Recipes to beat diabetes: Let's do lunches

It’s important  to have a satisfying lunch without it being too calorie-heavy, especially if you have diabetes.  Try these three diabetes-friendly lunch recipes, and the options that let you change up the menu, for a healthy and satisfying mid-day break.

This salad has it all: lean chicken breast for protein as well as plenty of antioxidant-rich vegetables. Grilling the vegetables — either on an outdoor grill or under the broiler — brings out rich flavour and natural sweetness. You can top the salad with 15 mL (one tablespoon) of low-fat dressing if you like, although it has plenty of flavour on its own.

• 500 to 750 g (2 to 3 c) salad greens
• 90 g (3 oz) grilled chicken
• 125 g (1/2 c) grilled vegetables (such as onions, portobello mushrooms, green and red peppers)
• 1 small whole grain roll

Try these options to vary the menu:

1. Instead of the roll, use a whole grain tortilla and roll up the salad ingredients for a tasty wrap.
2. Other vegetables that are great grilled are eggplant, zucchini and asparagus.
3. No time to grill veggies? Crack open a jar of roasted peppers and a can of artichoke hearts.

Add spice to a traditional brown-bag lunch by lining your whole grain bread with extra-flavourful peppered turkey. Add some reduced-fat cheese and a smear of mustard, and you have a meal with plenty of protein but almost no fat. The side salad and fruit (save it for dessert) fill out the produce section of your plate.

• 60 g (2 oz) peppered turkey breast
• 1 slice part-skim mozzarella or reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 2 slices whole grain bread
• Tossed salad with 15 ml (1 tbsp) low-fat dressing
• 1 medium apple

Tasty twists:

1. For a hot version, grill the sandwich until the cheese melts.
2. Replace the turkey with any other sandwich meat with three grams of fat or less per serving.
3. Eating on the go? Grab raw vegetables such as peppers, celery and carrots instead of the salad.
4. Use light bread to cut bread calories in half.

Who says you can't have pizza? True, pizza that's so greasy that the oil forms puddles is off-limits, but it's simple enough to make a good-for-you pizza at home. Loaded with vegetables, this pita-bread pizza is actually a perfect lunch when you're trying to control calories and blood sugar. If you opt for restaurant pizza, choose a thin-crust version, be sure to ask for vegetable toppings and blot up excess oil with a paper towel.

• 1 pita bread
• 125 g (1/2 c) broccoli
• 60 g (2 oz) part-skim mozzarella
• 30 mL (2 tbsp) tomato sauce
• Tossed salad with 15 ml (1 tbsp) low-fat dressing

Pizza pointers:

1. Whip up a Mexican pizza by spreading a tortilla with fat-free refried beans, salsa and reduced-fat cheese. Microwave for 90 seconds and top with shredded lettuce and chopped green onion and salsa or taco sauce if desired.
2. If you're heating up a frozen pizza that skimps on veggies, dress it up with sliced peppers, chopped spinach and olives.