Tips for a Diabetes-Friendly Thanksgiving
November 16, 2020By: Rachel Rogers
Categories: Diabetes, Nutrition, Your Wellness
Living With Diabetes
Learn about the basics of diabetes, and get tips on how meal planning, exercise, proper medication and coping strategies can help you live well.
Holiday stress and eating can cause high blood sugar, which is dangerous for people with diabetes. The good news? By making some simple modifications, you can still enjoy many Thanksgiving favorites. From baking diabetes-friendly desserts to using The Plate Method, there are plenty of proven methods for managing diabetes during the holidays. Below, you'll find a few of my favorites and my video from my Fox 4 segment.
Bake a Diabetes-Friendly Dessert
Pecan Pie Trifle
Ingredients
Bites:
- 1 cup sugar-free breakfast syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup of sugar
Steps
Bites:
- Heat oven to 350°F; line glass dish with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray
- In a large bowl, mix eggs with the sugar; stir in syrup, vanilla and melted butter; stir in pecans; pour mixture into lined dish
- Bake 30-40 minutes or until filling is "puffed"
- Cool dessert (about 2 hours), cut it into small cubes, and put the dessert cubes in the freezer
- Once frozen, place cubes into a resealable freezer bag and place them back in the freezer until ready for use
Cream:
- Place whipping cream in a bowl, whipping until it starts to stiffen; slowly add sugar
Final Assembly
- Build – Place bites in small individual cups and layer alternately with cream
- Refrigerate for 1-24 hours before eating
Nutrition
Calories: 264 kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.2g | Protein: 3.8g | Fat: 23.5g | Saturated Fat: 12.1g | Sodium: 121mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 8.8g
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Ingredients
- 12 gingersnap cookies
- 1 package of light cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup Truvia Baking Blend or about 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, not pie filling
- 1/2 cup plain or vanilla fat-free Greek yogurt (about one 5.3-oz container)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Cool Whip Lite or whipped cream for topping
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350º F and line one muffin tin with paper liners
- Place one gingersnap, flat side down, inside each liner; set aside
- Beat cream cheese and Truvia until smooth
- Add egg, pumpkin, Greek yogurt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt; mix well
- Pour mixture into prepared muffin liners
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cheesecake is cooked through the middle
- Let dessert cool
- Before serving, peel liners and top with whipped topping
Nutrition
Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.6 g | Protein: 3.4g | Fat: 5.6g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Sodium: 178mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 11g
Make Small Changes
A traditional Thanksgiving dinner has around 120 grams of carbohydrates. This can make Thanksgiving dinner challenging for people with diabetes, who are advised to have less than 60 grams of carbohydrates per meal. To stay on track during the big meal, try the following tips.
Try the Plate Method
The Plate Method makes it easy to enjoy a diabetes-friendly Thanksgiving dinner. Below is just one example of a meal you could safely enjoy.
- A quarter-plate serving of protein | 2-3 slices of turkey
- A half-plate serving of non-starchy vegetables | Half plate of green beans and roasted carrots
- A quarter plate of carb-heavy grains or starches | Small serving of mashed or sweet potatoes
Practice Moderation
- Drink alcohol moderately (if drinking), and check your blood sugar frequently; alcohol can cause blood sugar to dip and increase the consumption of carbohydrates
- Don’t overdo the snacking
- Spread out your high-carb and high-sugar favorites over a few meals
Connect With an Expert
NKCH's certified diabetes educators can help you during your diabetes journey. To schedule an appointment with a diabetes educator, you will need a doctor's referral.
