Food for Real People

Real people have real concerns - such as diabetes. I have a family member with type 2. It's not at the horribly serious point yet, but it can get there. We're trying to manage it with pills, diet and exercise. Does he want to eat "real food"? Of course!

He must eat a protein source for breakfast or suffer the consequences, in the form of low blood sugar later in the morning. He usually opts for eggs and maybe sausage or bacon. He eats sandwiches for lunch (he's on the road most of the day and doesn't have access to a microwave - and I might add that he refuses to eat things like salads for lunch) and has to count the bread as a carb. He usually has whole wheat bread, which is a better choice than white, but is still a carb. He likes to have meaty sandwiches with cheese.

For suppers, it gets difficult for me. My daughter and I have to eat gluten-free. Then there's this diabetes thing, and on top of that I'm juggling meal ideas for the vegetarian son. Whew.

Pasta is a well-loved choice for our family, but isn't so practical anymore because of the diet concerns. My veggie loving son is all for eating whole wheat pasta. Hubby is not fond of it at all. Of course, my daughter and I can't touch wheat anyway. Here's what I've found works for us:

Amanda and I love Ancient Harvest quinoa/corn pasta. We also like Tinkyada Rice Pasta.

I have begun serving the rest of the family Dreamfields Pasta. It has twice the fiber of other white pastas (5 g. per serving) and is lowest on the glycemic index than any other pasta (13). The family says that it tastes good and they can't tell any difference between it and traditional pasta. (info from Dreamfields)