Catherine Saxelby's Foodwatch | Recipes - Diabetes friendly - All Recipies in all subcategories

Cooking for vegetarians and meat-eaters in the one household? This easy recipe is one of those that can do double-duty, satisfying both camps - it's filled with a mixture of rice, beans, tomato, corn and cheese which makes for good protein for the vegetarians AND it can become a delicious accompaniment to a plain grilled steak or fish for the carnivores.

A flavoursome accompaniment to grilled meat or fish.

This smoothie gives you lots of nutrition for a third of the fat and kilojoules of normal milkshakes. And it's a delicious way to take in more oat bran for soluble fibre. Great for hungry teens and very active people.

A delicious quick-to-make recipe, this egg dish is a cross between an omelette and a quiche - but without all the fuss or the fat of pastry! With its pumpkin base, it's a complete meal, ideal for vegetarians.

This salad is a fresh and zesty accompaniment to grilled fish on the barbecue. It has almost no fat, heaps of fibre and we've kept the salt down by being frugal with the fish sauce - a little goes a long way! If you haven't got a turnip, it still turns out fine.

Try this easy pasta recipe when you need a quick dinner and all you've got in the cupboard is a can of salmon and some fusilli or penne pasta. It's low GI (good for diabetes), low in saturated fat and high in those helpful omega-3s.

Here's an easy lamb recipe with two slow-release low GI carbs - lentils and yoghurt. You feel fuller for longer!

A great high-fibre filler for dieters in cold weather - heat a bowl or microwave a mug whenever you're hungry. This is the sort of soup that gets promoted in Kickstart Diets or various Detox regimes (not that I'm a fan of either). But this soup is low in kilojoules/calories and high in veggies and fibre so it's a dieter's best friend.

This is an interesting main meal salad or it can be served piled onto rice crackers as a pre-dinner nibble. You can prepare it ahead and store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Don't add the dressing until the last minute.

This is a wonderful hearty salad to serve with a barbecue on a hot summer's day. It appeals to men who often want something more filling than the usual lettuce -and-cucumber combination. If you have vegetarian guests, it also doubles as a main meal salad for them.

This is a delicious, easy soup to make at home. If you are on a low salt diet, use water instead of the stock or cook up a batch of your own home-made stock without any salt.

This meal-in-a-soup is very low in fat, full of healthy vegetables and boasts low GI carbs from the barley and kidney beans. It's easy to make and very filling. What's not to love? It's ideal for someone who has diabetes and needs slow-release food for steady blood glucose.

A tangy and fresh tasting salad. Serve as is for a light lunch, or try adding some noodles, strips of chicken and tofu for a more filling meal. Once you've added the apples and dressing, serve immediately. I like this salad made with one sweet and one tart apple.

A variation on the traditional baked apple - this time with a crunchy oat and nut topping. Sweetened with maple syrup and orange juice, instead of sugar.

An easy old-fashioned dessert that's ideal for those cold nights. It starts with dried fruit (whatever you have at home) and plumps them up with tea along with the flavour of orange rind, cinnamon and cloves. One of my all-time favs.

Here's my fav fruit salad recipe. It's easy and you can substitute any fruit you have on hand - a great way to use up bits and pieces.

Got some bananas that are too-ripe?  Don't throw them out. Mash and use to whip up these easy muffins.

A refreshing tangy dessert which makes use of the wonderful navel oranges in season during winter. Perfect to serve after a curry or hot spicy main course. And it's low in fat and sugar, so it's good for you.

History has left no clue as to the identity of the "Betty" who first layered breadcrumbs and apples to create this dessert.

Simple yet stunning, make this easy dessert when nectarines are in season.  Works well with peaches too.

This recipe creates a light cheesecake which is a perfect summer dessert with fresh fruit. The filo provides a paper-thin outer shell instead of pastry or biscuit base and facilitates cutting.

This is an old favourite of mine that's so quick and easy to bake. It's high in fibre with little fat yet moist and delicious.

