distribution of carbohydrates in the diet plan
for diabetics. Diabetics can take boiled rice to
reduce the no. of calories. Moreover adding
vegetables to rice like carrot rice, tomato rice,
spinach rice, vegetable rice not only improves
the nutritional value of the meal but also adds
fibre thus helping in controlling the blood sugar
levels. Brown rice is also a very healthy option
for diabetics and weight watchers.
Ideally for a Diabetic individual, the day
should start with…..
· A cup of green tea as it has been found to
be beneficial in regulating blood sugar
levels
and also helps in weight loss.
· Breakfast should be rich in complex
carbohydrates like oats, porridge, poha, .
.
· Midmorning and midevening meals should
be healthy with some citrus fruits and nuts
like almonds and walnuts.
· Lunch should be wholesome with
chapatti, dal, veg, curd and salad. Reduce
the no. of chappatis if you wish to include
rice, cut down the no. of chappatis.
· Dinner can be planned with soybean veg 1
katori, 2-3 chapattis, salad and curd.
Eating soybeans and f oods made from
them, like tofu and soy milk has been
found to be beneficial in lowering sugar
levels
Reader's ask
I am a housewife and have a family of four. I
love cooking and I keep in mind that I make
the right amount of food for the family to
avoid wastage. But sometimes some food is
left after a meal. I am not sure whether I
should reuse this food for eating or making
any other dish out of it. Does the leftover food
contain the same nutrients as the fresh food?
Whether to eat the leftover food or not, a lot of it
depends upon what is left after a meal. We need to
see the perishability factor of the food before
deciding upon its reuse. Still, we recommend
minimising the reuse of leftover food.
· The very first reason for not eating leftovers is
because they lack nutrition. Food looses
many of the nutrients from the time it is cut
to the time it is cooked because of the
process called as oxidation. When the food is
in contact with the air for a long time as
leftovers are, they lose many of the nutrients;
also there is more loss during the process of
reheating it.
· Secondly, the leftovers are not generally
stored properly thus increasing the chances
of getting infected with bacteria. For the
safety of cooked food, it should be
refrigerated within 2-4 hours of cooking.
Bacteria start acting on the food and
multiplying when it is out for long.
· Cut fruits should be completely discarded if
left over as they provide a medium for
bacterial growth. You can utilise the left over
salad vegetables in making the dishes rather
them having them raw in the next meal.
· Cold salads or sandwiches also should be
eaten or refrigerated promptly. The goal
should be to minimize the time a food is in
the "danger zone" — between 40 and 140 F
(4 and 60 C) — when bacteria can quickly
multiply.
The best solution to the problem of leftover is
making sure that you don't have them in the
first. Cook considering the portions that you
are going to eat. Even when you are in a
restaurant ask for the portion size and make
sure that the leftovers are minimized.