FOR those of you who have a sweet tooth, desserts will always have a special place in your hearts. I can imagine the feeling.
“For me, no meal or day is complete without having something sweet,” a diabetic client told me during one of our sessions.
Imagine his disappointment at being told by people concerned about his health to never have any desserts because of his condition.
Desserts don’t need to be totally cut out of your diet if you are diabetic. That’s a common misconception. In fact, if you like desserts, allowing yourself to have it — occasionally —can actually help you better manage your healthy eating efforts instead of falling off the bandwagon altogether. That is the secret to self-managing your diabetes by being empowered to make that call yourself and to be accountable for it.
The reality is that you just need to look at desserts in a new light. Understand that desserts contain carbohydrates and that they should be accounted for in your overall intake for the day.
Be mindful that your total carbohydrate intake — of which desserts are part of — does impact your blood sugar levels. Hence, moderation is key when deciding if you should have your dessert.
Tips for choosing healthier dessert options for diabetics:
Look for desserts that have nutritional value such as fruit, nuts and bean. For example, tau foo fah (soya bean curd) has protein from soya beans, so you get the nutrients as well from your dessert, not just empty calories.
Portion size counts! When you think of desserts, think “dainty”. They are best savoured slowly, instead of mindlessly gulping them down. A sensible serving of a piece of cake is the size of business card. Have your dessert with a cup of tea, so it goes a longer way as a dining experience.
Consider making your own desserts. This way you get to put in better quality ingredients and cut down on sugar. You can cut down half the sugar content in cake recipes and still get good results.
WHOLEMEAL CREAM SCONES
Ingredients
2 cups self-raising wholemeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp caster sugar
¼ tsp salt
4 tbsp butter - slightly softened
2 beaten eggs
½ cup cream
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200° Celsius.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.
3. Using your fingers, stir in the softened butter into the flour until it resembles crumbs.
4. Add in the beaten eggs and cream and mix well until it becomes a soft dough.
5. Knead the soft dough on a lightly floured board for about one minute.
6. Pat out the dough to 1-inch thickness.
7. Shape into rounds using a cutter.
8. Place onto a lightly greased baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Serve with clotted cream, fresh strawberries and a steaming pot of tea.
CARROT WALNUT LOAF
Ingredients
115g self-raising whole wheat flour
30g ground walnuts
170g finely grated carrots
2 tsp baking soda
1 whole egg
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
90ml room temperature water
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200° Celsius.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat egg with oil, water and vanilla essence.
3. On low speed, fold in the whole wheat flour, ground almonds, baking soda and cinnamon.
4. Lastly, stir in grated carrots till well mixed.
5. Pour batter into a greased loaf tin and bake for about 30 minutes. Check if it’s done by poking a toothpick in the centre. If it comes out clean, the loaf is done.
6. Slice the loaf and serve with a light spread of cream cheese or butter.
EASY FROZEN FRUIT SORBET
Ingredients
1 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries of your choice)
1 cup banana
1 cup (250ml) chilled milk
½ cup chilled plain Greek yoghurt
Almonds flakes
Mint leaves for garnishing (optional)
Method
1. Place all ingredients into a blender and whizz till smooth.
2. Serve immediately in small dessert cups, topped with almonds flakes.
3. Garnish with mint leaves.
Tip: When freezing fruit, slice them small and place each piece separately on a tray so they do not clump together when frozen.
CHILLED FRUIT SALAD
Ingredients
½ cup pineapple chunks
1 green kiwi fruit
1 red apple
½ cup red seedless grapes
1 cup plain unsweetened Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
Method
1. Place all the cut fruit and mix with the yoghurt and orange juice.
2. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
3. Serve a ½ cup serving of the fruit salad.
KNOW YOUR SWEETENERS
Ever get confused with all the different terminology of sweeteners?
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
These are synthetic versions of sweeteners that are used to substitute sugar.
They are altered so that they do not have an impact on your blood sugar levels. Examples of artificial sweeteners include acesulfame potassium, aspartame, neotame, saccharin and sucralose.
They usually come in various brand names and are sold in grocery stores to be added to your beverages or cooking. Some leave a bitter aftertaste when used in high heat cooking, so follow the manufacturers instructions on how best to use them.
Some diabetic products and diet sodas contain these kinds of artificial sugars too. People with inborn disorder Phenylketonuria (or PKU for short) should not consume acesulfame potassium sweeteners as they lack the enzyme to break down a component called phenylalanine.
SUGAR ALCOHOL
Sugar alcohol can raise your blood sugar level, but at a lesser rate than regular carbohydrate. Sugar alcohol has two calories per gramme, compared to the four calories per gramme in regular carbohydrates.
You can easily identity sugar alcohol by their “ol” suffix behind their name, such as glycerol, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol. These types of sugars are usually used in “sugar-free” or “no-sugar added” foods and drinks.
One of the discomforts of taking sugar alcohol is that it can cause gas and loose stools.
NATURAL SWEETENERS
Natural sweeteners are nectars, fruit sugars, concentrated fruit juices, honey, molasses and syrups. They act in the same way as regular sugar in affecting your blood sugar levels. So essentially, they need to be accounted for, just like how you do any other sugar.
Indra Balaratnam is a consultant dietitian who believes in simple, practical ways to eating well and living healthy. She can be reached at indra.balaratnam@gmail.com