WELCOME TO DIABETIC ENJOYING FOOD

I have chosen this name for this blog because it truly states my story. I am a type II diabetic who most certainly enjoys food. When I was diagnosed with diabetes several years ago, my blood sugar level was over 400. With some oral medications, a lot of research and some trial and error, I have found that unlike my ancestors I truly can continue to enjoy food. I hope this blog will help you to also enjoy food and be healthy. Some recipes are my originals and some I have collected. Everyone reacts different to various foods. Check your blood sugar readings so you will know whether or not a recipe works for you! And feel free to take a recipe and adjust it to suit your needs.

Thursday, June 4, 2026

SWEET POTATO WONTONS

Remember these wontons are considered appetizers. Don't get carried away, only 1 or 2 at a time.

24 wonton wrappers

2 tbsp butter, melted

3 tbsp mango chutney

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp minced fresh garlic

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp white whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked sweet potato

1/3 cup whipping cream

Carrots, cut into bite-size thin strips and sauteed (optional for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. 

Brush wonton wrappers with the 2 tablespoons melted butter. Press wrappers, buttered sides down, onto twenty-four 1 3/4-inch muffin cups, pleating as necessary. Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, cup up any large pieces of fruit in the chutney; set aside. In a heavy skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, ginger, and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Stir in the flour. Stir in cooked sweet potato, whipping cream, and chutney. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Cook, stirring 1 more minute.

Spoon sweet potato mixture into the wonton shells. If using, sprinkle with the carrots. Serve immediately.

Yield: 24  Per wonton: 75 calories, 3g (2 sat) fat, 1g protein, 10g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugar, 83mg sodium

 

recipe and photo fresh food fast volume 2

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

PINEAPPLE SUNSHINE CAKE

This is my diabetic version of a cake recipe I've had for years. This is not sugar free as the pineapple and juice have natural sugar. Here is my way to deal with that. Since dairy products are good for diabetics, drain the pineapple in the cake recipe while saving the juice. Measure the juice, discard. and replace the juice with same amount of whole milk

1 box (2-layer size) sugar-free yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup olive or coconut oil

1 can (8-oz) crushed pineapple in its own juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients, including the pineapple juice, and mix together well.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before icing with the following icing.

Icing:

1 carton (8-oz) sugar-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 box (4-serving size) sugar-free vanilla pudding mix

1 can (8-oz) crushed pineapple in its own juice

Combine all icing ingredients and spread over the top of the cake.

Yield: 21-24 servings

Because of the whipped topping icing, leftovers should be refrigerated.

Reminder: This is a dessert. One square a day! This cake is so tasty you can serve it to anyone, and they won't even know it is diabetic-friendly unless you tell them. Perfect for large family meals and pitch-in meals at work, church, etc.

the file photo



Tuesday, June 2, 2026

CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD PUDDING FROM EQUAL

A few years ago, we were at the Ft Worth VA when they were passing out diabetic recipes.  This is one of them. I have never made it as I hate raisins. This is an Equal recipe, so I have used their product. Feel free to use an equivalent of your favorite sweetener, but remember that may change the nutritional information shown below.

2 cups fat-free milk

2/3 cup Equal Spoonful or 16 packets Equal Sweetener

4 tbsp stick butter, melted

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

4 cups 3/4-inch cubes day old cinnamon raisin bread

Combine the milk, Equal, butter, egg, egg whites, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; stir in the bread cubes.

Spoon the mixture into an ungreased 1 1/2-quart rectangular casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pudding is set and a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Yield: 6 serving Per serving:  232 cal, 90 cal from fat, 10 g total fat, 2 g sat fat, 37 mg cholesterol, 405 mg sodium, 26 g total carbs, 2 g dietary fiber, 10 g protein

Diabetic exchanges: 1/2 milk, 1 1/2 starch, 2 fat 

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Monday, June 1, 2026

BISCUIT TOPPED TURKEY POT PIE

 Many of you will shudder at the idea of a biscuit. Fine, skip this recipe. This is a diabetic-friendly recipe as you will see in the nutritional information. This dish has a great carb to protein ratio and should be okay for diabetics whose blood sugar is controlled. If you have trouble controlling your blood sugar, feel free to skip the recipe as a biscuit is probably not a good idea for you. Please refrain from scolding those who can eat it!

Filling:

3 tsp olive or canola oil

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

2 celery stems, sliced

1 small onion, diced

2 tbsp white whole-wheat flour

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 cup cubed potatoes

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp salt

dash of freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cubed turkey breast (cooked)

1/3 cup frozen peas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the bell peppers, onion, and celery; cook while stirring for 4 to 5 minutes to soften veggies.  Stir in the flour until blended then stir in the broth.  Add the potatoes, thyme, salt, pepper.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook on simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the turkey and the peas to the simmering mixture; cook another 5-7 minutes or until the potato is tender and peas are hot.  Pour the mixture into a very lightly greased 1-qt casserole dish.

Biscuits:

3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour (using whole-grain flour is important for the diabetic)

3/4 tsp baking powder

dash of salt

1/8 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp cold butter, cut-up

3 tbsp low-fat buttermilk

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until butter is pea-sized.  Stir in the buttermilk.  Place mixture on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly.  Pat dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness; use a biscuit cutter or a 2-inch glass to cut dough into 5 biscuits.  Reroll dough as needed.  Place biscuits on top of the filling and bake at 425 degrees 12-15 minutes until the topping is lightly browned.

Yield: 5 servings of 1 biscuit and 3/4 cup turkey/vegetable mixture = 250 calories, 30 g carbs, and 18 g protein per serving.

