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What makes a recipe OK for someone with diabetes? No sugar? No fat? And what about your family's favorite recipes? Do you need to toss them out and find new cookbooks just because someone has diabetes?

Keep those favorite recipes on hand! If you remember the basics of diabetes meal planning, you can turn almost any recipe into diabetic-friendly food.

Here's how to get started.

Diabetes Meal-Planning Basics

The first step in preparing diabetes-friendly recipes is to remember meal-planning guidelines. People with diabetes manage meal planning in a variety of ways. The three most recommended approaches include:

• Exchange lists. These lists provide detailed information about the carbohydrate, protein, and fat content of foods you eat every day. A dietitian works with you to develop a meal plan listing how many exchanges from each food group you should eat each day. Exchange lists are designed to ensure you get all the nutrients you need for good health along with a controlled amount of carbohydrates to control your diabetes. For example, your meal plan may have three bread exchanges, two fruit exchanges, one meat exchange, and one fat exchange for breakfast.
• Counting carbs. Counting carbohydrates helps you understand how each type of carbohydrate you eat affects your blood sugar. You work with a dietitian to develop the number of and kinds of carbohydrates you should eat each day. Then you monitor your blood sugar level to determine the effect of these various carbs and adjust insulin injections accordingly. You also adjust the amount and type of carbohydrates you eat as needed.
• Diabetes food pyramid guide. This pyramid is similar to the USDA My Pyramid system. Foods are divided into six groups, and then the groups are ordered in the form of a pyramid. The groups, starting from the base of the pyramid and going up, are:
  • Breads, grains, and other starches
  • Vegetables
  • Fruits
  • Meat, meat substitutes, and other protein
  • Dairy
  • Fats, oils, and sweets

Your goal is to eat more from the top of the pyramid (breads, grains, and other starches) and less from the bottom of the pyramid (fats, oils, and sweets). A dietitian can work with you to develop the appropriate number of servings you should get from each group.

Whatever method you use, the goals are the same: to eat a balanced diet that helps keep blood sugar levels close to normal. But what does "balanced" mean? And how can you make sure recipes reflect this balance?

Here are some general guidelines:

• Choose a variety of foods from all the food groups.
• Choose foods that are richest in fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients. These choices tend to include more fresh and less processed foods -- for example, whole grains and fresh vegetables.
• Choose fatty ingredients wisely. Low-fat and "good" fats are your best bets.
• Watch your portions. Even the best foods can be harmful to your health if you eat too much.

Whatever meal plan approach you follow, you can use these guidelines to make recipes diabetes-friendly.

Using Fats in Diabetes-Friendly Recipes

A lot of diabetes meal planning is about choosing and using fats wisely. That's also true for recipe adaptations. Which are the best fats to use? And how can you limit them? Try these suggestions:

• Use liquid fats in place of solid fats. Why? Solid fats often include saturated or Trans fats, both of which are not good for heart health. On the other hand, many liquid fats can be healthy when used in moderate amounts. Instead of butter, lard, or hydrogenated shortening, try trans-fat free margarine, spreads, or shortening. Be sure to check the label to see whether the product will work for cooking or baking. You can also try oils such as canola, corn, olive, peanut, or soybean oil. When possible, use about 25% less in cooking. Some oils have stronger flavors that may affect the taste. So experiment to find which oils work best with which recipes.
• Use less fat. Why? Fats contain more calories than other nutrients. If you're worried about weight control, keeping a close eye on fats can help. Take a look at how you can adapt these high-fat ingredients to lower-fat substitutes. Instead of the amount of fat called for in a recipe, try using 25% to 33% less fat. Or try substituting applesauce or mashed bananas for some or all of the fat in baked goods. Instead of letting meat cook in liquid -- such as in a soup or stew -- unattended, try skimming off fat that floats to the surface while cooking. Or let the soup or stew cool and place it in the refrigerator. When the fat has hardened at the top, it's easy to skim it off. Instead of using chocolate or chocolate chips, try cocoa powder. Or use mini chocolate chips and use fewer.
• Swap low-fat for high-fat dairy ingredients. Many dairy products used in cooking and baking are high in fat. You can make switches that lower the fat content without compromising taste. Instead of whole milk or half and half, try using 1% or skim milk, condensed skim milk, or nonfat half and half. Instead of sour cream, try low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt or buttermilk. Or you can use low-fat cottage cheese. You may need to blend it first to make it smooth. Instead of using cream or whole milk to make sauces, try using cornstarch and skim milk.

Carbs and Diabetes-Friendly Recipes

It's hard to make much of anything without using carbohydrates. But carbs aren't all bad. The trick is to select carbohydrates that will provide you with slow-release energy and adequate fiber. A good example is whole grains that also provide more complex and satisfying flavors.

When a recipe calls for "white" flour, "white" rice, or other refined grains with the outside hull removed, try substituting whole-wheat flour, brown rice, or other whole-grain flours or grain products. You can also use ground nuts such as almond or hazelnut (filbert) meal. Or you can mix several of these whole grain ingredients together in the same recipe.

Using Sugar in Diabetes-Friendly Recipes

The problem with sugar is not just that it's another form of carbohydrate. It's a simple carb that can quickly raise blood sugar, unlike the carbs from vegetables or starches that are absorbed more slowly. Carbohydrates are what make your blood sugar levels raise. Beyond that, sugary foods are also usually high-calorie and low nutrition. As for all carbs, use sugar wisely.

Instead of using the amount of sugar called for in a recipe, try using less. Many times you can reduce the amount of sugar without seriously affecting taste or texture. You may need to add more flour. In yeast baked goods, though, the yeast needs the sugar in order to do its job. You could also try using a sugar substitute. Check the product label to be sure it is a sugar substitute designed for baking. Another thing you can do is find other ways besides adding sugar to enhance the flavor. For instance, using spices (see below) or fruit juice concentrates can liven up a recipe.

Spices, Flavor, and Diabetes-Friendly Recipes

Often, recipes rely on sugar, salt, and fat to satisfy your taste buds. You can change that by experimenting with herbs, spices, and flavored vinegars and mustards instead. These can give foods unique flavors without extra calories. Some spices may even have health benefits of their own. Cinnamon, for example, may help lower blood sugar levels.

Here are some flavor-enhancing ingredients to start experimenting with:

• Cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Nutmeg
• Vanilla and other natural flavorings
• Any kind of vinegar -- balsamic to sherry
• Flavored mustards

Salt Substitutes and Diabetes-Friendly Recipes

Salt is often used to preserve food and as an inexpensive flavoring. We've gotten used to the taste of salt, but its effects can be bad news. Excess sodium in the diet can lead to cardiovascular problems including high blood pressure and heart disease, especially for people with family history of these conditions. People with diabetes are at greater risk for these health problems. So it's not a bad idea to cut back on salt where you can.

Instead of using salt, try reducing the amount of salt in a recipe -- but not for recipes with yeast, which needs the salt for rising. A good alternative to using as much salt as called for in a recipe is to substitute spices and other flavorings for some of the salt. You can also add salt at the table instead of during the cooking. Another way to reduce how much sodium you get is to choose fresh over canned and frozen foods. Canned and frozen foods tend to be higher in salt.

Check other ingredients such as nuts; too, to be sure they don't also contain salt. If they do, substitute lower-salt items or don't add additional salt.

For More Help With Diabetes-Friendly Recipes

If you have family favorites you would like to adapt for someone with diabetes, ask your doctor for a referral to a dietitian. They are the experts at helping plan meals that are appropriate for people with diabetes or other health issues. Dietitians are happy to help you transform favorite recipes into healthier meals for you and your family.