When most people think of pasta, they think of comfort food.
This is especially true for those who are diabetic.
But the problem with this typical meal…
…is that it does not offer much in terms of nutrition.
To solve this problem, we have compiled a list of tips…
…that will help you eating healthier pasta for diabetics…
…and manage your diabetes better.
When you eat a bowl of pasta, the carbohydrates…
…that it contains help to regulate your blood sugar.
However, because these carbs have to be broken down…
…in order to be absorbed by the body, it is possible for too much carbohydrate…
…to get into your bloodstream and cause fluctuations in your blood sugar levels.
If you are diabetic or have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes…
…you need to pay attention to what kind of carbohydrate foods you eat.
When it comes to nutrition, pasta is synonymous with comfort…
…which can be viewed as a dirty word.
You may have heard that it’s a food you should avoid if you have type 2 diabetes.
If you love pasta and are willing to make a few tweaks…
…to the traditional dish, saying farewell to this comfort food may not be necessary.
Toby Smithson, RDN, a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES)…
…in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and author of Diabetes Meal Planning…
…and Nutrition for Dummies, says pasta can fit…
…into a healthy meal plan for someone with diabetes.
According to past clinical studies referenced…
…in a study published in the April 2021 issue of BMJ Nutrition…
…Prevention & Health, people with type 2 diabetes…
…who ate a 50-gram (g) serving of pasta experienced lower spikes…
…in blood sugar than they did after eating equal portions….
…of white bread, potato, or rice.
Watch your portion sizes and prepare this dish mindfully…
…such as by limiting certain toppings and mix-ins…
…(like cheese, meat, and sauce). Taking steps such…
…as these can help keep your blood sugar, weight…
…and overall health and nutrition in check.
Healthy eating is essential for both diabetics and non-diabetics.
You can lose weight, manage your blood sugar levels…
…and feel great! But that doesn’t mean you should deprive yourself…
…of the foods you love. There are many ways to enjoy pasta…
…without having to worry about your blood sugar levels.
Here are some tips on how to eat healthier pasta for diabetics.
Tips for Eating Healthier Pasta for Diabetics
Choose Whole-Grain Pasta
You can make your pasta dish more nutritious…
…by swapping out traditional noodles for higher-fiber varieties.
“Whole-grain pasta can be a great option because it offers more fiber…
…which can help blunt blood sugar spikes,” Smithson says.
According to Bob’s Red Mill, white pasta noodles typically…
…contain semolina flour, which is made from grinding a type of wheat called durum.
Despite the fact that semolina can be a nutritious flour…
…especially when it’s enriched with vitamins and minerals…
…whole-grain pasta has a slight edge.
“Nothing is removed in processing, so it has the highest nutrient value, including fiber”
Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, RDN, CDCES – A Registered Dietitian at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.
Uncooked semolina spaghetti noodles…
…(about 1 cup cooked) provide 200 calories, 42 grams of carbohydrates…
…and 3 grams of fiber, making them a good source of these nutrients.
On the other hand, an equal serving of whole-grain spaghetti noodles…
…contains 180 calories, 39 grams of carbs, and 7 grams of fiber…
…making it a good source of fiber.
Veggies Should Be the Star of Your Bowl
You can make your bowl diabetes-friendly by adding color – from veggies, that is.
Focusing your pasta dish on nonstarchy…
…naturally low-calorie vegetables increases the amount of food…
…and adds vitamins and minerals, Smithson says.
Fiber and carbohydrates are relatively low in nonstarchy vegetables…
…which means they have less effect on blood sugar levels, says Anderson-Haynes.
You should fill roughly half of your plate…
…or bowl with foods like kale, collard greens, arugula…
…broccoli, asparagus, cucumber, spinach, carrots, or mushrooms.
Skip Creamy Sauce In Favor of an Oil- or Tomato-Based Sauce
Just like you should eliminate “white” foods from your diet…
…(think: white bread, white rice, and yes, white pasta)…
…skip white sauce when preparing diabetic-friendly meals.
Traditional cream-based sauces are typically higher in saturated fat…
…and sodium than other options, according to Anderson-Haynes.
“People with diabetes have a higher risk of heart disease…
…so it’s imperative to choose heart-healthy foods low in sodium and fat,” she says.
