Mealtime Magic: Recipes from The Perfect Diabetes Comfort Food Collection

If you or a loved one has diabetes, you already know you need to be careful of the carb count in meals - and you might stick to the same things over and over, because they're comfortable and safe.

I recently had the chance to see a copy of a cookbook that will help add some variety to your cooking repertoire, all with diabetes-friendly recipes: The Perfect Diabetes Comfort Food Collection, which uses 9 basic recipes to make 90 great meals. Each chapter starts with a base - stir-fry, tacos, etc - and then modifies it to give readers other options. 

I have the chance to share a recipe so you can try it out for yourself.

SHRIMP AND FRUIT TACOS

Serves: 4 | Serving size: 1 taco

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 5 minutes

 

Both mangoes and avocados have the same indicator of ripeness; press the skin on each and it should give just a little. Look for well-rounded mangoes that feel heavy for their size. While most mangoes have a beautiful red and yellow skin color, color isn’t always an indicator of ripeness as some ripe mangoes retain quite a bit of green color on the outside. Better to choose large mangoes that yield a lot of fruit. In addition to pressing on the skin of an avocado, flick off the stem end. Underneath you should find the color green indicating your avocado is ready to eat.

 

SEASONING MIX

2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

 

1 1/4 pounds large peeled and deveined shrimp

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1 large mango, peeled and cut into thin slices

1 small avocado, peeled and cut into thin slices

 

GARNISHES

1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

3 fresh medium tomatoes, cored and diced

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt or nonfat sour cream

 

1. Combine the ingredients in the seasoning mix and add the shrimp. Toss to coat.

 

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the shrimp and sauté for 4–5 minutes until shrimp are cooked through. Sprinkle with lime juice and remove from the heat.

 

3. Heat the corn tortillas one at a time in an ungreased skillet for 30 seconds per side.

 

4. To serve, add the shrimp to the tortilla and top with mango and avocado. Garnish with lettuce, tomatoes, and yogurt or sour cream.

 

CALORIES 210  ▪  CALORIES FROM FAT 45  ▪  TOTAL FAT 5.0 g  ▪  SATURATED FAT 0.7 g  ▪  TRANS FAT 0.0 g  ▪  CHOLESTEROL 140 mg  ▪  SODIUM 180 mg  ▪  POTASSIUM 550 mg  ▪  TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE 23 g  ▪  DIETARY FIBER 4 g  ▪

SUGARS 8 g  ▪  PROTEIN 21 g  ▪  PHOSPHORUS 310 mg

 

EXCHANGES/CHOICES:

1 Starch; 1/2 Fruit; 2 Protein, lean