You Can Enjoy Food at Special Occasions!

With a little planning, you can indulge a little at picnics, fairs and weddings - and still manage your diabetes

Because of her diabetes, Cynthia Bauman of Macungie now makes healthier food choices—even at special events. Here she enjoys a picnic salad.

As summer draws to an end, you might be invited to a Labor Day picnic or a fall wedding. Or maybe you plan on attending a fair or festival. Even though you know you’ll have fun, you might be concerned about staying on your meal plan when so much of the festivities center around food.

“The best advice is to plan ahead,” says registered dietitian Shelley DePinto, of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network’s Helwig Health and Diabetes Center. “Don’t skip meals before an event and come famished. That increases the likelihood of overeating and making less healthful choices.”

Tips for weddings:

• Pack a snack. With a wedding, you won’t have as much control over when you can eat. Bring along a snack in case your meal time is delayed. A good choice would be a snack containing both carbohydrate and protein such as non-fat yogurt or whole grain crackers with peanut butter. Don’t forget a treatment for low blood sugar, just in case!
• Hit the dance floor. “Even the best planners might overindulge at special occasions, so balance those extra calories by going out on the dance floor,” DePinto says.
• Be careful with alcohol. Alcohol packs excess calories so enjoy in moderation. “Drinking on an empty stomach can cause low blood sugar so if you’re going to have a drink, have it with your meal,” DePinto says.

Tips for fairs and festivals:

• Share, share, share. Want to indulge in fried Oreos? Have one and share the rest with your friends or family. Avoid ordering super-sized and jumbo orders of any foods.
• Eat ahead of time. “Don’t come starving,” says DePinto’s colleague, registered dietitian Janet Zusi. “Attend festivals for other things like music and dancing instead of just the food.”
• Walk around a lot. Since you’ll probably eat a little more than usual, balance that with walking around and enjoying more of the fair. “Park your car farther away from the festival to sneak some exercise in,” Zusi says.

Tips for picnics:

• Remember portion control. A picnic table full of choices could lead to eating too much. Be aware of how much you’re eating and focus your choices on vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and lean proteins such as grilled chicken or veggie burgers.
• Wait to savor dessert. Instead of eating a brownie or slice of cake right after your meal, wait two hours. “It allows your blood sugars to come down after eating your lunch,” DePinto says. “Also, take a smaller portion or share it.”
• Bring along a healthy dish. If you aren’t sure what will be served, mix up a dish of your favorite picnic food. These recipes are all diabetes-friendly.
  
  Black Bean Burrito Wrap
  Edamame Dip
  Potato Salad
  Tabbouleh (Bulgur and Parsley Salad)
  Herbed Veggie Burgers

Here are some more great picnic recipes available on the American Diabetes Association Web site:

Chicken and Fruit Salad
Citrus Bean Salad
Curried Chicken Salad
Tri-Colored Rotini Pasta
Quinoa-Vegetable Salad
Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad

A Handy Chart to Making Smart Choices

Black Bean Burrito Wrap

6 large whole-wheat flour tortillas or fat-free wraps
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 cup baby greens or green salad leaves, washed and well-drained
1 small carrot, cut in fine julienne or grated
1 ear of corn or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed, roasted or grilled
2 tomatoes, sliced very thin
Salt, pepper and cumin to taste

Place beans in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. If needed, season with salt and pepper and a touch of cumin. Grill chucked corn (approximately 5 minutes on each side) or roast in oven until golden. Cut corn off of cob. Place tortilla or wrap on a nonstick baking sheet. In the center of the wrap, place approximately 2 ounces of bean mixture, baby greens, grated carrot, roasted corn and thinly sliced tomato. Fold in sides of wrap and then roll. Place folded side down or wrap tightly.

Edamame Dip

A hearty nutty dip. Serve with a variety of crisp vegetables such as jicama, bell pepper strips, steamed sugar snap peas and carrot sticks.

1 ½ cups frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed and cooked
½ cup water
¼ cup chopped red onion or sweet onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil (can be omitted)
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons chili garlic sauce or cocktail sauce
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained

Place all ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Serve immediately, or cover and chill.

Potato Salad

¼ cup freshly minced dill
½ cup silken tofu
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup no-oil Italian dressing
5 cups boiled, cooled and cubed new potatoes
½ cup diced celery
½ tablespoon minced red onion
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper

Mix together the dill, soft tofu, mustard and oil-free dressing. Toss with the potatoes, celery and onion. Add salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of Barb Carlson

Tabbouleh (Bulgur and Parsley Salad)

Spoon this Lebanese salad into pale green romaine spears or scoop it up with wedges of warm whole wheat pita bread. You might want to double this recipe and have the remainder for lunch the next day. Tabbouleh makes a great sandwich: pile it into pita bread along with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and a spoonful of hummus or nonfat yogurt.

1 cup bulgur
½ cup diced, seeded, peeled cucumber
Salt to taste, plus ½ teaspoon
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Pepper
1 cup diced fresh tomato
1 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add bulgur, cover, remove from heat and let stand 25 minutes. Sprinkle cucumber with ½ teaspoon salt. Place in a sieve set over a bowl and let drain 20 minutes. Press lightly on the cucumber to release moisture. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer bulgur to a large bowl, add lemon juice mixture and fluff with a fork to blend. Stir in tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and mint. Taste and adjust seasoning.

TIP: Be sure to buy bulgur and not plain cracked wheat. Bulgur is cracked wheat that has been steamed, then dried, so it needs only to soak in hot water to soften.

Recipe from “Everyday Cooking with Dr. Dean Ornish”

Herbed Veggie Burgers

Vegetable cooking spray
3/4 cup finely chopped broccoflower florets
3/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves (divided)
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2/3 cup cooked wild or brown rice
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg white
1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
4 multigrain or whole-wheat buns, toasted

Spray medium skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Sauté broccoflower, mushrooms, onion and garlic until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon basil, marjoram and thyme and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Stir rice, oats and cheeses into vegetable mixture; season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in egg white. Form mixture into 4 burgers.

Spray large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Add burgers and cook over medium to medium-low heat until browned on the bottoms, 3-4 minutes. Spray tops of burgers with cooking spray and turn; cook until browned on other side, 3-4 minutes.

Mix mayonnaise and remaining 1 teaspoon basil and use as a spread on the buns.

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