People With Diabetes: Eating Right When Money's Tight

(NAPSI)-Diabetes is a disease that results in high glucose (sugar levels) in the blood, which can lead to serious complications. Almost 24 million people nationwide have the disease. For people with diabetes, making healthy food choices, being physically active, and reaching and staying at a healthy weight are keys to managing the disease. Although making healthy food choices on a budget can be a challenge, it is possible to eat well without spending a lot of time and money. Try these tips from the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) to eat better, save time, and stretch your food budget:

Review grocery store ads and clip coupons. Make a list of what you need and plan ahead to cook enough food to have a second meal. Visit your local farmers market where prices tend to be lower because you buy direct from the farmer. Buy frozen or canned vegetables with no salt added and canned fruit packed in juice--they are just as good for you as fresh produce and will not go bad. Buy low-fat or fat-free milk in the largest containers you can handle before it spoils. Make your own meals and snacks at home instead of buying less healthy, more expensive prepackaged and processed foods such as macaroni and cheese or spaghetti. Healthy snack ideas include air-popped popcorn or 1 cup of vegetables served with some salsa or a little low-fat salad dressing.

Here's an example of a healthy recipe that the whole family can enjoy. The recipe is designed to serve nine people. Nutrition information, including carbohydrate grams, is provided.

Beef & Bean Chili

2 lb lean beef stew meat, trimmed of fat, cut in 1-inch cubes

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups water

2 tsp garlic, minced

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp flour

2 tsp chili powder

1 green pepper, chopped

2 lb (or 3 cups) tomatoes, chopped

1 Tbsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

2 cups canned kidney beans*

*To cut back on sodium, try using "no salt added" canned kidney beans or beans prepared at home without salt.

Instructions: Brown meat in large skillet with half of vegetable oil. Add water. Simmer covered for 1 hour until meat is tender. Heat remaining vegetable oil in second skillet. Add garlic and onion, and cook over low heat until onion is softened. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic-onion-flour mixture to cooked meat. Then add remaining ingredients to meat mixture. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve chili with a mixed green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers topped with low-fat or fat-free salad dressing. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information Per Serving for Chili: Serving Size 8 oz, Calories 284, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 76 mg, Sodium 162 mg, Total Fiber 4 g, Protein 33 g, Carbohydrates 16 g, Potassium 769 mg.

To get additional free resources to help manage diabetes, contact the National Diabetes Education Program at www.YourDiabetesInfo.org or call (888) 693-NDEP (6337), TTY: (866) 569-1162. For more ways to save time and money when preparing meals at home, visit the Weight-control Information Network at www.win.niddk.nih.gov. For more healthy, low-cost recipes, search online for "Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes" developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

by the National Diabetes Education Program

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Diabetes Education Program is jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the support of more than 200 partner organizations.

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