The holiday season kicked off with a blast of turkey and side of stuffing. Tons of delicious food sliding right under our noses. It can be quite a challenge for anyone with diabetes. With a little bit of careful preparation, diabetics can avoid over eating and making bad selections.
Of course we all need to do the normal things: take our medicine, check our blood sugar, stay hydrated, get good sleep, and avoid too much stress. The one thing that gets overlooked, in lieu of shopping and decorating, is meal planning. With careful consideration of the ingredients in our dishes, we can make fabulously delicious dishes that are also healthy and diabetic friendly. I believe I can assist. The turkey is a great example…
` It’s the week after Thanksgiving. We’ve made all the extra plates and turkey sandwiches family and friends can stand. Now the question, after the most edible holiday weekend of the year, is what do I do with all that turkey? My mom has been making this after Thanksgiving dish for as long as I can remember. It makes tons of leftovers that are perfect and can be frozen to last through the winter. Its perfect for school or work lunches, your post holiday shopping trips or warming up after time spent outside in the cold air. This Brunswick stew may just become your family's new favorite tradition.
Ingredients:
1 - 20qt stock pot
1 cup pinto beans
4 onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups butternut squash, cubed
12 cups of water, divided
4 cups bone broth
4 chicken bullion cubes
6 cups turkey, ground
4 large tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb. of mixed frozen veggies
(mixed peas, green beans, carrots and corn)
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients with 8 cups of water in the 20qt. stock pot and cook on the stove top covered for at 4-6 hours. Make sure to stir occasionally and add 4 cups of water as it cooks down.
Most people put regular potatoes in their Brunswick stew. This causes blood sugar to rise because it is a simple carbohydrate. I decided to substitute butternut squash, mainly because I had so many of them due to this summer’s over performing star plant that started out as a joke that took over the fire pit and seating area in the yard.
Aside from being plentiful this year, they are jam packed full of vitamins and nutrients which produces many health benefits:
1.) May assist in reducing blood pressure.
2.) Assists with regularity.
3.) Can improve eye health due to the high vitamin A content.
4.) Helps maintain strong bones.
5.) Helps with skin protection because of antioxidants.
6.) Can boost immune function.
7.) May reduce inflammation.
8.) Aids in weight loss.
They really will surprise you. They are fruits. They are also very versatile and used in savory and sweet dishes alike. Butternut squash can aid with wound healing and tissue repair. Their high vitamin A content is great for expecting mothers to enjoy to improve fetal development. It truly is a super food.
Source: "Is Butternut Squash Good for You? Calories, Carbs, and More"
Healthline Nutrition 01/17/2019
While it's not a super choice, I am cheating with frozen vegetables. After all the holiday cooking, I need a break from preparing food. Frozen vegetables are a healthy option. They are better than canned goods. Sometimes it's just a matter of degrees of how good a particular food is based off of how it is prepared. The best option is usually raw/fresh foods like vegetables. After fresh comes frozen, steamed, or blended. The processing the food with refrigeration, heat from a stove eye or blending speed reduces the amount of good nutrition coming from it. Canned food is usually the least nutritious.
Now after all that food processing, aka cooking, I plan to enjoy my rescued firepit during this cool weather. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please comment, like, share, and come back next week for more recipes, ideas, and tips. Subscribe to the website, if you would like weekly email reminders to add more recipes to your recipe book.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice, but a compilation of research from medical sites. Make sure to see your doctor and have up to date lab work.