Diabetic Living: Diabetes Meals by the Plate: 90 Low-Carb Meals to Mix & Match

If you must follow a diabetic diet and enjoy cooking, you cannot go wrong with Better Homes and Gardens’ cookbook, Diabetes Meals by the Plate. The test kitchen staff tested and assembled ninety recipes, carefully calibrated for diabetics (or anyone on a healthy diet). This is a large trade paperback, beautifully designed and laid out, placing one recipe and the photograph of the final product on two facing pages. Don’t expect easy and quick recipes. Most require a fair amount of preparation and cooking, and many call for quite a few (though easily available) ingredients. But, good food comes at a price. The idea in this book is to divide your dinner plate into three sections: one half is non-starch veggies, a quarter is starches and grains, and a quarter is protein. Each recipe gives a brief head note, preparation and cooking time, and carbohydrates per serving. Below those you will find complete nutritional information and exchanges, which are important to diabetics. Many recipes are labeled by one of three icons: “Flavor Boost” suggestions, “Make it Mine” for personalizing, and “Time-Saver” shortcuts. The chapters are color-coded according to proteins (Chicken, Turkey, etc.). An additional feature is that each gluten-free recipe is clearly labeled as GF in the index. This is an excellent cookbook.