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Meal Planning for a Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern
Meal planning is a powerful tool for diabetes management. Planning out your meals for the week helps you build a grocery list so you buy just what you need. And once you have everything on hand, it's easier to prepare meals throughout the week and stick to your plan. Read on for tips from cookbook author Amy Riolo on Mediterranean-style meal planning, and a one-week Mediterranean meal plan to get you started!
Smoky Chicken and Three Bean Salad
Smoked paprika and cumin give the chicken a delicious smoky flavor. This all-in-one meal is perfect for budget-friendly meal prepping: pack each serving in a tightly sealed container for a grab-and-go lunch throughout the week! Double Up: Double the chicken when making Smoky Pan-Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Beans and use the leftovers in this recipe. Find this recipe and weekly meal plans in our book, The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook by Linda Gassenheimer. To order directly from the American Diabetes Association, click here .
Green Salad with Orange, Avocado, and Onion
Get creative with your oranges! Try navel, Valencia, Cara Cara, or blood oranges when you see them at your local market. They each have a slightly different delicious flavor but all of them are filled with vitamin C, fiber, and other good-for-you nutrients. Complete your plate: Add this salad to any meal that needs a vegetable boost. We've paired it with Southwest-Style Turkey Meatloaf and Mashed Red Potatoes . Find this recipe and more in The Create-Your-Plate Diabetes Cookbook , by Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND
CKD Pre-Built Non-Dialysis Meal Plan
Because diabetes increases risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD), it's important to understand how to protect kidneys. Dietary measures like choosing whole foods, selecting heathy fats, and limiting sugar, unhealthy fats and processed foods are things you can do to protect your kidneys. We've put together some suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, plus tips to help with managing your plan. Find more Kidney-Friendly resources.
CKD Pre-Built Dialysis Meal Plan
Having diabetes plus kidney disease requiring dialysis may seem challenging as you combine the two eating plans. Choosing lower potassium produce, limiting or avoiding processed items that may contain phosphate additives, and focusing on eating enough high-quality protein, in addition to balancing carbs are key to staying healthy. We've put together some suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, plus tips to help with managing your plan. Find more Kidney-Friendly resources.
Meal Prep: 3 for 1 Chicken
Everybody likes getting more for less! How about getting more meals from less recipes? With some strategic meal planning and prepping, you can create several days’ worth of meals with just a few recipes and one trip to the grocery store. You can even prepare all of the recipes at once and store meals in single serve containers in the fridge for grab-and-go meals all week.
Carb-Conscious Meal Makeovers
Getting a diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes does not mean that you have to remove all carbohydrate foods from your diet! Depending on your current eating habits, reducing your carb intake, or making some smart swaps, may help manage your blood glucose without cutting out your favorite foods.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Meal Planning
It’s one thing to know the types of foods you should focus on: lean protein, lots of fiber, lots of vegetables, and fruit. With a little research, you can find endless ideas and recipes for meals for a week that will appeal to you and your family’s preferences. But there’s an art to taking all that food you’ve purchased and extending it beyond a specific meal that makes you and your family happy eaters and avoids wasting food.
Easy Chicken Panini
A toasty panini with crispy bread, warm tasty filling, and melty cheese makes a satisfying, diabetes-friendly lunch or light dinner. Cook the paninis in a pan (cast iron works great here) over low heat so that the filling warms all the way through without burning buring the bread. This is a great meal prep recipe: assemble all of the sandwiches ahead of time and wrap individually in foil, then toast the panini just before serving. Pair this sandwich with a simple side salad, like this Spinach, Avocado, and Summer Berry Salad , for a balanced, heart-healthy meal. Double Up: Cook a bouble batch
Low-Carb Meal Plan Tips
Having diabetes or prediabetes does not mean you have to cut out all carbs, but cutting back on some carb foods, or making some smart swaps may help with managing blood glucose. If you are looking to include more low carb meals in your meal plan, we’ve rounded up some breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas, plus some everyday tips for reducing carbs.