Cooking Media for Diabetes

Where would we be without frying, baking, spreads, and dressings? Cooking and presentation of food makes the world go around for ‘foodies’, and the world of diabetes is so full of people who love to eat!

Notions about the harmful effects of fats have been around for long enough and many people who suffer from diabetes, know by now that they have to stay away from fried potatoes, butter, and other delicious stuff which are full of cholesterol and calories.

Then there is new information about trans-fats. Bakers and food processors use loads of hydrogenated vegetable oils to make fast foods and ready-to-eat meals and snacks tasty and long-lasting. Trans-fats, like saturated fats, should be eliminated from diets as far as possible. People with diabetes have to be more careful than others.

Labels of processed foods in the United States have to include information on trans-fat, saturated fat, and total fat contents. Regular blood tests for low-density lipoproteins will show if too much of the wrong fats have entered your diet.

Oil or any cooking medium can be a hidden source of trans-fats and saturated fats, especially for people who dine at restaurants and at food service outlets frequently.

Olive, canola, soybean, sunflower and corn oils are the best cooking media, especially for adults and children with diabetes, because they are low in saturated and trans-fats. These crops have more of monounsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats, which are not harmful, if consumed in restricted quantities. They actually help us source some vital vitamins!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has found a way to make a zero-calorie cooking medium from corn, which has zero fats. This has been licensed to a firm for retail supplies, and you can use it to enjoy some of your favorite foods-in limited amounts-from your days before diabetes.

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