Foods are grouped into starches, fruits, milk, meat, sweets, fats, and free foods. You can exchange or trade foods within a group if they are similar in nutrient content and the manner in which they affect your blood sugar. The recipe we give below, for example, has the following exchange values: Fruit 1, Carbohydrate 0.5, Meat (very lean) 4, Fat 1.5. The Mayo Clinic, in agreement with the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetics Association, has compiled these practical exchange charts.

Starches
Fruits
Milk
Meat
Sweets
Fats
Free Foods

Don’t have time to cook? Try this easy crock pot recipe featured in The Saturday Evening Post. For more slow cooker recipes, check out the Sep/Oct 2010 issue, available September 1.

Maui Chicken

Maui Chicken Courtesy Fix-It and Forget-It by Phyllis Pellman Good with American Diabetes Association

(Makes 6 servings)

Adapted by the American Diabetes Association to fit into a healthy meal plan, this sweet and savory Hawaiian treat is one the whole family will enjoy.

• 6 boneless chicken breast halves, trimmed of skin and fat
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 14.5-ounce can chicken broth (preferably low sodium)
• 20-ounce can pineapple chunks
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup water

[Editor’s note: Tasters from our test kitchen suggest using an extra tablespoon of soy sauce for added flavor.]

Brown chicken in oil. Transfer chicken to slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken and cover. Cook on High for 4-6 hours. Serve over rice.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving:
(without rice or low-sodium versions)
Calories: 305
Fat: 8 g (saturated: 1.4 g; polyunsaturated: 2.2 g; monounsaturated: 4 g)
Cholesterol: 82 mg
Sodium: 601 mg
Carbohydrate: 25 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugars: 19 g
Protein: 32 g

Exchange List Values:
Fruit 1, Carbohydrate 0.5, Meat (very lean) 4, Fat 1.5
Recipe courtesy Fix-It and Forget-It Diabetic Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good with American Diabetes Association

The Exchange List Values for the Ratatouille and Apple Crisp recipes featured in the Sep/Oct issue are as follows:
Ratatouille: ½ fat exchange and 1 carb exchange
Apple Crisp: 2 carb exchanges and 1 ½ fat exchanges

Diabetes Exchange The Saturday Evening Post

Start today!

James suggests taping this list to the refrigerator and adopting one healthy habit a week:

• Begin each day with a good stretch and some deep breaths.
• Plan a week’s worth of meals on your day off.
• Spend 30 minutes twice a week cutting up fresh veggies to have ready for snacks and preparing meals. Next time you want scrambled eggs (or tofu), sauté some veggies first, then add eggs.
• Keep seasonal fruit on hand for when hunger (or a sweet tooth) strikes.
• Vary your food; if you eat it on Monday, don’t have it again until Friday.
• Eat at a table and chew well. Be thankful.
• Make your own vinaigrette with olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, a little Dijon mustard, a minced garlic clove, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle grated cheese on top of casseroles instead of mixing in larger amounts.
• Substitute raw nuts and seeds for processed granola bars.
• Have at least one day a week without meat—Meatless Monday, perhaps.
• Eat more leafy greens. Steam kale, chard, spinach, or radicchio, among others, for a couple minutes. Drain and set aside. Sauté some onions, garlic, and shitake mushrooms in olive oil for a few minutes. Add steamed greens, stir, and serve.
• Communicate well. Kindly speak your mind and be done with it. Don’t hold grudges. Forgive yourself and others.

12 Tips for Better Health The Saturday Evening Post

Baked Barbecue Chicken—Spicy Southern Style

Baked Barbecued Chicken—Spicy Southern Style

(Makes 6 servings)

• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 teaspoons white vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken (breasts, drumsticks), skinless

Combine all ingredients except chicken in saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes. Wash chicken and pat dry. Place on large platter and brush with half of sauce mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Place chicken on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil for 10 minutes on each side to seal in juices. Turn oven to 350 F and add remaining sauce to chicken. Cover chicken with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/2 breast or 2 small drumsticks
Calories: 176
Total fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: less than 1 g
Cholesterol: 81 mg
Sodium: 199 mg
Total fiber: 1 g
Protein: 27 g
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Potassium: 392 mg

Recipe from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Baked Barbecue Chicken—Spicy Southern Style The Saturday Evening Post