Easy Picnic Recipes for Diabetics

Diabetes is a condition where a person's body cannot make or properly use insulin. This leads to high blood glucose or sugar levels in their blood. Diabetes is a serious illness, the progression of which severely affects other organs of the body including the kidneys and eyes. However, the good news is that with the right diet and adequate exercise, this illness can be effectively controlled.

Informed food choices are the basis of diabetes treatment. Diabetes experts suggest that a patient's meal plans can be flexible and can accommodate lifestyle and other health needs. Healthy diabetic eating habits include eating small meals often and limiting sweets, fats and alcohol. Count and control needs to be maintained regarding the intake of carbohydrates, while whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables have a prominent place in a diabetic diet.

Here are range of easy picnic recipes for diabetics.

Baked French Toast (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 slices whole wheat bread
• 0.67 c low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 large egg
• 0.25 c skim milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp sugar substitute
• 1 large egg white

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Whisk the cottage cheese, milk, sugar, egg, egg white, and vanilla in a food processor or blender for about 1 minute or until smooth. Pour the milk egg mixture in a shallow dish and slide a slice of bread into it. Let it soak for about 3 minutes and the turn it over. Wait for another 3 minutes and repeat the process with each slice of bread.

Meanwhile, lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and heat it in the oven for about 7 minutes. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the slices of bread on it. Bake them on one side for 6 minutes and then turn the slices over and bake for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool before you pack them. You could serve these slices of healthy French toast with no-sugar-added jam at your picnic.

Spanish Omelet

Ingredients

• 3 whole eggs, beaten
• 5 small potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• Vegetable cooking spray
• ½ medium onion, minced
• 5 medium mushrooms, sliced
• 1½ cups green/red peppers, sliced thin
• 5 egg whites, beaten
• 1 tbsp low fat parmesan cheese
• Pepper and garlic salt with herbs, to taste
• 3 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender.

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Evenly spray a non-stick pan with vegetable oil and heat on medium. Carefully add the chopped onions to the pan and avoid getting splashed. Sauté them till they turn brown. Then add the other vegetables and sauté them until tender but not brown.

Beak the egg into a medium mixing bowl and add the egg whites. Whisk them till they turn fluffy and then add the pepper, garlic salt, and low-fat mozzarella cheese. Empty out all the sautéed veges into the egg-cheese mixture and stir them well. Add the chopped cooked potatoes as well. Spray a 10" pie pan or ovenproof skillet with vegetable spray and transfer the egg and vegetables mixture into the pan. Sprinkle with low-fat parmesan cheese and bake until firm and brown on top for about 20 minutes.

Remove the omelet from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Pack it for the picnic!

Tuna Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 can tuna (3½ oz), packed in oil
• 1 tbsp green onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp green/red/yellow pepper
• A pinch of freshly ground pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice or 1 tsp vinegar
• ¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 tbsp grated low fat, low salt American cheese

Preparation

Remove the tuna from the container, drain it and flake it into a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, peppers, lemon juice, cheese, salt and pepper to the tuna and mix well. Spread the plain low-fat yogurt on two slices of bread and sandwich the tuna mixture within the slices. You could also put in a crisp lettuce on the bread and the mixture over it. Pack and enjoy this healthy snack during your picnic.

Fruit Fantasy

Ingredients

• 1 mango, peeled and seeded, cut into cubes
• 2 oranges, seeded and cut into slices
• 5 medium strawberries, cut into halves
• 1 papaya, peeled and seeded, cut into cubes
• 3 ounces honeydewmelon, cut into slices (or ½ cup cut into cubes)
• 3 ounces watermelon, seeded and cut into slices (or ½ cup cut into cubes)
• 3 ounces cantaloupemelon, cut into slices (or ½ cup cut into cubes)
• ½ cup unsweetened orange juice
• 8 ounces fat-free, sugar-free orange yogurt

Preparation

Mix all the fruits in a bowl and add the yogurt into it. Pour the orange juice over this fruit mixture and stir it in. You can pack it in individual little cups and take it along. However, this healthy treat needs to be kept cool.

Other easy picnic recipes for diabetics that don't require cooking include:

Baked Chips and Salsa: Serve about 10 chips (1 ounce) of low-fat, potassium-rich baked potato chips with two tablespoons of vitamin C-rich healthy salsa.

Peanut Butter and Jelly on a Whole-Grain English Muffin: This is a very popular option for diabetics. Serve a high-fiber, whole-grain English muffin with about a tablespoon of healthy non-hydrogenated peanut butter or a tablespoon of sugar-free jelly and watch everyone enjoy this nourishing snack.

People with diabetes need not miss out on fun experiences like picnics. With the correct diet, not only can they control their condition but also live active fun-filled lives.