For both types 1 and type 2 diabetes, carbohydrate restriction is a great way to help control blood sugars and minimize the toxicity and expense of drug therapy. Here are some low-carb recipes from my book, Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes.
Breakfast: Brats and Tomatoes
6 oz (170 g) tomato, sliced
2 tbsp (30 ml) AMD vinaigrette (see below) or commercial Italian dressing (regular, not low-fat, with 3 g or fewer carbs per 2 tbsp or 30 ml)
salt and pepper
2 pre-cooked bratwursts (about 2.3 oz or 65 g each)
6 tsp (30 ml) mustard (optional)
Dress the tomato slices with the vinaigrette, plus salt and pepper to taste. Heat 2 pre-cooked bratwursts as instructed on package. Use mustard on the brats if desired. Digestible carb grams: 8.
AMD VINAIGRETTE
Try this on salads, fresh vegetables, or as a marinade for chicken, fish, or beef. If using as a marinade, keep the entree/marinade combo in the refrigerator for 4–24 hours. Seasoned vinaigrettes taste even better if you let them sit for several hours after preparation. This recipe was in my first book, The Advanced Mediterranean Diet; hence, “AMD vinaigrette.”
Ingredients
1 clove (3 g) garlic
juice from ½ lemon (23 g or ml)
a third of a cup (78 ml) oil olive
2 tbsp (8 g) fresh parsley
½ tsp (2.5 ml)) salt
½ tsp (2.5 ml) yellow mustard
½ tsp (1.2 ml) paprika
2 tbsp (30 ml) red wine vinegar
Preparation
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together. Alternatively, you can put all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously. Let sit at room temperature for an hour, for flavors to meld. Then refrigerate. It should “keep” for at least 5 days in refrigerator. Shake before using. Servings per batch: 3.
Nutrient Analysis:
Recipe makes 3 servings (2 tbsp or 30 ml per serving). Each serving has 220 calories, 2 g digestible carb, almost no fiber, negligible protein, 24 g fat. 3% of calories are from carbohydrate, 97% from fat.
Lunch: Easy Tuna Plus Pecans
5-oz can (140 g) of albacore tuna
2 tbsp (30 ml) Miracle Whip Salad Dressing (or real, high-fat mayonnaise)
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon or lime juice
1 oz (28 g) pecan halves
Drain the liquid off the can of tuna then place tuna in a bowl. Add Miracle Whip Salad Dressing and lemon or lime juice. Mix thoroughly and enjoy. Eat 1 oz of pecan halves around mealtime or later as a snack. If you want to simplify this, forget the Miracle Whip and lemon; just use 1 oz (28 g) of commercial tartar sauce that derives at least 80% of calories from fat and has less than 3 g of carb per 2 tbsp or 30 ml. Digestible carb grams: 5.
Dinner: Ham Salad
2 oz (60 g) cooked ham, cut in to small cubes
1 oz (28 g) celery, sliced and diced
1 oz (28 g) seedless grapes (about 4 grapes), cut into small chunks
1 oz (28 g) walnuts, coarsely crumbled
4 oz (110 g) romaine lettuce
3 tbsp AMD vinaigrette or commercial Italian, French, or ranch dressing having 2 or fewer grams of carb per 2 tbsp or 30 ml)
Lay out a bed of lettuce then sprinkle these on top: ham, celery, grapes, walnuts. Finish construction with AMD vinaigrette or commercial dressing. You’re done. Alternatively, substitute cooked chicken or steak for ham. With chicken, apple may work better than grapes. If having a glass of wine (6 fl oz or 180 ml) with meal, delete the grapes or the carb count will be too high. Digestible carb grams: 10.
(When commercial dressing is used, the digestible carb count is closer to 13 than 10 g.)
Diabetic Mediterranean Diet 