We frequently need to discuss diet plans on both a macroscopic and microscopic level, with the macroscopic level emphasizing on observable food groups and the microscopic level focused on nutrients, whether they are for managing diabetes, losing weight, or both.
Protein is one of the most vital nutrients in a diet because it helps maintain or grow muscle and lowers blood sugar levels by slowing down the metabolism of sugar from carbs.
Furthermore, blood sugar spikes are extremely bad for diabetics as the illness is caused by a malfunctioning insulin system, which makes it difficult for the body to absorb or store sugar in the blood.
Though there seem to be a lot of protein sources available, we still need to exercise caution when it comes to diabetes. For instance, Medical News Today suggests avoiding fatty cuts and red meats. Generally speaking, though, the best ways to get protein are from chicken or seafood like tuna [insert link to tuna article].
The majority of us are fairly knowledgeable about choosing between chicken, duck, or turkey. Of course, you’d better render out or cut off the duck fat because of its high fat content. What about seafood, though? As we’ve already covered tuna, other healthful selections include salmon, cod, and sea bass. How about shellfish?
We are going to take a quick look at the popular and easily accessible crustacean, shrimp, in this post. After a quick summary of its connection to diabetes, there will be seven delectable and easy dishes for home cooks.
Diabetes advantages of shrimp
First of all, shrimp has a very low fat and carbohydrate content, as can be seen from its appearance. Moreover, it is low in calories and abundant in protein: (for every 100g)
- Calories: 99kcal
- Protein: 24g
- Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 0.2g
Moreover, shrimp are a great provider of potassium and phosphorus, two minerals that are necessary for sustaining bodily health.
Shrimps are a healthy addition to any diet because of their high protein, low fat, low carbohydrate (and thus low sugar) nutritional profile, as is evident. But because of the aforementioned nutritional profile, it might be especially advantageous for those who have diabetes.
Shrimps only have 267 mg of the highly sought-after fatty acid in 3 ounces, which is far less than the 887 mg of Omega 3 found in wild salmon (887 mg per 3 oz) and the 733 mg found in tuna (733 mg for the same serving size). Nonetheless, given that shrimp are little fish compared to salmon and tuna, their Omega-3 level is really respectable. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that omega-3 lowers insulin resistance, lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, and lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.
In summary, while shrimps may not be considered as superfoods like salmon and tuna, they are still a very healthy addition to your diet because they are high in protein, contain a reasonable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids that fight diabetes and other diseases, and contain very little of the bad guys for diabetes, such as carbohydrates, sugar, and saturated fat (or any fat at all).
However, just like with practically other food, the shrimp’s cooking method could have a significant impact on your health. After that, we’re going to pull up seven diabetic-friendly shrimp dishes that are low in carbohydrates, sugars, and dairy products.
Read Aslo: Do Nuts Help or Hurt People with Diabetes?
1. Garlic Shrimp Pan-Seared in Olive Oil
On this list, this recipe is perhaps the easiest and healthiest.
The list of ingredients is brief:
- One garlic clove, cut or sliced finely
- Two tsp olive oil
- Six raw shrimps, peeled
- one tsp lemon juice
- One teaspoon, to taste, of salt and black pepper
- optional taste-testing of chili flakes
Preheat your skillet to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and sauté the garlic until it begins to turn golden-brown. Before adding the shrimp, season with salt and pepper. Fry the shrimp until they are well done, turning a beautiful red color with hints of golden brown around the edges. Squeeze in only one slice of lemon juice (approximately a teaspoon) and turn off the heat.
You can finish by adding parsley and chilli flakes to the top if you want to add even more flavor.
If you’re having this for entrée, you can easily modify the serving size to suit your needs and serve it with a straightforward salad or sautéed vegetables.
2. Avocado and Shrimp Salad
Speaking of salads, some of us prefer to eat them for dinner, and figuring out the protein is typically a pain. Shrimps to the rescue, then!
This meal is significantly less exact than the last one. All you need for this meal are four to six shrimp, half an avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, turmeric, salt, and pepper, along with any vegetables you enjoy.
