SELF HELP RESOURCE - Wellness / Healthy Recipes

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Diabetes is fast gaining the status of a potential epidemic in India with more than 62 million diabetic individuals currently diagnosed with the disease. India currently faces an uncertain future in relation to the potential burden that diabetes may impose upon the country. Many influences affect the prevalence of disease throughout a country, and identification of those factors is necessary to facilitate change when facing health challenges. (The current state of diabetes mellitus in India: Seema Abhijeet Kaveeshwar, Jon Cornwall .Australas Med J. 2014; 7(1): 45-48. Published online 2014 January 31. doi: 10.4066/AMJ.2013.1979)

In the current scenario of busy schedules, hurried deadlines extended working hours and sedentary lifestyle; people don't have time to think of eating healthy and exercising. These factors coupled with a genetic predisposition for diabetes sets the stage for the onset of diabetes and other lifestyle related diseases. Usually diabetes is diagnosed only accidently when the symptoms occur. By then, people find themselves being asked to ‘manage' their sugar levels through a healthy diet, exercise and lifestyle.

Diabetics need to keep a strict watch on their eating habits. They need 3 meals and 2-3 healthy snacks through the day at regular intervals. Meals should be a balance of protein, whole carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Try these quick, easy and healthy diabetic friendly breakfast, midmorning and evening snacks recipes.

1. Vegetable sticks

Cut raw vegetables like carrot, cucumber, celery, tomato and coloured capsicum into lengthwise pieces. Even steamed broccoli, cauliflower, French beans and zucchini can be used. These vegetables are low in calories and full of fiber.

Dip 1
• 100 ml. low fat yoghurt
• ½ bunch fresh mint leaves
• 1 green chilli (optional)
• 1 tsp. roasted sesame seeds (til)
• A pinch of salt

Method: Wash mint leaves well and separate from stems. Grind mint leaves and green chilli (chilli, if needed) in mixer to a paste; add the yoghurt. Blend until well mixed. Add salt to taste. Garnish with roasted sesame seeds

Dip 2
• 100 ml. low fat yoghurt
• 3 tbsp. Roasted peanuts, crushed into a fine powder ( if you want the dip chunky with bits of peanut, crush roughly)
• 1 tsp. paprika flakes
• A pinch of salt

Method: Mix peanut powder and paprika flakes together. Add to the yoghurt and blend well. Add salt to taste.

2. Nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds are rich in protein and healthy fats. They contain carbohydrates in lesser amounts as compared to carbohydrate rich foods. However, they are high in calories so they should be eaten in moderation. It is better to make your own mix at home rather than buy pre-packaged nuts from a store. Most often these will contain dry fruits or will be salted. Nuts are easy to pack and carry to office.

Mix together 2-3 almonds, 2 walnuts, ½ tsp. each of flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. Store in an airtight container and carry to work.

3. Smoothies

Smoothies are a creative way of blending together fruit and/ or vegetables with milk/ yoghurt/ soy milk for a blend of 2-3 food groups. Smoothies taste great and are filling.

Healthy morning smoothie
• 4 strawberries
• 1 small carrot (peeled)
• ½ an apple or pear (with the skin)
• ½ a pomegranate (remove the seeds)
• 2-3 tbsp. skimmed yoghurt
• Optional: 1 tsp. ground flaxseed

Method: Wash fruits well and blend along with skimmed yoghurt and flaxseed powder. Pour into a tight fitting sipper and carry to work.

Carrot- papaya smoothie
• 1 small carrot ( peeled)
• 2 slices of papaya ( skin removed)
• 200 ml skimmed milk/ soy milk

Method: Blend together carrot and papaya. Add milk/ soy milk and blend for another 5 minutes.

Strawberry smoothie
• 5 fresh strawberries for blending + 2 roughly chopped
• 200 ml unsweetened soy milk
• 3 tbsp. low fat yoghurt

Method: Blend all 3 ingredients together. Add roughly chopped strawberries on top after pouring into glasses/ a sipper.

