One of the parts of being a type II diabetic that bothers me the most is my utter lack of snacking options. They either make me feel bad, or cause my numbers to go wonky. Then I discovered something nutty…Vegetables are delicious! In fact, diabetic vegetables are among my favorites of all the vegetables. For those that don’t know, the diabetic vegetables are the ones that are considered non-starchy. Less carbs are a good thing it appears even when it is veggies.
So what are these mystery “diabetic vegetables” exactly?
Here are ten of my personal favorites:
- Asparagus – This was something I would not touch when I was younger (a common theme with many of these) but I love it now. Asparagus tastes like melted butter when made correctly and not because it is melted butter. Virgin olive oil and some mild seasoning do the trick just fine.
- Green Beans – Simple. Yummy… Diabetic Vegetables at their best. Just be sure you drain and rinse them if you get the canned version. No sodium and low sodium options are best.
- Broccoli – Another childhood icky option that tastes wonderful to me now as an adult.
- Carrots – Bugs loves them too! Carrots are powerful diabetic vegetables that will always taste good no matter how they are prepared.
- Celery – Basically these taste like water to me but they are strangely satisfying as a snack. Given that snacks are a weakness of mine, I eat these constantly.
- Cucumber – Cucumbers have been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. Nothing has changed now.
- Mushrooms – Personally, I can’t eat em. They taste like little pseudo-crunchy nastiness to me. People love them, however, so I included them on the list.
- Onions – I eat onions on virtually everything and enjoy them every single time. As a diabetic vegetable they are a wonderful way to snazz up your food.
- Squash — There are some squash varieties that I have heard are bad, but I have yet to find them. Squash and zucchini are both awesome diabetic vegetable options.
- Tomato – The best I saved for last. If you love tomatoes like I do, you understand the panic I felt until I found out they were good for diabetes. I love them and every site I can find say they are cool for me to eat in moderation.
Diabetic vegetables are a wonderful way to keep the hunger pangs away and fill up on natural nutrients. They are now my favorite things to eat since I can no longer have potato chips…
At least it is something, right?
