10 Easy Diabetes Dinner Ideas

Struggling to get diabetes friendly recipes? Or feeling stuck with the same food? Follow these simple step-by-step videos and prepare easy yet delicious diabetes-friendly dishes.

1. Fried Egg

Ingredients:

2 tsp of butter

2 large eggs

1 half of a bell pepper 1 oz spinach

3 sun-dried tomatoes pieces

2 salt pinches

2 black pepper pinches

Preparation:

1. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add in spinach, and season with salt and black pepper. Cook it stirring gently until the spinach leaves wilt. Set aside.
2. Crack the eggs into the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until the egg whites are set. Carefully flip the eggs and cook to desired doneness. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper
3. Add prepared spinach and eggs into the serving plate, slice the bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and serve on the side. If desired sprinkle with some sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Nutritional value:

Total calories: 389 kcal

Total carbs: 7 grams

Total protein: 21 grams

Total fat: 32 grams

2. Chia Almond pudding

Ingredients:

1 tbsp raw blackberries

4 drops of stevia liquid

3.5 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 pinch of cacao

1 tbsp of coconut oil

Chopped almonds for topping

Preparation:

1. Combine chia seeds, almond milk, coconut oil and stevia in a bowl.
2. Microwave in 45-second intervals until the mixture is hot. Don’t forget to stir in between. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
3. Serve with berries and sprinkle some cacao on the top

Nutritional value:

Total calories: 192 kcal

Total carbs: 6 grams

Total protein: 2 grams

Total fat: 18 grams

3. Fluffy Low Carb Keto Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup cream cheese

1-2 tbsp granulated erythritol sweetener of choice

2 large eggs separated

1/4 cup hazelnut milk 1/4 cup blueberries fresh or frozen

Preparation:

1. Separate egg whites from yolks and place them in two different bowls.
2. In the bowl containing the egg yolks, add in all the wet ingredients and mix well. Then add in the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Do not mix in the blueberries yet.
3. In the other bowl containing the egg whites, beat on high speed until peaks are formed.
4. Pour the egg whites into the pancake batter along with the blueberries and gently fold with a spatula until mixed well. It’s important not to overmix the batter at this point.
5. Let your batter sit for 5-10 minutes to allow it to thicken.
6. Preheat a large non-stick pan over low-medium heat and drizzle olive oil. Use butter if you don’t have any oil.
7. Gently pour pancake batter by large spoonfuls onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles form and edges are dry which takes about 3-4 minutes. Flip then cook for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat until batter is finished.
8. Serve and enjoy with butter and maple syrup.

4. Panko-Ranch Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, about 1 lb total

1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs

3 tbsp canola oil

4 long romaine lettuce leaves

1/2 med. cucumber, thinly sliced

Yoghurt ranch dressing:

1 cup yoghurt

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup chopped parsley

1  clove of garlic

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Preparation:

1. Place the chicken in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of the ranch dressing; toss until well coated. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken pieces, one at a time, with the breadcrumbs. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and immediately reduce to medium-low heat. Cook for about 12 minutes, gently turning occasionally, until chicken is golden and no longer pink in the center.
3. Remove the strips from the skillet, and sprinkle with salt. Serve 4 strips with 2 Tbsp of ranch dressing for dipping. Save 4 of the chicken strips.
4. Line each lettuce leaf with 1/4 of the cucumber slices, 1/2 Tbsp ranch dressing, 1 Tbsp cilantro, and 1 chicken strip. Serve with lemon or lime wedge, if desired.

5. Taco stuffed sweet potatoes 

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

2 cloves garlic minced

1 packet taco seasoning

1 cup chunky salsa

5 medium sweet potatoes about 12-14 ounces each Toppings (optional):

shredded Mexican blend cheese

diced tomato

diced avocado or guacamole

sour cream

Preparation:

1. Brown ground beef and garlic in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain grease and add the taco seasoning and salsa.
2. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 5 more minutes until mixture has thickened and is heated through.
3. While the meat is cooking, poke holes all over the sweet potatoes and cook in the microwave for 8-10 minutes on high, turning sweet potatoes over once halfway through. If potatoes aren’t soft enough, continue cooking 1-3 minutes more. I usually cook two potatoes at one time, but if your microwave allows, you could cook all four at once. Allow sweet potatoes to cool slightly, then slice them lengthwise and fluff the insides with a fork.
4. Spoon the cooked taco meat over the sweet potatoes and add desired toppings such as shredded cheese, diced tomato, avocado, guacamole, or sour cream. Enjoy!

6. Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Lemon Asparagus 

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks

2 bunch of asparagus, rinsed and trimmed

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence

1 tablespoon hot sauce, optional (we used Sriracha)

1/2 cup (125ml) low-sodium chicken broth

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon minced parsley

Crushed red chili pepper flakes, optional

Slices of lemon, for garnish

For the chicken seasoning:

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons onion powder

Preparation:

1.  To prepare the chicken bites recipe and asparagus in garlic butter sauce: start to slice chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks and season with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Let sit on a shallow plate while you prepare the asparagus.
2. Wash and trim the ends of the asparagus, then blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then soak in ice water to stop the cooking asparagus. This way, asparagus will cook faster and evenly in the skillet. You can skip this step if you have skinny asparagus. Drain and set aside.
3.  Heat half butter and olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Gently stir-fry the chicken bites on all sides until golden brown. Lower the temperature, add one teaspoon minced garlic and Italian seasoning and stir and cook with chicken bites until fragrant. Remove the chicken bites from the skillet and set aside to a plate. You might have to work in batches to avoid crowding the pan and have steamed chicken bites instead of brown.
4. In the same skillet over medium-high, add minced garlic then deglaze with chicken broth (or wine). Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce to half the volume. Add remaining butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, parsley. Give a quick stir to combine.
5. Add the blanched asparagus and toss for 2 minutes to cook it up. Add the sauteed chicken bites back to the pan and stir for another minute to reheat. Garnish the chicken and asparagus with more parsley, crushed chili pepper, and lemon slices and serve your garlic butter chicken bites and asparagus immediately. Enjoy!

7. Low-Carb Caprese Chicken Bowl

Marinated chicken ingredients:

1 small skinless and boneless chicken breast (113 g/ 4 oz)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 ml)

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Italian seasoning

pinch of salt

Salad:

2 cups fresh spinach or any greens of choice (60 g/ 2.1 oz)

1/4 loose cup basil leaves (8-10 leaves)

6 baby mozzarella balls or fresh mozzarella, sliced (57 g/ 2 oz)

1/2 avocado, thinly sliced (100 g/ 3.5 oz)

1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (50 g/ 1.8 oz)

Dressing:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 ml)

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Place the chicken breast in a sealable container with the olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, and salt. Transfer to the refrigerator to marinate anywhere from 10 minutes to overnight.

1.  Heat a pan over medium high heat. Transfer the chicken along with the marinade to the skillet and sear 4-5 minutes per side until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and slice.
2.  In a small jar, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Set aside until ready to serve.
3. Assemble the salads by placing the veggies and mozzarella in a bowl.
4. Top with chicken and dressing. Serve immediately.If you’re packing the salad to go, store the dressing separately.

8. Keto Fish and Chips

 

Ingredients:

250 g Cod fillet (or other white fish)

1/2 cup Almond flour

1/4 tbsp Onion powder

1/4 tbsp Smoked paprika powder

1/4 tbsp Garlic powder

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated

1 Egg medium

1 cup Oil for frying

Salt and pepper to taste

For chips:

1 Zucchini medium

1 Tbsp Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For dip:

1 Egg

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 Avocado

1/4 tbsp Salt

3 tbsp Lemon juice

2/3 cup Olive oil

Preparation:

1. Line with a parchment baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the zucchini, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake about 25 min until golden. You can also use other keto-friendly vegetables, such as jicama or kohlrabi, but they will need a little longer to bake (about 35-40 min)
2. Prepare the breading. Whisk an egg in a bowl. Set aside. Combine the Parmesan cheese, almond flour, onion and garlic powder, and paprika. Add salt and pepper.You can replace the Parmesan cheese by grated Cheddar Cheese if you want less net carbs. But then you won’t get such crisp.
3. Slice the cod fish into 1-inch pieces. make sure that it is boneless. You can use any kind of white fish, such as haddock and hake. We chose cod because it has a dense fillet.
4. Dip each piece in the egg mix, after that in the breading mix to cover completely. Repeat this procedure for a denser crust. Start frying immediately.Heat the oil to 350°F. Fry the fish about 3 min until golden brown and crispy and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate for 2 minutes. So excess fat will remain on the towel and you will get crispy slices.
5. For the sauce combine all the ingredients in a food processor and proceed until smooth.You can also adjust the density of the sauce. If you want it to be thinner, add a little more oil and whisk again.

Serving:

Serve fish with zucchini chips and avocado mayonnaise sauce. You can roll a cone from kraft paper and put it in it. Add another slice of lemon for little more piquancy.

9. Almond yoghurt

Ingredients:

Sour Cream 3 ounce

Heavy Whipping Cream 1 tablespoon(s)

Stevia liquid 1 teaspoon(s)

Almonds 1⁄2 ounce(s)

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl combine the sour cream and whipping cream.

2. Add the Stevia one tsp at a time until you reach desired sweetness.

3. Mince or chop almond nuts and put on the top of your yoghurt

4. Serve in a cup and enjoy.

Nutritional value:

Total calories: 303 kcal

Total carbs: 6 grams

Total protein: 5 grams

Total fat: 30 grams

10. Low Carb Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients:

Ground Beef, 85% Lean 5,3 Ounce(s)

Garlic Raw 1 Clove(s)

Ginger, Ground 1 Pinch(es)

Salt 1 Pinch(es)

Freshly ground black pepper 1 Dash(es)

Cabbage, grated 1⁄2 Pound(s)

Olive Oil 1 Teaspoon(s)

Apple Cider Vinegar 1⁄2 Teaspoon(s)

Red Pepper (cayenne), Ground 1 Dash(es)

Preparation:

1. Take a large skillet, brown the ground beef with chopped garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper.

2. Remove beef from skillet.

3. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add cabbage and cook until it begins to brown.

4. Stir vinegar and red pepper into cooked cabbage. Add in browned ground beef and continue

cooking until well heated.

Enjoy your meal!

Nutritional value:

Total calories: 536 kcal

Total carbs: 14 grams

Total protein: 30 grams

Total fat: 38 grams