A CHARITY has designed a selection of mouthwatering recipes suitable for diabetics.

Chicken casserole, cherry and chocolate dessert pots and fruit and nut bars are just some of the healthy dishes now available on the Diabetes UK website.

The charity’s ‘Enjoy Food’ recipe finder has recipes to suit every occasion from quick everyday family meals to something for a special occasion.

Each one also lists the all-important carbohydrate content to make ‘carb counting’ easy for people with diabetes who need to match their insulin dose to the amount of carbohydrate they are eating.

Each recipe also includes protein, fat, saturates, sugars and salt content per portion, as well as calorie information.

Every recipe has been analysed by a Diabetes UK dietician.

Debbie Goulding, from Peacehaven, whose daughter Ellie, 15, was diagnosed with diabetes four years ago, knows only too well how hard it can be to find the right dishes.

She said: “It was a complete nightmare at first as we had no time to learn anything. Ellie’s diet had to change immediately.

“We had to learn about carbs and sugars and work out when she needed more insulin or less insulin.

“Foods like pizza for example are the worst because they are high in carbs and fat. Processed cereals can also be tricky and there are even some vegetables like sweetcorn or peas that you have to look out for.”

Mrs Goulding, 44, said her daughter coped really well with her diabetes and was interested in trying out the new recipes herself.

She said: “Ellie can already cook but when she is going to university in a few years time it is always good to have some simple and safe recipes to hand.

“These will also be really good for families of people who have just been diagnosed and are still learning about what they can eat.

“The dishes like the cherry and chocolate pots will also help younger children not feel as if they are missing out.”

Chef Lyndon Gee, who designed the recipes, said: “While living with diabetes makes it important to follow a healthy diet, it shouldn’t mean you have to eat different food to your loved ones, or stop taking pleasure from food. In truth it is important that everyone, whether diagnosed with diabetes or not, follows a healthy diet which includes plenty of vegetables and fruit but is low in sugar, salt and saturated fat.”

For more details, visit diabetes.org.uk

RECIPE FOR CHERRY AND CHOCOLATE DESSERT POT
SERVES 4

Ingredients
225g fresh cherries
2 tbsp artificial sweetener
1 tsp (level) cornflour, blended with 1 tbsp cold water
100g Quark or low fat soft cheese
2tbsp skimmed milk
Half level tsp vanilla extract
25g dark chocolate, dark, broken into pieces

For the chocolate sauce:
1 heaped tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Half a level tsp cornflour, blended with half tbsp cold water
1 level tbsp golden syrup

Method
1. Halve and pit the cherries, saving four for decoration.

2. Put in a small pan with 50ml water and 1tbsp artificial sweetener. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until soft.

3. Blend 1 level tsp cornflour with 1 tbsp cold water and stir into cherries until thickened.

4. Remove from heat and cool, stirring to prevent skin forming.

5. In a bowl, beat 100g low-fat soft cheese, 2 tbsp skimmed milk, half tsp vanilla extract and 1 tbsp sweetener until smooth.

6. For the chocolate sauce, put 25g dark chocolate pieces into a pan and add 1 heaped tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, half level tsp cornflour, blended with half tbsp cold water, and 1 tbsp golden syrup. Heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Cool, stirring to prevent skin forming.

7. Spoon everything into small serving glasses. Finish each one with a cherry and chill and serve.