Dietary exchange: 2 starch, 2 meat, 1 fat per serving

file photo





Saturday, May 30, 2026

DIABETIC APPLE CRISP

1/2 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
2 tbsp white whole wheat (or almond) flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples (Rome recommended)

TOPPING:
1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup white whole-wheat (or almond) flour
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
3/4 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
To make the apple filling, combine brown sugar blend, flour, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add apples, tossing to coat. Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
To make topping, combine oats, flour, brown sugar blend and nuts in a bowl. Stir in butter. The mixture will be crumbly. Spoon over the apples mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the apples are bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Best when served warm.

NOTE: Yield: 9 servings at 310 calories, 38 carbs, 4 grams protein each. As with all fruits, there is the natural sugar of the apples and a high carb count. However, the oats and nuts counter balance most of that. Enjoy this dessert after a meal that has a good protein count. You would not want to serve this dessert after a pasta or vegetarian meal. And as with all desserts, it is not a good idea to overindulge!
Enjoy!

 file photo.

Friday, May 29, 2026

HASH BROWN QUICHE

3 cups frozen loose-packed hash browns, thawed

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup diced fully cooked ham

1 cup (4-oz) shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425-degrees

Press hash browns between paper towel or remove excess moisture. Press into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Drizzle with the butter. Bake at 425-degrees for 25 minutes.

Combine the ham, cheese and bell pepper; spoon over the crust.

In a small bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Spoon over the ham mixture. Reduce oven temperature to 350-degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Note: Hashbrown crust may be made and baked the night before to save time in the morning. Cooked bulk sausage may be substituted for the ham, if desired.

file photo for reference


Wednesday, May 27, 2026

HAM STUFFED SWEET POTATOES

If you enjoy sweet potatoes (yams), there is no reason to give them up. Not all sweet potatoes are covered in heavy syrup and marshmallows. This recipe is a good way to enjoy a nutritious sweet potato even though you are diabetic. This recipe is for two sweet potatoes but can easily be doubled for 4 or tripled for 6.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 large sweet potatoes
1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup chopped fully cooked ham (As a diabetic, I use 1/2 cup to add more protein.)
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Scrub potatoes and pierce; bake at 350 degrees for an hour or more until tender. Set aside to cool.

When potatoes are cooled enough to handle, cut a thin slice off the top of each potato. Scoop out the pulp, leaving about 1/4-inch shell. Place pulp in a bowl, add the butter, olive oil and mash. Stir the ham, onion and cinnamon into the mashed potatoes; spoon mixture into the shells.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes to heat through.

Note: Remember cinnamon is a good blood sugar stabilizer so do not omit

There's a lot of good nutrition in a sweet potato

. 

Monday, May 25, 2026

CHICKEN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

Nonstick olive oil cooking spray

4 medium-sized red, yellow, orange and/or green bell peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large, sweet onion, cut into thin wedges

2 cups grape tomatoes 

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 pkg (12-oz) Italian-flavor cooked chicken sausage, bias-sliced into thirds

1 tbsp snipped fresh oregano

Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Coat a 15x10-inch baking pan with the nonstick cooking spray.

In the prepared pan combine peppers, onion, and tomatoes. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss gently to coat. Roast in oven 30 minutes.

Push veggies to one side, exposing approximately 1/4 of the pan. Place sausage in the pan and roast another 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender and sausage is heated through. Sprinkle with the oregano.

Yield: 4 servings Per serving of 1 1/3 cups: 249 calories, 11g fat (3 sat), 18g protein, 20g carbs, sodium 494g

recipe idea and photo Fresh Food Fast Vol 2



 

Sunday, May 24, 2026

COOL RASPBERRY PIE

This cool, refreshing pie is a good dessert option for summertime family meals, picnics, pitch-ins, etc. Remember it is a dessert! One slice only per day.

2/3 cup boiling water

1 pkg (4-serving size) sugar-free raspberry gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

ice cubes to make above cold water = 1 cup

1 tub (8-oz) sugar-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 reduced-sugar graham cracker pie crust*

1/4 cup fresh raspberries for garnish, if desired

In a large bowl stir the boiling water into the raspberry gelatin at least 2 minutes to completely dissolve (gelatin must be completely dissolved). Add the ice water to the gelatin mixture, stirring until ice melts.

Using a wire whisk, stir in the whipped topping until mixture is smooth. Chill approximately 15-18 minutes until the mixture will mound up. Spoon into the prepared crust. Refrigerate at least 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

Before serving, garnish with the whole fresh raspberries, if desired.

*There is a recipe for this crust on my Diabetic Enjoying Food blog. Also, you could use a whole-wheat sugar-free regular pie crust.

file photo




Saturday, May 23, 2026

CHOCOLATE FROSTY

This is a Splenda recipe by Marlene Koch.

1 individual serving packet Splenda-sweetened sugar-free hot chocolate mix (Swiss Miss)

1/2 cup 1% milk

1 tablespoon Splenda (or your favorite sweetener) Granular (or 2 Splenda packets)

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar-free low-carb vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup crushed ice

1. Place hot chocolate mix, milk, Splenda, and cocoa in a blender. Blend to mix.

2. Add vanilla ice cream and ice and blend until thick and frosty.

Serves One

Per Serving:

Calories 200

Carbohydrate 24 grams

Protein 13 grams

Fat 5 grams (3.5 saturated)

Fiber 4 grams

Sodium 220 milligrams

Diabetic Exchange = 1/2 Milk, 1 Starch

WW Points = 4 points


 File Photo of Similar Recipe