:)

[terri01p]

 

[golfgal]

The American Diabetes site can be very helpful. If a lot of people are bringing a meal you might want to consider bringing more snack kind of food, fresh veges/dip, etc. Otherwise, low carb food is best-chicken, etc.

 

[Talking Hands]

As golfgal said, focus on low carb food. Baked chicken, fresh veggies raw or steamed, salad. Check with his wife if he has any restrictions on the type of veggies. If he is on blood thinners he may be. Also remember that corn and potatoes are carbs for the diabetic not veggies. Be very careful if you send a dessert as many diabetic desserts are sugar free but not carb free or sweetenened with sugar alcohols which can cause intestinal problems.

 

[terri01p]

 

[golfgal]

Good advice so far. Can he eat any kinds of snack foods? Any type of cookies, banana pudding, vegetable dips?

Probably not "any" but some. My friend that is diabetic makes cookies with apple sauce/juice instead of the shortening and sugar. They are pretty good. I don't have the recipe though.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

As a type 2 diabetic, I would rather have just a normal dessert. I can limit my portion to what I can have at any given time (usually just a bite or two).

A sour cream/cream cheese/ranch-based veggie dip is usually fine for me. I eat guacamole with cucumbers instead of chips like it is going out of style.

For real food, meats and veggies are easiest. A pork roast or chicken dish would be nice. I love taco salads - just put the chips on the side. The only bread I really eat with meals is an occasional crescent rolls.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

http://www.amazon.com/New-American-Heart-Association-Cookbook/dp/0812929543

 

[golfgal]

As a type 2 diabetic, I would rather have just a normal dessert. I can limit my portion to what I can have at any given time (usually just a bite or two).

A sour cream/cream cheese/ranch-based veggie dip is usually fine for me. I eat guacamole with cucumbers instead of chips like it is going out of style.

For real food, meats and veggies are easiest. A pork roast or chicken dish would be nice. I love taco salads - just put the chips on the side. The only bread I really eat with meals is an occasional crescent rolls.

I bet my DD would LOVE that-she isn't diabetic but loves both of these.

 

[ENSOCK]

My dad has the same problems. I do know that he will/can not have any veggie that is green. It thickens the blood too much.

 

[Colleen27]

My grandmothers were both type II diabetics, controlled mainly with diet for many years, and a lot of the cooking I did for them was quite simple. Many of the things I used to make with them in mind (I used to make extra to freeze so they didn't have to cook) are still in our family dinner rotation.

For main dishes, eggplant thin sliced and dried slightly in the oven - just a few minutes at 250, to remove some of the water so the lasagna doesn't come out runny - makes a lower-carb substitute for noodles in a lasagna and there are a lot of diabetic and heart healthy options for fillings. My favorites are classic ricotta with Italian-style turkey sausage, garlic & onion, and vegetable with eggplant, zucchini/summer squash, carrots, and mushrooms and feta cheese in place of the ricotta (not a 1 to 1 substitution; I use about half as much feta as I would ricotta).

Stir-frys without rice work well too, just a lean meat and an assortment of veggies, nicely seasoned, but be sure to look for low sodium soy sauce if you're doing a soy-based sauce. And of course, simple lean meats - baked chicken, meatloaf made with lean beef, grilled fish, pork roast. You should be able to find a lot of variations on those that are low carb; chili-glazed pork tenderloin, chicken breasts simmered in salsa, etc.

For snacks, it'll depend on his heart-related restrictions. My grandmother loved turkey jerky, but that might be too high in sodium. Tomatoes & mozzarella with a drizzle of an olive-oil based dressing was another favorite. Veggies and dairy-based dips are usually a safe bet but broccoli and other brassicas (kale and cabbage and a few others, IIRC) are generally not recommended for people on blood thinners or anticoagulants because they're high in vitamin K which promotes clotting.

 

[Tiana]

...

 

[minniecarousel]

Make sure to watch the sodium content when cooking. The least amount of salt, the better.