Plums and other blue-red fruit such as cherries, blueberries and cranberries, are rich in a particular type of antioxidants known as anthocyanins. Here's a low-fat version of the strudel using plums instead of apples.

If you enjoy muesli (as I do), you'll love this crispy version that gets baked in the oven.  No added fat of any kind. Lots of variations from different seeds, nuts or dried fruit.

Here is a traditional dessert recipe that's been given a makeover. It's lower in fat, especially saturated fat, rich in low GI ingredients like the oats and apples but lightly sweetened. It's a healthy treat for everyone, but is especially suitable for someone with diabetes.

This recipe makes a refreshing summer drink without the high sugar content of fizzy drink or juice. It's fat-free and also gives you the benefits of tea's polyphenol antioxidants which can neutralize harmful free radicals, keep your skin looking younger and dampen the ageing effects of the sun on the skin.

One of those old-fashioned clear soups with lots of veggies for you can fill up and eat lean while enjoying a hearty warm bowl of hot soup.  This one is high in fibre (good news for your bowels) with no added salt so kind to the kidneys as well. What a bonus!

Normally I'm a big fan of fresh spinach (I even grow it myself) but this easy soup is a great stand-by if you can't get the fresh version or you've got to get 'something' cooked and on the table in under 15 minutes - no mean feat by anyone's standards. It uses frozen spinach which is one of the more nutritious frozen vegetables and a handy thing to keep in your freezer.

Here's a hearty soup that's low in fat but high in fibre and flavour. Of all the legumes, lentils are the most convenient, requiring no pre-soaking overnight and no long hours of cooking.

Here's a dead-easy soup idea from the people at Salt Matters who eat a healthy diet without any added salt or salted foods. You first prepare the sweet potato and then add a can of reduced-salt tomato soup to thicken and add flavour.

This is a quick way to add a little zing to any fish fillet. If you haven't fresh rosemary, you can use the dried version, but add it later with the lemon juice and wine.

Here's a summer stir-fry recipe to head off the obesity crisis. It's got ample vegetables, a serve of lean protein (fish, meat, chicken or eggs) or its filling value plus a small serve of carbs (cut down, don't cut out) to balance out the meal.

This delicious recipe rewards you with omega-3 fats from the fish while the crunchy salad underneath gives you a boost of minerals and fibre. And the curried-yoghurt topping is rich in calcium.

Tuna teams nicely with tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum and olive oil - all key ingredients of the heart-winning Mediterranean Diet.

Absolutely beautiful over a bed of soft rice. The spicy sauce also does justice to chicken pieces or vegetables.

The flavours of wine, lemon, pepper and parsley just add a little something but without taking away from the magnificent flavour of the fish itself. Keep the vegetables fairly simple without strong overpowering flavours and you'll create a delicious meal. The fat in this dish is mostly monounsaturated.

I love this quick yet healthy pasta dinner. Use up whatever vegetables you have hanging around in the fridge and you'll have a family friendly meal ready in under 30 minutes. Not bad!

Use this flavoursome variation of the usual basil-based pesto to enliven any fish.
 

Sardines are an oily fish which is high in omega-3s. Easy and convenient in cans, most people just put them on toast. This is a tangy recipe that uses them in a different way.

Easy and full-flavoured, this salad gets better the day after as the flavours develop. The beans makes it low GI and high in fibre while the tuna adds protein and those all-important omega-3s.

Although fresh is best, mango is not always available. Out of season, you can substitute canned or thawed frozen mango for fresh in this recipe. You can also use 1/2 sliced pawpaw instead of the mango - or use some of each.

Whip up this quick summer salad for a lunch or light dinner - easy if you've got leftover cooked pasta. And it works with all sorts of ingredients. See some of the variations you can try below.

Try this quick and easy recipe based on pasta plus a can of tuna. Best of all, it gives your omega-3s a boost!

Like something smooth and sweet after a meal? All you need is three ingredients! Easy!

This famous oat breakfast makes a delicious way to take the goodness of both oats and fruit. It makes a filling breakfast - nice on those mornings when you don't want hot oats.