On Nov. 4, Colorado State University Extension and the Golden Plains Area hosted a Diabetes webinar titled “Holiday Cooking: Meeting Dietary Requirements without Sacrificing Flavor.” The webinar was presented by Deeona Johnston, RDN.

The focus of the webinar was to show how to incorporate common holiday dishes, like stuffing, pies, yams (sweet potatoes) and latkes while still following a diet designed to help manage diabetes.

A Consistent Carbohydrate Diet was introduced during the webinar. This diet is designed to help control blood sugar levels by eating a consistent amount of carbs during the day. Although the diet should be individualized, 45 grams (three servings) of carbs per meal for women and 60 grams (four servings) per meal for men are commonly recommended. One to two snacks containing 15 grams (one serving) of carbs and a protein are included in the meal plan.

After discussing the number of carb servings, we went over the foods that are considered carbs. When people think of carbs, they tend to see grains, breads, pastas and potatoes, but there are many healthy foods that contain sugars and are therefore considered a carb serving. Here are a few examples of one serving of carbs: one small apple, two tablespoons of dried fruit, one cup of milk or soy substitutes, one-half hamburger or hot dog bun, one six-inch corn or flour tortilla, one tablespoon syrup, jam or jelly, half a cup sugar-free pudding or ice cream, and half a cup mashed potatoes, green peas, corn or beans. Anything that has 15 grams of carbs is considered one serving.

The rest of the webinar focused on tips and changes to common holiday dishes so those with diabetes can still enjoy their holiday meals while following their diet. General tips include:

• Eating off smaller plates. They fill up faster, so you take smaller portions.

• Making items from scratch. Some boxed or canned items contain a lot of salt or sugar to help enhance flavors and preserve the food.

• Know your limit and eat more later. You don’t need to overeat during your meal. Often there’s lots of food left over, so you don’t need to eat all the carbs in one meal.

• Spice up your food! If you need to remove salt or items high in sugar, use other spices to add flavor.

If you are looking for recipes that are designed for a diabetic diet, http://www.diabetesfoodhub.org is a great resource.

At the end of the webinar a question was asked about how alcohol can fit into a diabetic diet and the holiday meal. Just like the general public, alcohol consumption should be limited to one serving for women and one to two servings for men. A serving of alcohol contains about 14 grams of alcohol, which is 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, and 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits. In 12 ounces of beer there’s about 13 grams of carbs and five ounces of wine contain about four grams of carbs. Alcohol is metabolized differently by the body, so if you drink too much it can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). You can count the number of carbs in the alcohol drinks, but you shouldn’t replace food carbs with alcohol carbs due to the possibility of low blood sugar. If you choose to enjoy an alcoholic beverage during the holidays, make sure to check your blood sugar before and after consuming the drink and drink responsibly. For more information check out these references:

https://foodsmartcolorado.colostate.edu/nutrition-and-health/diseases-and-conditions/diabetes/diabetes-and-alcohol/. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/gim/core_resources/patient%20handouts/handouts_may_2012/mixing%20alcohol%20with%20your%20diabetes.pdf.

If you would like to watch the full recorded webinar you can find it here: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/diabetes-coalition-webinars/. You will need a password, please contact a FCS Agent for the password; Yuma County – (970) 332-4151; Washington County – (970) 345-2287; Phillips County – (970) 854-3616; Kit Carson County – (719) 346-557; and Logan County – (970) 522-3200 Ext. 2.

Colorado State University Extension programs are available to all without discrimination. Colorado State University Extension is your local university community connection for research-based information about natural resource management; living well through raising kids, eating right and spending smart; gardening and commercial horticulture; the latest agricultural production technologies and community development. Extension 4-H and youth development programs reach more than 90,000 young people annually, over half in urban communities.