The best diabetic recipes use ingredients which have low sugar, low cholesterol and saturated fat content but are high in fibre and therefore contain fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

An understanding of the wide range of low glycemic foods available is very important in maintaining a healthy diet

If you have diabetes, eating the correct low glycemic foods is very important in maintaining a healthy diet. If you have only recently been diagnosed with diabetes symptoms, this normally involves a major change in your eating regime and a greater understanding of the type of low glycemic foods that should be on your supermarket shopping list. Diabetic recipes are available from a wide range of sources including high street supermarkets, health food shops and online.

You should also seek advice from your local doctor or nutritionist on the best method of incorporating these diabetic recipes into your daily eating plan to ensure that you maintain the correct blood sugar levels and body weight.

Sugar is present, in varying degrees, in almost all food that we eat

Whilst sugar is naturally present, in varying degrees, in most foods that we eat, it is obviously much higher in cakes, pastries, desserts and high energy drinks. For people with diabetes symptoms, sweet foods and drinks containing high levels of sugar are normally ‘no go’ areas or at the very least should be consumed with extreme caution. A severe reduction in the amount of sweet foods that can be consumed, represents the biggest challenge, especially for those with a ‘sweet tooth’. This normally results in a major trawl of supermarkets searching for ready made, low glycemic foods, diabetic pastries and chocolate. The use of artificial sweeteners in drinks and diabetic recipes, in order to satisfy the craving for those yummy, scrumptious cakes and desserts are also high on the list of priorities for most people with diabetes symptoms.

Finding satisfying, good tasting, ready made, diabetic foods can be a daunting task

Finding satisfying, ready made, low glycemic foods that taste really good is not an easy task and in any event should not be considered as a direct replacement for fresh healthy foods with low glycemic index ratings. Most experts agree that ready made diabetic foods have no specific benefits in terms of any positive effects on diabetes. These types of low glycemic foods should simply be considered as convenient, minimum preparation foods or ‘fast foods’, that would normally contain high levels of sugar.

The majority of prepared, low glycemic foods, diabetic pastries and drinks will almost certainly contain artificial sweeteners.

The majority of prepared, low glycemic foods, diabetic pastries and drinks will almost certainly contain artificial sweeteners

Most prepared, sweet, low glycemic foods, diabetic pastries and drinks will almost certainly contain a proprietary artificial sweetener product such as Saccharin, Aspartame or Sucralose, amongst others. Apart from providing a sugar free solution, artificial sweeteners offer the added benefit of being calorie free. However permanent use should be approached with caution as a great deal of debate exists, regarding the connection between artificial sweeteners and cancer. The use of artificial sweeteners in diabetic recipes, diabetic pastries and drinks has become a popular option, however until the long term effects can be proven, many health experts recommend avoid using these on a regular basis in favour of a natural alternative sweetener.

Natural sweeteners still contain high levels of sugar, therefore you still need to carefully consider the amounts used in your recipes

Natural sweeteners such as honey still contain high levels of sugar, therefore you still need to carefully consider the amounts used in your diabetic recipes. Unfortunately honey has the highest sugar content of all natural sweeteners and is also high in fructose, making it one of the sweetest. Almost all natural sweeteners are considered to possess a high glycemic index and therefore likely to produce an intense glucose release once digested.

Zsweet® is guaranteed to be totally natural and contains no artificial ingredients

A more appealing, low glycemic index, all natural sweetener, to consider would be Zsweet, which is produced from a proprietary blend of Erythritol and natural fruit extracts. Erythritol is a totally natural product that can be found in a number of different fruits such as pears, grapes and melons. Zsweet is easily absorbed into the digestive system and is not recognised by our bodies as being a suitable source of energy or calories. This results in a zero percent increase in blood sugar level and a low glycemic index. Zsweet is guaranteed to be totally natural and contains no artificial or chemically altered ingredients whatsoever, not even trace amounts.