It has been found that foods high in saturated fat…
…can raise cholesterol levels in the blood…
…increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Getting too much sodium in your diet…
…can increase your risk of high blood pressure…
…one of the major risk factors for heart disease.
Smithson suggests choosing sauces made with olive oil and fresh garlic…
…both of which have potential heart-health benefits.
Monounsaturated fat is a type of healthy fat found in olive oil, for example.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics…
….this type of fat can help lower cholesterol…
…a waxy substance that’s beneficial in small amounts…
…when swapped out for less healthy fat sources like butter.
The effects are scientifically proven.
In a study of nearly 100,000 healthy men and women…
…replacing 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine…
…with olive oil was associated with a 5 to 7 percent lower risk of heart disease…
…after four years. While the study utilized a large pool of participants…
…the questionnaires were self-reported, which may have been subject to error.
This study was published in the March 2020 issue of the journal Circulation.
Allicin, a natural compound in garlic that has antioxidant properties…
…may positively affect blood sugar levels, according to research.
The journal Food & Nutrition Research published a review…
…in September 2017 showing that a supplement form…
…of the herb significantly reduced fasting blood glucose…
…within one to two weeks. The researchers examined nine randomized…
…controlled trials with a total of 768 people…
…with type 2 diabetes who took garlic between 0.05 grams and 1.5 grams daily.
The majority of trials had less than 80 participants and lasted only 12 weeks.
However, the study found that the use of garlic supplements daily…
….improved blood sugar control in both two…
…and 24 weeks in people with type 2 diabetes.
We will have to wait and see whether raw garlic eaten occasionally…
…with a bowl of pasta will have similar results.
Remember that olive oil contains healthy fats…
…but it is still high in calories (124 calories per tbsp)…
…so be careful with your portion sizes.
Smithson recommends using half a cup of olive oil…
…and four to five garlic cloves per pound of cooked pasta.
Divide the sauce equally between each serving of pasta…
…(according to Smithson, one third of a cup of cooked pasta equals one serving).
Jana Mowrer, RDN, MPH, CDCES, a nutritionist based in Fresno, California…
…says red pasta sauces like marinara..
…and classic tomato are also good choices…
…because they are lower in overall fat and calories.
Make sure you stick to a serving size of one-half to three-quarters of a cup.
Choose a jar of red sauce with no added sugar and, ideally…
…no more than 15 grams of carbs and 140 milligrams (mg)…
…of sodium per half-cup serving, Mowrer advises.
Experiment With Veggie Noodles
You can make noodles out of vegetables if you can’t take wheat…
…or you’d like to reduce the carbs in your pasta dish even further.
You can use a vegetable peeler if you don’t have a spiralizer or mandoline…
…two kitchen tools used to spiralize produce by hand.
Smithson says to boil the veggie strips for 20 seconds…
…then put the noodles in a bowl of ice.
“For ease of preparation, it’s fine to purchase spiralized veggie noodles,” she adds.
Smithson says spirals made from vegetables are the lowest-carb option…
…unless they’re made from sweet potatoes or squash, which are starchy.
Vegetable noodles offer plenty of vitamins and minerals…
…while typically being lower in calories.
One cup of cooked zucchini spirals, for example…
…contains only 27 calories and 5 g of carbs…
…per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)…
…while one cup of cooked whole-grain spaghetti noodles…
…from Barilla brand contains 180 calories and 39 g of carbs.
A serving of zucchini provides 23.2 mg of vitamin C…
…making it an excellent source, and 476 mg of potassium, making it a good source.
Also good low-carb veggie noodle options are bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, and beets.
Practice Portion Control
The key to enjoying pasta when you have type 2 diabetes…
…is to be mindful of your portion size.
“The goal is to keep blood sugar levels from spiking too high,” Mowrer says.
Food portions — especially at restaurants — are much larger today…
…than they were 20 years ago, according to the Centers…
…for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the authors of a research article published in Advances in Nutrition…
…more people eat when they are offered bigger portions…
…and they help themselves to more food when given larger bowls and spoons.
Those larger portions also mean more calories and carbs.
When eating pasta, make sure you….
…include other food groups and practice portion control.
Put one-quarter carbs, one-half veggies…
…and one-quarter lean protein on your plate per meal, says Mowrer.
It is recommended by the CDC that you use a 9-inch dish…
…(about the size of a business envelope) to make portion control easier.
