Children with diabetes are like children without diabetes; some will happily eat what's put before them and others are picky (finicky, fussy-you supply your own word) and dinnertime becomes a battlefield. While it is true that the food a diabetic child eats must balance out with the insulin that's given, it's also true that these days anyone with diabetes has more choices than ever when it comes to their meal plan. Diabetes is a family disease, so it is important to have only healthy food in the fridge and pantry and for everyone to sit down at the table to eat the same meal. With that in mind, we decided to feature kid-friendly recipes this month in this section that are sure to please every member of the family.
In researching for recipe ideas that are kid-friendly, we came across a diabetes site that will be of great interest to parents of children with diabetes, as well as anyone who has diabetes. The site is www.kraftdiabeticchoices.com and is sponsored by Kraft Foods. With the expertise of the Kraft Kitchens for its recipes and tips, it's a site that you'll want to visit frequently. Special sections include one for parents of diabetic children, which includes family-friendly recipes and tips. A personalized meal planner, a fitness planner, and logs for keeping records of medication/insulin, and other resources for managing diabetes is available for individuals 18 years and older. A sister web site, www.comidakraft.com/diabetes features information in Spanish to provide food ideas and information to Hispanics, who comprise 15 percent of the diabetic community here in the U.S. [Note: this new website will launch September 3; www.kraftdiabeteschoices.com will link to this site, but there will no longer be Spanish content on the kraftdiabeticchoices.com site per se.]
Make food preparation and shopping a family project when you can. Ask for suggestions for meals and try to follow through, if not just then, on a day when time allows. Remember a lot of your child's responses will rely on your concept of his/her diabetes and its severity. Remembering our own children's favorite foods, in talking with young children and their parents, and in response to your e-mails asking for specific recipes, we decided that macaroni & cheese, chicken nuggets, and enchiladas are amongst the most popular of kid's meals. From a health standpoint, however, these dishes made from traditional recipes are loaded with calories and fat.
We were delighted when we looked at the diabetic recipes posted on Kraft's site, that they had already "made-over" recipes for these three dishes that are reduced fat (Down Home Macaroni & Cheese) or low-fat (Homemade Chicken Nuggets and Cheesy Enchiladas). Judging by the comments posted by people who've tried the recipes, they are certain to please even your most finicky youngster. We appreciate Kraft's willingness to share these recipes with you on our website.
For more information......... http://www.diabetic-lifestyle.com/articles/sep02_fkids_1.htm
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