Diwali is when everyone indulges their taste buds. But are festive foods off-limit for diabetics? Find out how you can make this Diwali diabetes-friendly.
What’s Diwali without the warmth of family, dazzle of lights, and aroma of laddoos, barfis, and halwas, right? Can’t wait? Neither can we. We want to tell the diabetics who often feel left out when it comes to these festive foods, worry not! In this article, we give you tips to make the best healthy Diwali sweets for diabetics, so you can make your Diwali sweeter.
Contents:
Tips to Make Diabetic-Friendly Diwali Sweets
We’ve all been there, trying to decide between indulging our taste buds or staying healthy and fit. By following the tips below, you can do both!
Cut down on sugar
Desserts without sugar? Why not! Most, if not all, Indian sweets are made from high carbohydrate sweeteners like sugar, jaggery, or honey, which can cause a sharp spike in your blood sugar levels.
Instead, choosing healthier alternatives like stevia, monk fruit sugar or yacón syrup when making sweets for diabetic patients ensures that blood sugar levels aren’t affected as severely when compared to conventional sweeteners.
“Apple & oats rabdi” is one such recipe that has diabetes-friendly ingredients like apples (which have a low glycemic index score and fibre), oats (which is loaded with gut-healthy fibre) and low-fat milk (which has heart-healthy nutrients).
Using a sweetener like stevia, which is low in carbohydrates and calories and low on the glycaemic index (GI) scale can help you keep your blood sugar levels stable.
Now get great deals on a wide range of oats and other healthy foods at the Phable store!
Add more fruits & nuts
Diwali is the time of gifting, and if you’ve accumulated boxes upon boxes of dry fruits and nuts, why not turn them into yummy desserts?
Though most nuts and dry fruits are high in calories and fats, they have low GI scores, which make them good for diabetics. What’s more, they have a natural sweetness and thus do not require any added sugars!
Dry fruit ladoos made with dates, figs, dried apricots, pistachios, almonds, and cashews are one of the healthiest Diwali sweets for diabetics as they have no added sugars and also come loaded with nutrients that are essential for good health.
Use whole grains instead of refined products
Most Indian desserts are made with maida or refined flour, which has little to no nutritional value while having a high GI score. Though most people nowadays use whole wheat flour when cooking instead of maida, why not go one step further?
Switching to whole grains like millets, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, etc. will help you keep your blood sugar levels stable, as these grains and their flours have a high fibre content and are low on the GI scale.
“Ragi shakarpara” is a great option for diabetic patients who want to keep their blood glucose under control. Ragi or finger millet is a great source of fibre, minerals, and vitamins and is a good substitute for maida or wheat flour.
If you want to take the health quotient of this recipe to the next level, use stevia instead of sugar, and bake or air-fry the shakarpara instead of deep frying them. This makes the dish a much healthier option for diabetics.
Choose healthy fats
Festive desserts like kheer, rasmalai and kulfi are yummy, decadent, and rich, but also flush with unhealthy fats that can send your cholesterol skyrocketing. Ingredients like refined oil, ghee, whole milk, and other dairy products have a high saturated fat content, which is bad for your heart health.
Swapping them with low-fat alternatives like fat-free milk and sunflower or canola oil can help you satisfy your taste buds guilt-free this Diwali.
“Low-fat shrikhand parfait” is a healthy and lip-smacking dessert that uses nonfat or low-fat curd with heaps of healthful ingredients like low GI fruits and nuts (and no added sugar!). Make this refreshing sugar-free sweet for Diwali.
Switch to ingredients that are low on the GI scale
If you are a diabetic trying to navigate the spread of festive foods at celebrations and feasts, this is the main thing you need to keep in mind – look for foods that are low on the GI scale. These are foods that are high in fibre and/or protein and low in simple carbs and sugar, so they do not cause blood sugar fluctuations.
“Badam barfi” is one such sweet that has low GI ingredients. Almonds have one of the lowest GI scores and saturated fat content among nuts, and as such are a great alternative to ingredients like cashews. Use sugar alternatives like erythritol to make this recipe even healthier!