Green smoothie
• 1 small green apple (remove core and cut into pieces)
• 1 small pear (remove core and cut into pieces)
• 2 cups of spinach (well washed)
• 10 green grapes
• ½ a bunch mint leaves (well washed and separated from stem)
• A pinch of cinnamon
• Juice of ½ a lime
• 1 tsp. Stevia powder
• 2 cups of cold water/ Coconut water

Add cold water / coconut water into mixer and add chunks of green apple and pear until well blended. Add the spinach and mint leaves bit by bit and blend to a smooth paste. Then add remaining ingredients. Serve cold.

Breakfast smoothie
• 2 small apples/ pear (remove core and seeds) or 10 strawberries
• 1 cup lightly roasted oats
• 3 tbsp. ragi powder (or multigrain mix powder ragi- jowar- bajra)
• 1 tsp. ground flaxseeds
• 1 tsp. ground almond powder
• 200 ml skim milk/ soy milk
• ½ tsp. Stevia leaf powder
• ½ tsp. coffee powder ( optional)

Method: Blend fruit first until pulpy. Add the dry powders and oats. Pour milk and blend for 5-7 minutes until all ingredients are well mixed and have a smooth consistency without any lumps.

4. Ragi rotis
• 2 cups ragi flour
• 1/2 tsp. jeera seeds
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1-2 green chili chopped
• 1 small bunch coriander leaves
• salt to taste
• warm water ( for dough)
• 1 tsp. oil for roasting

Method
1. Add all ingredients except water in a mixing bowl. Add warm water bit by bit to make a soft dough. Divide into equal sized portions and flatten out by hand.
2. Heat a tava, while roasting the roti, the flame should be kept on low. Place roti on tava and add a few drops of oil, once golden browned flip over and cook the other side. You could also use a moist cloth to wrap the rotis after roasting to prevent them from getting hard or dry. After roasting place rotis in an insulated case and serve hot with sabzi, mint or coriander chutney.

5. Vegetable and Oats tikkis

This is a good way to use left-over vegetables.
• 1 cups left over sabji
• 1 cup cooking oats ( blend for 20 seconds in mixer to get powder)
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1-2 chopped green chillies
• ½ tsp each of jeera, coriander, garam masala, chaat masala and chilli powder
• ½ - 1 tsp. amchur powder
• ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

Method
1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a broad non-stick pan. Add onions, ginger garlic paste and green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Transfer the onions into a deep bowl, add sabji and mash lightly using a potato masher.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients; mix well with oats so it absorbs all the flavours. Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape into flat round tikkis.
3. Use same tava in which you sautéed onions to cook each tikki on a slow flame till both sides are crisp and golden brown.
4. Serve hot with pudina chutney

6. Besan Chilas

• 1 cup besan (bengal gram flour)
• 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
• 1 tsp. chilli powder
• 1-2 finely chopped green chillies
• ¼ tsp. ajwain seeds
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. oil for greasing

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients in a deep bowl with water to form a smooth batter. You can add water depending on how thick you want your batter to be. Just make sure it is not too runny.

2. Heat a non-stick tava and sprinkle a few drops of oil. Pour a ladle of the batter onto the tava and rotate until it spreads evenly. Let it brown on one side, flip over and repeat until the second side is cooked.

3. Serve hot with pudina chutney as a healthy snack.


7. Oats and vegetable upma
• 1 cup oats ( lightly roasted)
• 1 small onion chopped
• ¼ cup chopped vegetables (carrot, peas, beans)
• 2 green chilies (slit)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• pinch of hing
• ¼ tsp mustard
• ¼ tsp jeera
• 1.5 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp. chana dal
• ½ tsp urad dal
• ½ tsp. ginger garlic paste
• pinch of turmeric
• Salt to taste
• lemon juice (optional)
• Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:
1. Dry roast oats for about 5 minutes in a wide pan. Set this aside to cool. Once cooled rinse with water and drain.
2. Heat a pan with oil; add cumin, mustard, chana and urad dal and fry till golden. Add hing, ginger,chilli, curry leaves and fry till the leaves turn crisp. Add onions, turmeric, ginger- garlic paste and vegetables and fry.
3. Add the rinsed oats and mix well. Sprinkle salt and reduce flame. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally so that it cooks well and does not stick to the vessel.
4. Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon juice before serving. This can be eaten with 1 cup of skimmed yoghurt for a healthy breakfast. Or eaten alone as a snack.

 

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