Companies like Livliga sell plates and bowls…
…that indicate the optimal amount of certain foods to eat during a meal.
According to Mowrer, the exact number of carbs you should consume…
…varies based on factors such as your age, gender, level of activity…
…and whatever medications you’re taking.
In general, she recommends that people…
…with diabetes aim for 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per meal.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends…
…working with your CDCES to determine your carb goal.
Feature a Lean Protein
Adding a protein source to a carb-heavy meal, like pasta…
…can prevent a blood sugar spike (and crash), Smithson says.
The reason is that protein is slower to digest than carbohydrates.
Plus, adding protein will make your pasta more satisfying…
…which may prevent you from overloading your plate with carbs, Anderson-Haynes says.
Choose a lean protein source such as skinless grilled chicken, ground turkey, or tofu.
Foods like this tend to be lower in sodium and saturated fat…
…than red meat and processed meats like bacon, according to the ADA.
Go Easy on the Cheese
Cheese and pasta go together like peanut butter and jelly.
It’s true that people with diabetes can still enjoy this tasty ingredient…
…but moderation and selecting the right type will help keep your bowl healthy.
Keeping a close eye on portions is important here.
One serving of cheese is only one ounce…
…or roughly the length of your thumb from tip to base, according to the CDC.
It is best to choose this thumb-sized serving, advises Mowrer.
For diabetes-friendly cheeses, choose white ones like mozzarella or Parmesan…
…which are lower in fat and calories.
In order to make the serving size more substantial…
…Mower suggests grating them.
According to the USDA, an ounce of low-fat…
…part-skim mozzarella contains 70 calories…
…and 4 grams of fat (2.5 grams of saturated fat).
Ricotta is a fattier cheese to avoid or limit.
USDA data shows that one ounce of full-fat ricotta…
…from Hyvee brand contains about 50 calories…
…and 3.5 grams of fat, including 2.25 grams of saturated fat.
There are also nonfat and reduced-fat cheese options available.
Ricotta, for example, has 30 calories and only 1.5 grams of fat (1 gram of saturated fat).
As a companion to eating pasta, here is a special tea from Scott Hanson that can help revert type 2 diabetes…
Deep Sleep Diabetes Remedy
The unique tea recipe that was developed…
…by the creators of the system is what makes this system unique.
It is known for offering a lot of assistance…
…when it comes to managing diabetes-related problems.
Scott Hanson creates the drink from herbs…
…and natural ingredients that he studied deeply.
In the course of his research…
…he discovered a strong connection between sleep and diabetes.
The effects of diabetes can be exacerbated…
…as well as strengthened by inadequate sleep patterns and insomnia.
Through the development of this tea…
…he made sure that his users would have a good night’s sleep.
This, in turn, helped them to deal with their diabetic problems.
Several users have cited a variety of benefits from the program.
The solution is tried and tested…
…so many people will be pleased and impressed.
Here are a few words from Jenny…
I have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about three years ago.
Over the past three years, I have tried to manage it in various ways.
Physical activity, healthier eating, and weight loss have been among them.
I also drink herbal tea for diabetes every day.
Despite these methods working…
…I would still have high blood glucose and would not be cured of diabetes.
Using Deep Sleep Diabetes Remedy, I was able to get my diabetes under control.
Due to lack of sleep, my blood sugar was out of balance.
As a result of my new lifestyle…
…I have been able to eat whatever I want and reverse my type 2 diabetes.
You should also try it!
Sum Up!
If you are diabetic, it is very important to keep a check on your blood sugar levels.
There are many ways in which you can do this…
…but one of the most effective methods is by making sure…
…that you have regular meals and snacks.
As a diabetic, it is essential that you eat healthy foods…
…such as pasta and vegetables.
There are many types of pasta available for diabetics;
…however, not all of them are suitable for diabetics to eat.
To help you make better choices when choosing your pasta…
…we have prepared this article with some tips for eating healthier pasta for diabetics.
Conclusion
Eating healthier pasta is one of the best ways to lower your risk of diabetes.
To help you achieve this goal, we’ve compiled a list of tips for eating healthier pasta…
…that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine.
Our article will provide you with some additional information…
…about what to look for when buying pasta…
…as well as how to cook it in order to maximize its nutritional value.
Let us know if our suggestions helped improve your pasta-eating experience!
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