Stocking The Pantry
For Good
Diabetic Health
You would think by this stage of your life, stocking the pantry is not one of those lessons which still needs to be learned. But even though kitchen staples may not seem to be a difficult project,if you have the correct staples on hand, whipping up a safe and healthy diabetic meal or snack will just be a "piece of cake". Common Items Needed For Every KitchenA trip to the grocery store for stocking the pantry is best accomplished with a list in hand, especially the first one or two times. This makes it easier to pass up all of those cakes, pies, candies and cookies etc.. All these are is temptation speaking and this type of item should not be on your list all of the time anyway. Try bringing home some of the following instead:- fresh fruits (no more than 1-2 servings per day.) Never purchase any juice drink, beverage, cocktail etc. without first reading that label. Almost all of these are high in added sugars.
Out of season you can try canned fruits (packed in its own juice or water)for stocking the pantry. This way you can enjoy the flavors all year round. - fresh vegetables, especially the non-starchy varieties, from the farmer's market or your own garden is best. If you must purchase canned vegetables, pour all of the liquid off and rinse several times to get as much salt removed as possible. This will lower your risk of elevated by just following this one simple routine.
- dried beans (kidney, black, navy, pinto, white and garbanzo) and whole grains, pasta, brown rice, regular oatmeal (not the quick cooking variety) and barley. Each of these are excellent extenders in soups, stews and casseroles.Each of these increases your daily fiber and protein intakes to better acceptable levels.
- pick up foods rich in omega 3's like Alaskan salmon, limited amounts of albacore tuna (because of mercury contamination), walnuts and flaxseeds
- dried fruits (use sparingly, the sugars get concentrated when drying), tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, sweet peppers plus celery are all nutritionally rich and add more flavor to any meat or grain dish.
- stocking the pantry with items from the store shelves for low sodium products like broths, salad dressings, soups etc. are even better if you can purchase these while on special. Or better yet is make your own homemade versions because salt is used as a preservative in this type of item which makes the levels way to high for everyday use. Also, check the nutrition label on mayonnaise and salad dressings. Many of these can be over the top on fats and calories. Try to choose the non-fat or low-fat versions instead.
- fresh beef and pork cuts which are graded as "loin" cuts. This is generally one of the cheapest cuts (sirloin, pork loin) but it also happens to be the lowest in saturated fats. Other meat choices include the labels choice, select or round meat cuts. Each of these also will help limit your cholesterol and triglycerides numbers (saturated fats). Avoid "prime" cuts at all cost. This is the highest grade, with intentional marbling from fats for tenderness sake. This is also a question of heart disease in the making.
For deli or luncheon meats, check the labels and find the cuts marked as lean or 95% fat free. Pre-packaged units will read 30-35 calories per ounce or less than 3 grams of fat per ounce on the nutrition label. The poultry preferred is the white meat from the breast cut, skinless after cooking. If purchasing processed meat (such as hot dogs, bacon, bologna, etc. fat is always added as an ingredient. Check the label and make sure the finished product is less than 30% fat or less. Seafood is best if purchased fresh but if you prefer canned, purchase the varieties packed in water. - stocking the pantry with some occasional treats is important also. Buy some sugarfree gelatin mixes, puddings, cocoa mix, nuts and seeds, the unsalted varieties, plain popcorn, 70% or greater plain dark chocolate, whole grain crackers (with less than 2g of fat per serving) or cookies and cakes which yield less than 3g of fat per serving.
For some frozen selections, popsicles or any kind of frozen treat should be less than 3g per 4 oz serving or 70 calories or below per each bar. Also unsweetened frozen fruits and berries is an excellent choice. And the next one confuses many people but always check the label on sugarfree ice cream. Usually low fat ice cream or yogurt has less fats, calories and sugars per serving than just buying the ice cream. Compare these labels closely. - breads, grains and cereals: select the whole grain varieties with less than 3 grams of fat per serving. In a cereal box, also check for greater than 3 grams dietary fiber, less than 1 g fats, and less than 5 g of sugar.
When buying rice try to find basmati, converted, brown or wild rice. Each of these will better control blood sugar spikes. When buying pasta, purchase whole grain varieties with no added sauce or fillers. Add your own sauce and fillings at home to reduce the sodium. Egg noodles should be with no added fats or egg. - dairy products for stocking the pantry include the nonfat or low-fat varieties of milk, cheese, buttermilk or yogurt. Cheese should have less than 6 grams of fat per one ounce serving. This will include varieties such as low-fat mozzarella, farmer's cheese, cottage cheese and ricotta.
Margarine and butters should always have less than 1g of saturated fat per serving. Otherwise you are safer using the olive oil or canola oil when an oil is needed. Sour cream and cream cheese are OK if you use the non-fat or low fat varieties. Even better though is use lowfat plain yogurt to substitute for the sour cream. So stocking the pantry the first couple of times will be easier, quicker and less confusing if you write yourself a list (or take this along with you) the first few times you go shopping. Once you become familiar with which brands meet your new dietary requirements (this information is all learned by reading the ingredient and nutrition label for every product) for good diabetic health, you will be able to breeze through the grocery store the same as you did before the change in your diet.
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*Disclaimer*
This site is not intended to replace the advice and supervision of your professional medical treatment plan. Although all of the information is true and accurate to the best of our knowledge, we still recommend you carefully check all food labels before consuming any food product. We can not assume any legal responsibility for any illness obtained while following the advice contained on this site.
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