Learning How to Balance Dessert and Diabetes

Everyone struggles with food temptation during the holidays, but people with diabetes have to be especially careful.  

The parties, goodies, and special food and drink that abound during this season can make sticking to a diabetes-friendly diet even more challenging. How can you achieve a good balance of the right foods?

It’s important to be careful about sugar and carbohydrates, but sugar and small portions of sugar-containing desserts can be part of your diet during the holidays—or any time. These recommendations can help you safely make sweet treats a part of your holiday tradition:

• If you want to have a treat, substitute it for another carb you would have eaten. For example, if you want a piece of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, give up the mashed potatoes or dinner rolls.

• Revise recipes to make them more diabetes-friendly. For instance, update dessert recipes by cutting the sugar by one-third to one-half. In its place, add sweet spices such as vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, or use sugar substitutes. Reduce the fat in dessert recipes by replacing oil or butter in baked goods with applesauce or puréed prunes.

• Keep serving sizes of sweet desserts small. To do so, share a serving with a friend or family member. Skip the whipped cream or vanilla ice cream topping on your pie.

• Make family and friends the focus of your get-togethers instead of food. Don’t forget to keep up with your exercise routine.  A family walk or game of touch football is a fun way to incorporate physical activity into your holiday.

To learn more about having a diabetes-friendly holiday, talk to your local Rite Aid pharmacist.

Sources

“Holiday Meal Planning.” American Diabetes Association. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/holiday-meal-planning.

“Planning Ahead.” American Diabetes Association. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/holiday-meal-planning/planning-ahead.html.

“Fitting in Sweets.” American Diabetes Association. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/holiday-meal-planning/making-sugar-count-during-the-holidays.html.

“Six Holiday Tips.” American Diabetes Association. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/holiday-meal-planning/six-holiday-tips.html.  

“Low-Calorie Sweeteners.” American Diabetes Association. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/understanding-carbohydrates/artificial-sweeteners/.

“Planning Meals.” American Diabetes Association. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/.

  
“Sweeteners and Desserts.” American Diabetes Association. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/sweeteners-and-desserts.html.