NORFOLK, Va. — November is American Diabetes Awareness Month. It's also a time of year when those not-so-good-for-you holiday foods start popping up.
So, this month, 13News Now is teaming up with the American Diabetes Association to give you recipes to try for a healthier lifestyle instead of falling into more bad habits.
There are so many sweets and dishes that we love to eat this time of year that just are not the best for our health. That doesn't mean you have to go without them. You need to make a few recipe changes to make them better for your body.
Here are a few recipes with healthier components that you can cook this holiday season.
'Meatloaf Muffin with Sweet Potato Topping'
There are so many parties around this time of the year, and you want to bring something. How about bringing something as a healthier option but still tasty, like the ADA's Meatloaf Muffin with Sweet Potato topping?
"This healthy meal is super easy and delicious. Not to mention - it bakes more quickly than a large meatloaf because of the smaller muffin size," the American Diabetes Association said.
What really makes this dish shine when it comes to health is the sweet potato. It's an excellent source of fiber and vitamins.
There are other small but healthier changes that can be made; just start with turkey and margarine. Turkey is better than beef because it contains less saturated fat. When you pick your margarine, see if you can find it without trans-fat.
'Better Mashed Potatoes'
When you sit around the Thanksgiving table, one side that always tends to be a fan favorite is the mashed potatoes. However, mashed potatoes are not always the best for you.
So, the ADA came up with a recipe to add to the table instead: "Better Mashed Potatoes." Now, before you write it off because of the word cauliflower, many people say they can't taste the difference, and yes, there are still potatoes in the recipe.
Cauliflower is really the star of this dish when it comes to bringing health into the conversation.
"Cauliflower, which has less starch than potato, helps cut in half the carbohydrate grams in this dish," according to the ADA. Also, fat-free buttermilk adds richness without the fat calories of the butter and whole milk in the original recipe.
According to the ADA, an original mashed potato recipe had 130 calories, 8 g of fat, 15 g of carbohydrates, and 770 mg of sodium. For this alternative, you are looking at 60 calories, 2 g of fat, 7 g of carbs, and 230 mg of sodium.
A tip from ADA: "Put the mixture through a ricer or a food processor for a smooth mash. Mash with a potato masher for a coarse mash."
This dish takes about 20 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to cook. This serves about ten people with a serving size of half a cup.
We will be adding a new recipe to this story every Friday during November, but if you can't wait to see them all, you can go to the American Diabetes Association's Food Hub for a complete list of recipes.
'Baked Cinnamon Stuffed Apples'
Apple Pie and Apple Crisp are common desserts you hear around the holiday season. One American Diabetes Association recipe takes it up a notch while making it healthier. Baked Cinnamon Stuffed Apples would be perfect for a holiday party, too!
Fruit dishes like these Baked Cinnamon Stuffed Apples can make a wonderful, healthy dessert. The smell of these apples baking in the oven will have your mouth watering.
Yes, these are apples you core, and then add the sweet goods to the inside. Using the Splenda Brown Sugar and trans-fat-free margarine makes this a bit healthier.
Eating half of one stuffed apple comes out to be about 145 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 26 grams of carbs.
'Holiday Pumpkin Pie With Maple-Ginger Crust'
Around this time of year, pumpkin pie is a dessert favorite. Pumpkin pie is typically lower in sugar and fat than the other holiday favorites. Plus, it gets a nutritional boost from pumpkin puree, which is rich in vitamin A. The ADA took this recipe and made it just a bit healthier with Holiday Pumpkin Pie With Maple-Ginger Crust. You'll need graham cracker crumbs, maple syrup, canola oil, eggs, finely minced crystallized ginger, ground ginger, Splenda Sugar Blend, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, Cornstarch, and evaporated skim milk.
The change that makes this pie just a bit healthier is the crust. It's low-fat with graham crackers and uses light maple syrup instead of butter to bond the crust. And the ginger adds a boost of flavor, too! You will also reduce the sugar by using a Splenda blend. An important note here: do not use pumpkin pie filling. Those cans tend to be full of the bad stuff, so make sure you get pumpkin puree instead!
These simple changes make a slice of pie about 115 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and about 22 grams of carbs.