You can find the recipes for all of the above mentioned diabetes-friendly sweets here. Try them out to make your Diwali ever-so-sweet!
Note: Though the recipes mentioned here are a healthier alternative to the sweets that are traditionally eaten, care should be taken to consume these desserts in moderation and in smaller portions as they can still raise your blood sugar levels if overeaten.
Don’t Have Time To Read?
- Diwali is soon to be here, which means it is the season of sweets. Indian sweets are often not diabetic-friendly. However, with some tips and tricks, diabetics can enjoy desserts during the festival season.
- Cutting down on sugar usage and using healthier alternatives like stevia, monk fruit sugar, and yacon syrup is a great way to keep your blood sugar levels under control.
- Sweets made with fruits and nuts are a healthier option when compared to desserts made with processed foods like maida.
- Whole grains are high in fibre and as such are more helpful in keeping your blood sugar levels stable when compared to traditional ingredients like refined flour or maida.
- Most sweets are made with ingredients rich in saturated fats like whole milk and refined oil. Switching to low-fat alternatives of these ingredients can make your desserts healthier.
- Make sure to use ingredients that are low on the glycaemic index scale. Desserts made with these ingredients do not raise your blood sugar levels as drastically and can help you avoid diabetic complications.
- Use the Phable Care App to consult India’s leading diabetologists, order medicines, book lab tests, integrate blood sugar monitoring and other devices to get real-time remote care from the comfort of your home. Also, check out our Diabetes Management program which provides 360º care. Let’s treat diabetes together.
Friendly Asked Questions
Sweets that are made with fresh fruits, nuts, whole grains, seeds, low glycaemic index (GI) ingredients and healthy, low-calorie sweeteners are ideal for diabetics.
Yes, diabetics can eat sweets in moderation. Eating sweets once in a while (once a week) and exercising portion control when eating desserts will ensure your blood sugar levels remain stable.
If your blood sugar levels are high, try to exercise or go on a walk. When you are physically active, the cells in your muscles use the extra sugar (glucose) in your blood to fuel your workout. This can aid in lowering your blood sugar levels.
Eating too much sugar can cause a sharp spike in a diabetic’s blood glucose (sugar) levels, a condition called hyperglycaemia. Severe hyperglycaemia can cause symptoms like:
-Dry mouth
-Increased thirst
-Frequent urination
-Blurred vision
-Shortness of breath
-Confusion and trouble concentratingIf left untreated, hyperglycaemia can lead to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, which can lead to hospitalisation, coma, or death.
No, as rasgulla is made from full-fat or whole milk and sugar, it is not suitable for diabetics. However, diabetics can still indulge in rasgulla in small portions, once in a while.
No, as gulab jamun is made with refined flour or maida, deep fried, and then soaked in sugar syrup, it is not suitable for regular consumption by diabetics. However, diabetics can still indulge in gulab jamun in small portions, once in a while.
Depending on the ingredients used, yes, diabetics can eat halwa. Rava (sooji) and pumpkin have a high glycaemic index (GI) score and thus halwa made from these ingredients is not ideal for diabetics. However, moong dal and carrots are low on the GI scale, so halwa made from these ingredients and natural, low-calorie sugar alternatives like stevia or dates is suitable for diabetics. Take care to consume these desserts in moderation to prevent high blood sugar levels.
No, as kaju katli is made from cashews and sugar, it is not suitable for diabetics. Though cashews are low on the glycaemic index scale, they are rich in saturated fats, which are unhealthy for diabetics when consumed in excess. However, diabetics can still indulge in kaju katli in small portions, once in a while.
If you are a diabetic with a sweet tooth, opt for sweets or desserts made with healthy ingredients like fresh or dry fruits, nuts, whole grains, low-fat yoghurt, natural and low-calorie alternatives to sugar etc. Examples of some of the best healthy Diwali sweets for diabetics include smoothies, frozen yoghurt and fruit parfaits, oats or broken wheat kheer (pudding), dry fruit ladoos, etc.