JUVENILE DIABETES: How to Munch a Healthy Lunch
Guides to kid-friendly, health-conscious fun
BY:MARC LICHTER
Eating can be fun. It's keeping it healthy at the same time that's sometimes a drag, especially when you're on a restricted diet like someone with diabetes. But there are ways to enjoy eating or preparing foods for loved ones with diabetes, including your kids, and the following two books can help you do just that.
The Diabetes Snack Munch Nibble Nosh Book by Ruth Glick (American Diabetes Association, $14.95) provides healthful treat ideas that are easy to make and a ton of fun to eat. From Crispy Eggplant Sticks with Dipping Sauce to Caramel Apples (yes, gooey, yummy caramel apples!), there's something to satisfy everyone. Each recipe lists prep time, serving size, food exchanges, calorie count (total and those from fat), fat count (total and saturated), cholesterol, sodium, carbs (total, dietary fiber, sugars) and protein—as well as ingredients and instructions. This is fun food—from sandwiches and wraps to dips and spreads to biscuits and muffins and more—for everyone in the family.
Aimed a bit more at kids, yet not specifically for those with diabetes, is The Healthy Lunchbox: How to Plan, Prepare & Pack Stress-Free Meals Kids Will Love by Marie McClendon, MEd, and Cristy Shauck (Small Step Press, $12.95). The goal here is to provide midday meals that are nutritious, balanced and still high on the yummy scale. With tips on how to get the kids involved, how to steer your shopping cart to get what's good and avoid what's not, and even shopping lists, meal-rotation charts and presentation ideas, this book provides far more than its 60-plus healthful recipes. As does the book above, The Healthy Lunchbox provides a breakdown of exchanges, calories, fat content, sugars, etc. But most recipes also include an alternative recipe idea, a fun fact, or even a "groaner"—a pun-like joke sure to make the child helping you out bust out with a giggle! Great for families with special eating needs, whether it be diabetes, celiac disease, food allergies—or just stubborn pickiness!
For more on Kids and Diabetes, click on:
JUVENILE DIABETES: THE EARLY YEARS
JUVENILE DIABETES: TWEENS AND TEENS
JUVENILE DIABETES: WORKING WITH SCHOOLS AND CAMPS
JUVENILE DIABETES: BUILD ON KID POWER