Follow Healthy Eating Strategies To Stay On Track During Spring Holidays

 Easter candy, large family meals and holiday desserts can derail a diabetic’s diet. Below are some everyday healthy eating strategies for diabetics or others who strive to eat healthfully from Beth Reames, Louisiana State University AgCenter nutritionist.
    

*Eat lots of vegetables and fruits.
     *Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. Try brown rice with stir fry or whole wheat spaghetti with pasta sauce.
     *Include dried beans (like kidney or pinto beans) and lentils in meals.
     *Include fish in meals 2-3 times a week.
     *Choose lean meats like cuts of beef and pork that end in "loin" such as pork loin and sirloin. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
     *Choose non-fat dairy such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese.
     *Choose water and calorie-free "diet" drinks instead of regular soda, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
     *Choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats that can be high in saturated and trans fats. Remember that fats are high in calories. If you are trying to lose weight, watch your portion sizes of added fats.
     *Cut back on high calorie snack foods and desserts like chips, cookies, cakes, and full-fat ice cream. 

     Here’s a diabetic friendly snack or appetizer recipe you can try.
    

Pineapple Cream Cheese Spread

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. fat free cream cheese, softened
1 8 oz. unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

     Directions: Mix ingredients together and serve with vegetables or whole grain crackers.

     If you are interested in learning more about managing your type II diabetes, consider attending Penn State Extension’s Dining with Diabetes Program. Classes will provide nutrition education, daily meal plans, cooking demonstrations, food tasting and an opportunity to connect with others who are living with type II diabetes. Participants will receive pedometers, exercise DVDs and resistance bands, an Idaho Plate placemat, and recipe booklet. The program will be held for four consecutive Mondays starting April 16 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Penn State Extension’s Meeting Room, 200 Adams Ave., Lower Level, Scranton. There will be a follow-up class on July 16, 2012. The cost of the program is $40.00 per person or $55.00 for two family members living in the same household. Scholarships and financial aid funds are available to a qualified number of participants. To register, call toll free 877-489-1398 or visit http://www.cvent.com/d/8cq92v by April 6. For questions about the program, contact Nicole DeMarco at (570) 963-6842 or nmd5140@ag.psu.edu .
 

Karen Thomas is a family and consumer sciences educator for Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County.