stocking your pantry for a healthy Diabetic

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21 Cupboard Essentials for a

Diabetes Diet

Keeping your pantry stocked with healthy foods is a good way to help manage

diabetes. Find out which staples you should have on hand.

By Madeline Vann, MPH

Medically reviewed by Farrokh Sohrabi, MD

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Healthy food choices are key to a good diabetes diet. But when you get home

after a long day, the last thing you want to do is go to the grocery store.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could just whip up a quick meal or snack with basic

ingredients? It's surprisingly simple if you just rethink your weekly shopping

list. You can easily create a pantry stocked with dozens of delicious options to

create healthy meals for diabetes.

Cooking for Diabetes: Why Stocking Up Matters

Stocking your pantry with the right foods can help you succeed with your

diabetes diet, and the reason is very simple: " It's more likely that if healthy

food choices are available, you'll choose them, " says Susie Villalobos, LDN, RD,

program coordinator for the Tulane Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Weight

Management Program in New Orleans.

Make restocking your pantry an easy-to-attain goal. That way, says Cathy Kapica,

PhD, RD, an adjunct professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston and

director of Global Health and Wellness at Ketchum in Chicago, you'll always have

some convenient diabetes-friendly foods on hand. Make room in your cupboard by

reducing or eliminating foods that you don't need to include in your diabetes

diet, such as candy, cookies, cake, sweet rolls, white bread, pretzels,

crackers, soda, and fruit drinks.

Your Diabetes Diet Shopping List

If your pantry shelves are somewhat bare, take heart. Work your way through this

list to create an arsenal of healthy food choices for diabetes:

a.. Canned vegetables. " It's easy to add a can of vegetables to almost any

recipe to boost nutrition, " Kapica says, who recommends keeping no-salt or

low-salt canned green beans, mushrooms, and spinach on hand.

b.. Canned fruit. Look for fruit that's packed in its own juice instead of

syrup.

c.. Canned beans. " Beans are nutritious and have a lot of fiber, " says Nessie

Ferguson, RD, a diabetes educator and nutritionist at the Nebraska Medical

Center in Omaha. Add them to soups or salads. Look for beans that don't contain

sodium, or rinse them for about a minute under water to cut the sodium content.

d.. Canned soup. Soup is great to have on hand, but it can have fairly high

sodium content. Look for labels that say " low sodium " to keep salt under

control.

e.. Canned tomato products. Tomato paste, tomato sauces, and diced tomatoes

are healthy, versatile cooking essentials.

f.. Canned fish. Stock up on tuna, salmon, and sardines packed in water - and

always check the sodium content. Canned fish can make a quick filling for a

sandwich and a tasty addition to salads, soups, and whole-grain pasta dishes.

Plus they're a reasonably priced way to help you meet the American Heart

Association's health goal of at least two servings of fish a week.

g.. Canned chicken. This is a good backup source of protein to add to quick

meals.

h.. Roasted red peppers. Ferguson says roasted red peppers make a tasty

addition to a variety of dishes, from salads to rice.

i.. Whole-grain products. Look for whole-grain pastas and other whole grains

such as oatmeal, quinoa, polenta, kasha, and wild rice blends, which you can

cook for a side dish or use as a base for a meal.

j.. Salsa. A jar of salsa makes a healthy dip for raw vegetables, a zesty base

for a bean soup, and even a tasty salad topping. But read labels to steer clear

of too much added sugar and salt.

k.. Nuts. Almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts are healthy snacks and great to have

on hand, but eat them in moderation. One serving of shelled nuts is about 2

tablespoons. " Nuts have fiber and will keep you feeling full, " Ferguson says,

who recommends buying them in the shell when possible because the time it takes

to crack open the nuts can keep you from overeating, she explains.

l.. Dried herbs and spices. " Pepper, cinnamon, curry, oregano, rosemary, and

other seasonings without salt are key cooking ingredients to have on hand, "

Kapica says. They all add unique flavors without relying on salt and butter.

m.. Vinegars. A variety of vinegars - such as white vinegar, apple cider

vinegar, and balsamic vinaigrette - means you have interesting taste additions

for marinades and salad dressings.

n.. Low-fat dressings. Another option for marinades and salads, low-fat

dressings are also an instant dip for veggies.

o.. Low-salt soy sauce. This flavorful condiment adds an Asian flare to dishes

like stir-fry and vegetable fried rice.

p.. Sugar-free gelatin. This is a safe, sweet treat for your pantry. If you

can have a bag of chocolate chips, chocolate kisses, or mini cookies around and

not eat more than one or two, that's okay, Villalobos says. But if temptation

always wins out, keep your dessert shelf a sugar-free zone with instant gelatin

instead.

q.. Sugar-free syrup. This adds a sweet note to whole-grain pancakes and fruit

- an excellent breakfast choice for healthy diabetes eating.

r.. Cooking spray. Your favorite cooking spray can help you produce dozens of

healthy meals for diabetes without added fat.

s.. Whole-wheat flour. " If you like to bake, you can 'cut' any flour mix with

whole-wheat flour, " Ferguson says. Try replacing half of the white flour in your

baking recipes with whole-wheat flour.

t.. Beverages. Keep club soda, low-sodium tomato juice, and low-calorie

powdered drink mixes in the pantry for beverage variety.

u.. Popcorn. Popcorn is an excellent snack, especially if you pop your own in

a hot-air popper, which doesn't need any oil. Serve with a sprinkle of spices

from your collection rather than salt and butter.

Whether you love cooking or not, this pantry list will let you get as creative

as you want. However, if you're new to cooking or are unsure of how to make the

needed adjustments for a healthy diabetes diet, talk with a diabetes educator or

contact your local American Diabetes Association chapter to learn more and find

healthy cooking classes in your area. " People learn to cook better if they see a

dish made and know they can do it themselves, " Ferguson says.

Last Updated: 08/08/2012

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