash for 2-3 minutes.

• Finally, add the millet and gram to the mixture and stir for another 3 minutes.

• Serve while hot.

Dinner 

Try this chicken shawarma recipe to serve as dinner. This recipe serves 2 people. The preparation time is 10 minutes and the cooking time is 30 minutes.

The ingredients include:

• Low-fat curd – 3/4 cup + 1/2 cup

• Oil – 1 tsp

• Garlic paste – 1 tsp + 1 tbsp

• Tahini – 1 tsp

• Paprika – 1/2 tsp

• Lemon juice (2 lemons)

• Salt

• Cayenne pepper – 1/2 tsp

• Sliced chicken – 500 g

• Curry powder – 1/2 tsp

• Pepper powder

• Cinnamon powder – 1/2 tsp

• Allspice – 1/2 ts

Method of preparation:

• Combine salt, 1/2 cup curd, some lemon juice, garlic paste and tahini and whisk together to prepare the sauce. Set aside.

• Combine the ingredients and marinate the chicken in it.

• Set aside the chicken for about 4-5 hours.

• Take a pan and fry the ingredients along with the marinated chicken.

• Take a pita bread and heat it lightly.

• Arrange the ingredients in the pita bread and roll it.

• Serve.

Snacks

1. Try this cauliflower soup recipe to serve as a snack. This recipe serves 4 people. The preparation time is 10 minutes and the cooking time is 18 minutes.

The ingredients include:

• Lettuce, torn – 3 cups

• Cauliflower, chopped – 1 cup

• Onions, chopped – 1/4 cup

• Salt

• Ground black pepper

• Oil – 2 tsp

Method of preparation:

• Take a non-stick pan and heat oil in it.

• Saute onions in it for a minute on medium flame.

• Saute for another 2 minutes after adding cauliflower and lettuce to it.

• Take water (3 cups) and add it to the pan. Add salt to taste and mix well.

• Set aside and wait for the mixture to cool down.

• Take a blender.and pour the cool mixture into it.

• Blend until smooth.

• Take a non-stick pan and put it n medium flame.

• Add the blended mixture and pepper to the pan and cook and stir for 5 minutes.

• Serve.

2. You can also try this plum smoothie recipe to serve as a snack. This recipe serves 2 people. The total time is 10 minutes.

The ingredients include:

• Black plum, chopped – 3/4 cup

• Honey – 1 tsp

• Ice, crushed – 4 tbsp

• Curd, low-fat – 2 cups

Method of preparation:

• Take a blender and combine plum, ice, honey and curd in it.

• Blend the ingredients until smooth.

• Pour in 2 glasses and serve.