5 Dinner Ideas You Won’t Believe are Diabetic Friendly Too

Do you remember a time when dinner was about delicious flavors and tasty food instead focusing on how many carbs you can eat? Eating meals high in fiber can help you get to that place again.

Fiber helps you feel full earlier in the meal, and keeps you full longer after your meal. You end up eating less calories throughout the day, which leads to a slimmer you.

Healthy weight loss leads to tighter blood sugar control. But did you know that keeping your blood sugar in check also makes weight loss easier? These 5 dinners will help you lose weight whether or not you have diabetes. They will also lead to better blood sugar readings if you are concerned with your numbers.

1. Chicken Vegetable Skillet Dinner 

Calories: 468 Fat: 10g Carbohydrate: 57g Fiber: 16g Carb Count: 3

➡ Get the Recipe Veggie Skillet

The vegetable saute is the unsung hero in this meal. The beans will help stabilize blood sugars at this meal and the one after. And the quinoa is a lower carb higher protein grain that will be more gentle on the blood sugars than the popular rice.

Serve 1 cup Veggie Skillet, 3oz grilled chicken breast and ½ cup cooked quinoa. For dessert? One navel orange.

If you are vegetarian, use Gardein Chick’n Strips instead of the chicken.

  

2. A Healthier Steak Dinner

Calories: 439 Fat: 9.2 Carbohydrate: 47g Fiber: 9g Carb Count: 2.5

A typical steak dinner is not only high in carbs from the rolls and rice, but also heavy in fat and animal protein, both of which can aggravate complications of diabetes. Here’s how to make it healthier.

Even though brown rice has fiber, it still can spike your blood sugar. So it’s best to serve it with fiber-rich foods that have little effect on your blood sugar. Those two qualifiers describe beans and veggies. Beans are the king of fiber-rich foods, and veggies are your free for all when it comes to blood sugar control.

Saute ½ cup of brown rice with 1/2 cup of black eyed peas, 2 tablespoons onions, and 2 tablespoons celery in a little bit of olive oil. If you like spicy food, add a bit of jalapeno to the mixture. Dice 3oz of lean beef into small chunks and grill it on the skewer with bell peppers or other favorite veggies. Or cut up your steak after it’s already been grilled. Serve with 1 cup steamed broccoli, carrots, and squash.

If you are vegetarian, use tofu instead of the steak.

3. Stuffed Sweet Peppers 

Calories: 497 Fat: 11g Carbohydrate: 77.3g Fiber: 16g Carb Count: 4

➡ Get the Recipe Stuffed Bell Pepper

Stuffed peppers can get complicated to cook, but this version is easy. Simply fill your peppers with this quick and easy chili. Once again, the beans taper down the effects the rice has on blood sugars. Serve 1 stuffed pepper, with ½ cup cooked brown rice, and 1 1/2 cups of Walmart's Marketside Garden Veggie Chopped Salad kit, or a similar chopped salad kit.

4. Sandra’s Chunky Pasta Sauce 

Calories: 282 Fat: 9g Carbohydrate: 55g Fiber: 17g Carb Count: 2.5

➡ Get the Recipe Chunky Bean Sauce

This is one of the most ideal dinners you can eat if you’re worried about blood sugars. Not only is the sauce full of bean and veggies, but the pasta has been replaced with a more diabetic friendly alternative - spaghetti squash. Unlike pasta, which sends your blood sugars into a frenzy, spaghetti squash is gentle on them. Because it’s lower in calories and carb than pasta, you can eat more of it, and don't’ have to feel deprived.

Serve 1 ½ cups of the chunky sauce over 1 cup of spaghetti squash.

If you’re not ready to give up on pasta altogether, use ½ cup whole wheat pasta and ½ cup spaghetti squash.

  

5. A Healthier Fish Dinner 

Calories: 492 Fat: 17g Carbohydrate: 52g Fiber: 14g Carb Count: 2.5

➡ Get the Recipe Healthier Coleslaw

➡ Get the Recipe Sauteed Kale

Butter Beans and Coleslaw both pair up nicely with grilled fish. To make this meal more filling without wreaking havoc on your blood sugar, add some sauteed greens and ½ cup of blackberries.

Serve a 4oz grilled salmon filet with ½ cup coleslaw, ½ cup butter beans, 1 cup cooked kale and ½ cup blackberries.

If you are vegetarian, try Gardein Fishless Filets instead of the salmon.