These Delicious Side Dishes Are Good for Your Blood Sugar and Your Hearing

According to the National Institutes of Health, those with diabetes are twice as likely to have hearing loss. Because we’re deep into the grilling months, we’re offering a couple of delicious diabetes-friendly side-dish recipes for your next barbecue that will tickle taste buds, turn heads, and take it easy on your blood sugar.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients (serves 12)
Stuffing

• 6 oz Mexican chorizo sausage
• ½ cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (11 oz) whole-kernel corn, drained
• 2 oz low-fat cream cheese
• ¼ cup fat-free sour cream
• ½ tsp salt

 
Remaining ingredients

• 2 slices whole-wheat bread
• 24 stuffer mushroom caps (or large, de-stemmed mushrooms)

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Cook de-cased chorizo, onion, and garlic in a skillet over medium heat for 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.
3. Drain chorizo mixture and pat dry with paper towels.
4. Combine chorizo mixture and corn in a bowl. Combine cream cheese and sour cream in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
5. Add cheese mixture and salt to the chorizo mixture.
6. Pulse bread in food processor until fine crumbs measure 1 cup.
7. Fill each mushroom cap with about ¾ tsp breadcrumbs, then with 2 tsp corn mixture. Top with remaining breadcrumbs.
8. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and coat each mushroom with cooking spray.
9. Bake 20 minutes or until tops are browned.

 

Apricot-Spinach Salad

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup dried apricots
• 1 medium sweet pepper (red or yellow), cut into strips
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup apricot nectar
• 2 tbsp salad oil
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 cups shredded fresh spinach

 
Directions

1. ombine beans, apricots, sweet pepper, green onion, cilantro, and garlic in a bowl.
2. In a screw-top jar, combine apricot nectar, oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger. Cover and shake well.
3. Pour over bean mixture and toss gently to coat.
4. Arrange spinach in a salad bowl and top with black-bean mixture.

 

---

Sources:
NIH. Hearing Loss Is Common in People with Diabetes.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/hearing-loss-common-people-diabetes. Accessed May 17, 2017. Recipes adapted from recipes found on DiabeticConnect.com and DiabeticLivingOnline.com, accessed May 17, 2017.