20 diabetes-friendly lunch recipes
Updated: Mar. 31, 2021
These diabetes-friendly lunch recipes offer a wide range of healthy lunch options for any occasion’and full nutritional information for diabetics. Be sure to consult your doctor before making changes to your meal plan
Spiced Couscous Tomatoes
Choose ripe, well-flavoured tomatoes for this dish. Hollowed out, tomatoes make the perfect container for a spicy eggplant, dried apricot and nut couscous. Serve the spiced couscous tomatoes with sesame breadsticks.
Tarragon Chicken Salad
Tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds, is a favourite ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. Available at most large grocery stores, it adds a nutty taste and thick creaminess to the dressing for this nutritious tarragon chicken and baby spinach salad.
Watermelon and Feta Salad
In this salad, the salty tang of creamy feta cheese contrasts with pieces of sweet watermelon and juicy golden nectarines. A mix of arugula, endive and leaf lettuce adds a slightly peppery taste, while the toasted pumpkin seeds give it a nice crunch.
Eastern Salad
Based on fattoush (the colourful, crunchy salad served throughout the Middle East), this version adds tuna for extra flavour and protein.
Citrus and Spinach Salad
Fresh leaf spinach pairs well with citrus fruits, melon and prosciutto. Here the spinach is tossed with the fruits and their juices and then drizzled with a creamy and sweet balsamic dressing. A little prosciutto is used to top the salad, so you get the flavour without adding too much fat!
Summer Salmon and Asparagus
Fresh young vegetables and succulent salmon make this casserole highly nutritious, and it is also quick to prepare. Choose tiny leeks, tender asparagus and sugar-snap peas, all of which add visual appeal to the dish. Serve boiled new potatoes with the summer salmon and asparagus for a complete meal.
Grilled Salmon in Ciabatta
Here fresh salmon fillets are marinated, then lightly grilled and served in warm ciabatta rolls with mixed salad leaves and a basil mayonnaise, to create a very tempting and special lunch dish. Using light mayonnaise and yogurt reduces the fat without losing any of the creaminess.
Smoked Haddock and Potato Pie
Fish pie is usually popular even with people who may not otherwise be keen on fish. In this version, leek and watercress are added to boost the vitamin content, and sliced potato and cheese make an appealing, crispy topping.
Monkfish and Mussel Kebabs
To create these succulent mini kebabs, marinated cubes of monkfish fillet and fresh mussels are threaded onto skewers with a selection of colourful vegetables, then lightly grilled.They make an extra-special hot appetizer for a buffet or party.
Chicken and Cashew Pancakes
Chicken, stir-fried with carrots, celery and cabbage, then lightly flavoured with orange and sesame, makes a delicious filling for pancakes. These chicken and cashew pancakes are sure to meet with your whole family’s approval.
Chicken Jamboree
This healthy chicken and vegetable casserole is cooked in one pan and makes an easy mid-week meal. To make it even quicker, you can use pre-washed baby carrots and cut broccoli. Serve the dish with a mixture of steamed wild and brown rice.
Chicken Yakitori
These delicious Japanese-style bites of chicken speared with green bell pepper and scallions can be assembled in advance and then grilled just before serving. For the best flavour, leave the chicken to marinate for several hours or overnight, and remember to soak the skewers first so they do not burn under the grill.
Chinese-Style Lemon Chicken
A savoury lemon sauce seasoned with a hint of sesame tastes fabulous with tender chicken and crunchy Asian vegetables. Serve Chinese-style lemon chicken with plain egg noodles or rice to add some satisfying starchy carbohydrate.
Sausage, Grilled Pepper and Tomato Bruschetta
This open sandwich of toasted ciabatta bread with a mixed bell-pepper topping is typical of the style of food enjoyed in Mediterranean countries, where bread (along with plenty of fruit and vegetables) is a mainstay of the diet. A little chorizo sausage adds a spicy note to the mix of bell peppers.
Bolognese Beef Pot
Lemon and fennel bring wonderfully fresh flavours to familiar braised ground beef in this Italian-inspired dish, making it as good for alfresco summer dining as it is for a light winter supper. Adding diced potatoes to the deliciously tangy tomato sauce rounds out the meal. Serve with a tossed green salad drizzled with a light vinaigrette.
Mushroom and Thyme Toasts
Prepare these toasts for a satisfying snack or a quick lunch paired with fresh fruit. The smooth flavour of the mushrooms is enhanced by cooking them with garlic, herbs and a dollop of tangy low-fat sour cream. The mushrooms taste wonderful piled on top of whole-grain toast spread with ricotta cheese.
Pea Curry with Indian Paneer
Paneer is an Indian cheese, similar to ricotta but drier. It is often combined with peas in a curry. This delicious version uses homemade paneer, which is simple to make. The cheese is also high in protein, making it a useful meat substitute in vegetarian meals. Serve the curry with basmati rice and steamed fresh carrots for colour.
Pears Grilled with Pecorino
Many cuisines have traditions of combining fruit with cheese. This recipe stems from the Tuscan combination of juicy pears with salty pecorino. With some cheese melted over the pears and the rest combined with grapes and salad leaves, the pears grilled with pecorino makes a very attractive dish.
Potato and Zucchini Tortilla
This potato and zucchini tortilla is made from the simplest of ingredients-eggs, onions and potatoes-cooked like a flat omelette and served warm or cold, cut into wedges. All kinds of extra ingredients can be added, such as asparagus, peas and mushrooms.
Polenta and Mushroom Grills
Cooked and cooled polenta can be cut into shapes and grilled to make an excellent base for a tempting topping. Here the polenta is flavoured with Gruyère cheese, and the topping is a savoury mixture of mushrooms, walnuts and herbs. Serve as a sophisticated appetizer-with a few mixed salad leaves if you like.
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Related:
• 15 diabetes-friendly breakfast recipes
• 5 easy recipes from a chef with diabetes
• 6 tips on travelling with diabetes
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