Great Recipes For Glycemic Index Conscious Diners

One does not have to sacrifice taste in order to maintain steady blood sugar levels.  Many creative cooks have come up with tantalizing dishes which still address GI chart targets.  This is accomplished not only by ingredient selection but also by how various foods are combined within a single meal.

Addition of proteins often counterbalances an ingredient which has a high glycemic index score.  Obviously, the glycemic index is not the sole determining factor when it comes to choosing a healthy and well rounded diet.

All parts of a meal can be made GI compliant.  Starting with this delicious soup:

Barley and Carrot Soup

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 tablespoon butter
2 medium sized carrots
1 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup barley (pearl barley is preferred)
1 stick of celery
Fresh thyme
A pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions
Slice the carrots and fry in the butter over low heat. Add the salt, pepper and thyme.
Add the barley into the mix and continue to saute for approximately 10 minutes.
Slowly add the vegetable stock and cover.
Let cook for approximately 55 minutes.
Add the celery and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Transfer soup to a blender and reduce to a puree.  Serve hot.

For your main course, this recipe is a favorite among seafood lovers:

Apricot Tuna Steak

Ingredients (Serves 2)

2 medium sized fresh tuna steaks
16 apricots (dried)
One small red onion
One large red tomato
Two tablespoons vinegar (balsamic)
Two tablespoons of your favorite brandy
Four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Fresh thyme and ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions

Chop 8 of the dried apricots and half of the tomato. Blend in a food processor with the vinegar, brandy, fresh thyme, olive oil and black pepper. Marinate the tuna steaks in this mixture for a half hour at room temperature.

Cut the onion into strips and lightly fry until tender. Slice the other 8 apricots and the other half of the tomato and add to the onions. Saute for a minute or two.

Use a spatula to scrape the fish of the marinade. Fry both the tuna and the marinade in the same pan as used to saute the onions, apricots and tomato.  For medium rare tuna, cook the steak for 2 minutes on each side.  Add another minute or two for well done tuna.  When finished, top with the onion, apricot and tomato mixture.

Every great meal finishes with a mouth watering dessert.  Staying within your GI chart targets does not preclude satisfying your sweet tooth.

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberries

Ingredients (Serves 2)

40 grams cocoa cooking chocolate
1 egg white
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
A teaspoon of sugar
Approximately 15 raspberries

Cooking Instructions

Place broken up chunks of the chocolate into a double boiler. After the chocolate fully melts, remove the chocolate.  Allow chocolate to cool for five to ten minutes.

Separate the egg yoke from the white. Add the sugar to the egg white and whisk until firm.  Look for the egg whites to form soft peaks which is an indication they are ready.

Mix together the cooled chocolate and the yogurt.  Fold the egg whites into this mixture and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Prior to serving arrange the fresh raspberries on top.

This fantastic meal as outlined above is completely GI compliant.  As you can see, one can eat well while still maintaining balanced and steady blood glucose levels.

Bon appetit!