Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking. Lara Rondinelli-Hamilton

14.5-ounce cans—2

      Corn, creamed, 8-ounce can—1

      Hot pepper sauce

      Pasta sauce, marinara, reduced-sodium, 24.5-ounce jars—2

      Tomatoes, diced, no-salt-added, 14.5-ounce can—1

      Frozen Foods

      Spinach, chopped, 9 ounces—1 bag

      Staples, Seasonings, & Baking Needs

      Baking powder

      Baking soda

      Bay leaves

      Black pepper, ground

      Cayenne pepper

      Chili powder

      Cumin

      Flour, all-purpose

      Nonstick cooking spray

      Oil, canola

      Oil, olive

      Onion salt

      Salt

      Splenda Sugar Blend

      Sugar substitute

      Miscellaneous

      Chocolate chips, semisweet, mini—1/3 cup

      Corn muffin mix, 8.5-ounce box—1

      Olives, Kalamata—1/2 cup

Ham and White Bean Soup

       Makes: 6 servingsServing Size: 1 cupPrep Time: 12 minutes

      nonstick cooking spray

      1 medium onion, finely diced

      1/2 cup chopped, cooked, reduced-sodium ham

      2 14.5-ounce cans fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

      2 16-ounce cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

      1/2 tsp ground black pepper

      1 bay leaf

      1 Spray a large soup pot with cooking spray. Add onion and sauté with chopped ham 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

      2 Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.

      Exchanges/Choices 1 1/2 Starch • 1 Lean Meat

      Calories 145 Calories from Fat 5 Total Fat 0.5g Saturated Fat 0.2g Trans Fat 0.0g Cholesterol 5mg Sodium 600mg Potassium 550mg Total Carbohydrate 24g Dietary Fiber 7g Sugars 4g Protein 12g Phosphorus 210mg

      Dietitian’s Tip

      Rinsing canned beans helps remove some of the sodium.

Quick Creamy Cornbread

       Makes: 8 servingsServing Size: 1 slicePrep Time: 5 minutes

      1 8.5-ounce box corn muffin mix

      1 egg

      1 8-ounce can creamed corn

      nonstick cooking spray

      1 Preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine corn muffin mix, egg, and creamed corn.

      2 Pour batter into an 8 × 8-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake 20–25 minutes.

      3 Cool. Cut into 8 slices.

      Exchanges/Choices 1 1/2 Starch

      Calories 110 Calories from Fat 20 Total Fat 2.5g Saturated Fat 1.3g Trans Fat 0.0g Cholesterol 20mg Sodium 330mg Potassium 80mg Total Carbohydrate 26g Dietary Fiber 1g Sugars 7g Protein 3g Phosphorus 175mg

      Chef’s Tip

      Cornbread can’t get much easier than this. The creamed corn adds a unique texture to this bread.

Quick Tacos

       Makes: 8 servingsServing Size: 1 tacoPrep Time: 5 minutes

      3/4 pound 95% lean ground beef

      2/3 cup water

      1 tsp cumin

      1 Tbsp chili powder

      1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

      1 tsp onion salt

      8 whole-wheat, low-carb tortillas (10 grams carb and more than 4 grams fiber)

      1/2 cup shredded, 75% reduced-fat cheddar cheese

      1 cup shredded lettuce

      1 large tomato, diced

      hot pepper sauce (optional)

      1 Brown beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink. Drain fat.

      2 Add water, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and onion salt. Simmer 2–4 minutes.

      3 Warm tortillas. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup taco meat, 1 Tbsp cheese, lettuce, tomato, and hot pepper sauce.

      Exchanges/Choices 1/2 Starch • 2 Lean Meat

      Calories 130 Calories from Fat 45 Total Fat 5.0g Saturated Fat 1.4g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 30mg Sodium 455mg Potassium 250mg Total Carbohydrate 12g Dietary Fiber 8g Sugars 1g Protein 16g Phosphorus 160mg

      Dietitian’s Tip

      If you need to watch your sodium intake, use onion powder instead of onion salt.

Spinach Pasta Shells

       Makes: 5 servingsServing Size: 1 cupPrep Time: 20 minutes

      5 ounces uncooked whole-wheat medium shell pasta (about 2 cups)

      9 ounces frozen, chopped spinach

      2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

      4 garlic cloves, minced

      1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

      1 Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. While pasta is cooking, defrost spinach in microwave. Squeeze all liquid from spinach.

      2 In a medium nonstick skillet, sauté spinach in 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and Parmesan cheese; sauté 1 minute.

      3 Drain pasta. Add spinach mixture and 1 Tbsp olive oil to pasta and toss.

      Exchanges/Choices 1 1/2 Starch • 1 Fat

      Calories 170 Calories from Fat 65 Total Fat 7.0g Saturated Fat 1.2g Trans Fat 0.0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 75mg Potassium 165mg Total Carbohydrate 23g Dietary Fiber 4g Sugars 1g Protein 7g Phosphorus 105mg

      Dietitian’s Tip

      Olive oil is a great source of monounsaturated fat and is good for you (in the right portion sizes!).

Tuna with Tomatoes and Olives

       Makes: 4 servingsServing Size: 1 tuna steakPrep Time: 10 minutes

      nonstick cooking