For the past 6 months I have been working on a 107 Recipe Low Glycemic Index eCookbook - Everyday Cooking for Health and today I'm giving you a sneak peak! The eCookbook is to help people reach sustainable healthy eating based on low glycemic index foods with down-to-earth, easy-to-follow, quick-to-prepare recipes.
I've picked 5 recipes to highlight in this blog post, although it was hard to choose which ones!
The power-packed collection of healthful recipes will help you eat to feel great. You'll be able to maintain a healthy weight, lose weight, reduce the risk of and better manage diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and so much more. Best of all, you will still enjoy your food!
All recipes include nutritional info for: calories, carbohydrates, net carbohydrates, protein, fats, saturated fats, net carbs, sodium, sugar and fibre!
But first you may be thinking... "What the heck is the glycemic index, and why is it important to my health?"
You may have heard that low carbohydrate diets are good for us. People rave about low carb diets like they are the best thing since…sliced bread (sorry, couldn’t help myself). “Carbs are evil.” “Carbs wreak havoc on our health.” You hear it all. However, you may also start to see more and more health professionals stand up for carbohydrates. Carbohydrates alone do not wreak havoc on our health. What does tend to wreak havoc, is the OVER-consumption of calories in general, but in particular, refined carbohydrates (e.g., white flour, sugar, etc.), that tend to be high on the glycemic index (GI).
The Glycemic Index
The GI is a list of carbohydrate-containing foods and how quickly they are processed through our bodies and thus raise blood glucose (sugar) levels compared to a standard food. Foods that are high on the GI scale produce a large fluctuation in our blood glucose levels. When our glucose levels spike, our bodies have to work extra hard to get them back into balance. Foods high on the GI scale also tend to be high in calories and low in nutrients…which is what we call empty calories, and something we don’t want to be eating too much of. They also tend to be very easily accessible, and highly palatable (aka tasty), which is why we have to be mindful of not over-doing it.
Low GI foods, on the other hand, produce a slower and more even rate of absorption when digestion occurs, which means the foods are more gradually broken down in our digestive tract. This is typically because there are more nutrients in these foods, such as protein and/or fibre (and other nutrients as well) Low GI foods include things like fresh veggies, eggs, lean meat, whole grains, and many fresh fruits. As a rule of thumb, you want to have low GI foods most of the time, medium GI foods sometimes, and high GI foods occasionally.
For more information, check out my e-Cookbook!
Here are 5 recipes from the book!
Breakfast Casserole
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 cup milk of choice
6 large eggs
3 egg whites
3/4 cup cheese
2 slices 100% whole wheat whole grain, or sprouted grain bread, cubed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon regular mustard
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup onion
1 tsp oil of choice, or nonstick cooking spray
Directions
Whisk together milk, eggs and egg whites. Add remaining ingredients and pour into an 8x8 pan that has been lightly coated with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories: 267 | Carbohydrate: 10g | Sugar: 4g | Fiber: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g |
Sat Fat: 7g | Net Carbohydrate: 9g
Garden Fresh Vegetable Pizza
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 whole wheat pitas or ‘Flat Out’ wraps
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (preferably light)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (preferably light)
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon each: fresh or dried basil, oregano, and parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Sprinkle cheeses and garlic over whole wheat pitas. Add garlic, then layer tomato, zucchini and red onion. Top with Parmesan cheese and herbs. Bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted.
Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories: 274 | Carbohydrate: 20g | Sugar: 2g | Fiber: 4g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 13g |
Sat Fat: 6 | Sodium: 631mg | Net Carbohydrate: 16g
Simple Nicoise Style Salad
Ingredients
1 can light tuna (or black beans)
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
2 small new potatoes, cooked
2 small tomatoes
1 cup green beans, lightly steamed or cooked
2 cups romaine lettuce, or mixed greens
Optional: Any other veggies or low calorie topping of choice, e.g. olives
Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tbsp cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Directions
Prepare vinaigrette by mixing vinegar, mustard and garlic. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until smooth. For salad, place lettuce on 2 plates and place remaining ingredients in small groups on top. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories: 381 | Carbohydrate: 30g | Sugar: 6g | Fiber: 5g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 18g |
Sat Fat: 3g | Sodium: 543mg | Net Carbohydrate: 25g
Knock Your Socks Off Chili
Ingredients
1 pound extra lean ground beef, chicken or turkey (omit beef to make vegan)
4 cans tomatoes (with green chilies if desired)
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans low sodium black beans (e.g. Eden foods), drained and rinsed
4 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 containers low sodium beef, or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Brown meat, onion, pepper, celery and garlic. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until veggies are tender. Serve with a side green salad for added fullness and a complete meal.
Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories: 306 | Carbohydrate: 27g | Sugar: 9g | Fiber: 8g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 10g |
Sat Fat: 3g | Sodium: 650mg | Net Carbohydrate: 1g
Balsamic-Marinated Chicken with Sautéed Mushrooms
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 four ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼” thick
2 cups mushrooms, halved
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Directions
In a plastic bag, mix 2 tablespoons vinegar, mustard and garlic. Marinate for
2 hours.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium heat to hot but not smoking. Add chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter and cover to keep warm. Heat remaining oil in skillet; add mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add broth, thyme, and remaining vinegar. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are cooked and sauce has reduced by half. Serve chicken topped with
mushrooms.
Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories: 290 | Carbohydrate: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Fiber: 0g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 1g | Sat Fat: 3g | Sodium: 413mg | Net Carbohydrate: 5g
Easy as Pie Applesauce Cake
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup SPLENDA® or Truvia® no calorie sweetener, granular
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 tablespoons oil of choice
1 cup applesauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat cake pan with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix them together (do not over stir). Spoon into prepared pan and bake 35-40 minutes.
Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories: 154 | Carbohydrate: 21g | Sugar: 3g | Fiber: 4g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g |
Sat Fat: 0g | Sodium: 295mg | Net Carbohydrate: 17g
Felicia Newell is a Nutritionist, Dietitian-Candidate, Food and Nutrition Expert, Health Coach, and a mom of 4 boys under 6! She is also the owner of Sustain Nutrition. Felicia wears many hats, and knows what it is like to try and live healthy in a busy world, where our environments aren't always supportive of making healthy choices. Life is busy, confusing at times, and full of contradictions, especially in the world of health and wellness. Felicia is passionate in helping others fight through the misinformation out there, and to navigate life and health, but most importantly, to enjoy it while doing it. She has over 11 years of education and experience in Nutritional Sciences. Between completing her Bachelor and Masters in Nutritional Sciences, working at a research centre, teaching university courses, years of nutrition counselling helping people crush their goals, and being a busy mom of 4 young boys, she has the passion, skills, education, and experience to help you reach your health and wellness in a way that works for YOU.