Weekend menu for diabetic ideas needed please

[razz]

A family member couple are visiting next weekend and they are newly on a diabetic diet due to the diagnosis of one. They will not want any fuss made as they make the transition to this lifestyle of eating. I do know that the diabetic member who is on medications for the condition has been advised to discard any intake of rice, pasta or red meats, and go low salt.

I would like to help by preparing meals that respect their needs and seem normal to us to help them feel really comfortable.

Any ideas for meals especially lunch and supper dishes would be much appreciated. I do have the diabetic visual handout for portions. I was told that chicken in multiple dishes is getting very tiring.

Smoothies work best for breakfast for them with no change in our routine. I will include simple portions of fruit for desserts.

So far I have come up with these ideas.

Some of the posts here that have mentioned using spaghetti squash instead of pasta with homemade chicken tomato sauce or even a tomato clam sauce.

Shrimp salad with diced celery, shredded carrots and lettuce and tomato juice.

Turkey sausage or ground chicken meatballs or meatloaf might work in dishes.

:help:

[decemberlov]

This one looks good: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/recipes/baked-salmon.html

There are a lot of recipes on that site too.

[Rosemary]

Lunch: green salad with chopped vegetables. Top with hard-boiled egg, canned salmon, or nuts. Homemade mushroom soup on the side if you like.
Dinner: Roast chicken and steamed broccoli. Or a vegetable stir-fry with chicken or tofu. Or poached salmon and roasted brussels sprouts.

Pretty easy to skip the grains once you get used to it. And flip the usual portions of meat and veggies - vegetables fill 2/3 of the plate.

[razz]

Thanks for the ideas. I like the simplicity of giving them an option of toppings on different salads and option of different soups for lunches as that is what DH and I are eating now.
These soups I can make ahead to be served hot or cold.

The real issue for me is the three suppers/dinners then.

BTW, I was amazed to read some of the online info on professional mismanagement of diabetes as I was searching for recipes. Scary stuff to find what works, isn't it?

[SteveinMN]

Some other ideas:
- it may be cool enough in the evenings to consider serving soups, chilis, and stews. Even chicken in these dishes can taste completely different than an unadorned lump of steamed or broiled chicken breast. You're cutting the meat portion almost unnoticeably and you can really bump up the vegetable and/or bean portion of the meal. With soups and chilis, there's a high water content, too, to fill people up.
- Stir-fries almost beg to make most of the meal vegetables. You don't have to serve a stir-fry with white rice, either. You could use brown rice or spaghetti squash or shirataki (see next item) or even some steamed whole grains (though they won't all be a good mix). Again, chicken in this form, especially cut quite small, can taste very different. You also could use fresh or frozen fish or shrimp and keep the stir-fry sauce on the lighter side (low-sodium chicken or vegetable or even fish stock, lighter herbs like dill, etc.).
- Some larger grocery stores and Asian food stores carry a noodle product in the produce section called shirataki. These are made with an Asian yam (konnyaku) which has a low glycemic value and a fair amount of fiber. They're shaped like linguini or fettucine, and, by themselves or simply sauced, will fool no one who's ever eaten regular noodles. But in a stroganoff or casserole, they could be a good source of noodly texture without noodly carbs. Be wary of the noodles which claim to be good for diabetics, though (like Dreamfield's) -- diabetics don't handle all foods the same and I have read that even these pasta products can have interesting blood-sugar effects.
- If you're up for it, you could substitute (especially in chilis and stews) foods like tofu and seitan. Both are made of soy, so they have few carbs and lots of nutrients and a generous exchange for diabetics.

[Dhiana]

Keep in mind that you simply need to provide healthy options for your diabetic guest.
You shouldn't need to make a completely separate meal for them.

Cooking many of the options others have posted such as stir fry, soups, fresh salads should be plenty.
Just cook and serve all the starch options separately. The other guests can choose to add the rice/potatos/breads to their
plate/soup whereas the diabetic guest would simply not add it to theirs :)

Keep it simple!

[razz]

Thanks for the ideas.
Part of my goal is to help them work through the challenge of going low-carb for diabetics by offering these alternative courses as something routine to eat and give them some new approaches in a low-key supportive way. Leaving out the carbs like rice, pasta and potatoes for the weekend may help them see that such meals can still be tasty, readily prepared and good for the entertaining that they like to do.
I knew others here have worked through some of these issues.

I must look for shirataki. Sounds like a good option.

Upon their request, I emailed them the link to My Fitness Pal which they have found very helpful for recording their food and nutrient intake so another thankyou to whoever posted that link (fidgiegirl?).

[JaneV2.0]

Fauxtato salad, chicken cutlets dredged in coconut and sauteed in coconut oil, chef's salad, lettuce wraps, pizza quiche...

[Tradd]

Is pork an option?

I love thin cut boneless pork chops drizzled with a bit of olive oil, fresh ground black pepper, and a wee bit of kosher or sea salt. Pan fry until done. There is very little fat visible on the chops, and these are very tasty. I serve with a large salad and steamed baby carrots.