Your mood and personal preferences will determine just how you prepare the shrimp. Either boil them or, like we did in the previous recipe, sear them in a pan. Alternatively, roast several hundred of them at once on a roasting tray and store them in the fridge if you are preparing meals.
The salad dressing is really the only difficult component, if you can call it that. The most basic variation consists of one part lemon juice to two parts olive oil, along with turmeric, salt, and pepper to taste. Shake in a bottle or mix with a fork until all the components are combined into a uniform, glossy, thick sauce.
As an alternative, you can experiment with the dressing by adding other spices like cumin and paprika. Another smart move would be to add a tiny dab of mustard.
Lastly, simply chop some avocado and dice some vegetables, then combine them all.
3. The Healthier Version of Coconut Shrimp
This healthier option just requires pan-searing or grilling, not frying. Use of spices like paprika and turmeric will enhance the coconut flavor.
The proportions of this recipe are comparable to the garlic shrimp dish at the top of the list; however, we use a table spoon of coconut in place of the garlic, and we toast the coconut in the pan without adding any oil first. Additionally, we will add just enough coconut milk to partially cover the shrimp.
To cook, first toast the coconut flakes until they start to smell fragrant and turn a light golden color. After that, quickly add the olive oil and add the shrimp that have been seasoned with salt, pepper, and any other spice of your choice. Once the shrimps get golden brown, pour in enough coconut milk to halfway submerge them. Allow everything to gently simmer for a duration of 5 to 10 minutes, or until the coconut milk thickens into a sauce.
It may have a curry-like appearance, but fear not—it is much simpler and has a mild flavor that doesn’t really need a lot of starch to be swallowed.
4. Tomato Sauced Shrimp
The idea of sauce shouldn’t worry you just yet—this dish is entirely healthful. You simply need the following four ingredients:
- One can of crushed tomatoes
- Three garlic cloves, cut finely
- One white onion, diced finely
- Four tsp olive oil
Add the garlic and onion to the olive oil and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. They should remain delicate and translucent rather than turning yellow. After that, add the crushed tomatoes and continue to boil and stir until the sauce thickens to the point where there are no liquids remaining in the pan when you part the sauce in the middle. You should be able to practically melt your onions.
You can now serve your sautéed shrimp with this sauce. To transform it into a marinara sauce, simply add chopped fresh basil at the end.
This dish makes a fantastic supper when paired with roasted vegetables.
5. Stir-fried Shrimp and Veggies
Shrimps are frequently used in Chinese cooking to give a vegetable dish more umami flavor. Spinach, eggs, and any other green, leafy food that seems “too healthy” are a few popular combinations.
Of course, garlic is the ingredient most often used in all of these recipes. When cooking, mix in a little sesame oil to enhance the flavor.
Lastly, you can add any seasonings you choose. That’s the great thing about stir-frying—you can put anything to it.
6. Tomato Seafood Soup
No, those thick, creamy, heart-disease-inducing rich soups are not what we’re talking about. Using a vegetable stock as the foundation, we add tomatoes, celeries, carrots, and parsley to this soup. You may also add any sort of seafood you prefer, such as fish, clams, scallops, and of course, shrimp.
It’s easy: sauté some garlic and onions until they get soft, then add the seashells and cook until they open up. The veggies should then be added and fried till aromatic. Seasoning and vegetable stock last. Season to taste and cook for 30 minutes.
As always, add more spice to taste.
7. A cocktail of shrimp
Alright, this is a lie. We’re not really pitching you a cocktail sauce, but rather something closer to chilled tomato sauce with a dash of spice and lemon juice. Though not quite the real thing, it’s close enough. Since this dish is meant to be served cold, we advise boiling the shrimp instead of sautéing them in oil, as this will prevent solidified grease from becoming attached to the surface.
That’s all, everyone—the seven easy and healthful recipes you can make at home. Though many restaurant dishes aren’t precisely diabetes-friendly, they’re still not quite restaurant-quality. One last piece of advice: Use olive oil whenever possible. It’s one of those oils that has a high Omega-3 content and is beneficial to the health of diabetics.
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