Tips to Prevent and Manage Diabetes
November is diabetes month and a great time to focus on some simple lifestyle habits that can help prevent and control diabetes. Some of the best advice includes:

1. Maintain a healthy body weight; lose weight if you need to. A balanced diet that emphasizes plant-based foods, along with moderate physical activity can help you lose fat, especially around your mid-section. Abdominal fat is associated with a high risk for the development of chronic disease, such as diabetes.
2. Be good friends with your Meijer pharmacist! Every Meijer store has a pharmacist who is a certified Diabetes Specialist to help with your unique diabetic needs. From medications to diet tips, our pharmacists can give you safe and realistic solutions to manage your diabetes.
3. Eat for good health. Focus on foods that promote overall health and well-being:
Go for Whole Grains: Fiber from whole grains helps you feel full so that you eat less. Fiber also nourishes gut bacteria supporting a healthy digestive system. Sauté mushrooms, onion and other fresh vegetables in olive oil and mix with Barilla Mushroom & Garlic Sauce. Serve over Barilla Pasta Plus to boost your intake of whole grains and fiber.
Vary Your Vegetables: Pack your plate with produce, aiming for about 4 cups of non-starchy vegetables every day. Fresh, frozen or canned – eat a variety of vegetables to get all the nutrients that these power foods have to offer. Before cooking, sprinkle your veggies with McCormick Herbes de Provence or any McCormick Gourmet Spice to add flavor and zest.
Fruit for Dessert: nature’s sweet treats make the perfect dessert at any meal. Packed with soluble fiber and antioxidants, fruit (2-3 servings per day) is an important part of any healthy diet.
Power Up with Protein: Lean meats, poultry, fish and beans are essential for muscle strength and for wound healing. Choose to eat meatless at least one day per week, using beans or soy as a protein source. Use salt free Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blends as a healthy way to add flavor your meat dishes and meatless meals.
Don’t Skip Dairy: An excellent source of protein, calcium and vitamin D, include 2 servings of dairy foods daily. Smart Balance Omega Milk offers all the benefits of milk plus omega-3 fats to support immunity and brain health.

Healthier Holiday Baking
Don’t let the holiday entertaining pack on the pounds. Use these easy holiday baking tips to trim calories from delicious holiday treats.
1. Use whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour. You’ll add fiber (about 3g per 1/4 cup) and fewer net carbohydrates when you substitute whole grain flour for all-purpose flour.
2. Use egg substitute or egg white in place of whole egg—1/4 cup egg substitute is equal to one whole egg and contains about 45 fewer calories. For recipes that call for 2 or more whole eggs, you can use one whole egg plus egg white for the remaining number of eggs required in your recipe.
3. Reduce or eliminate sugar. You can cut back sugar in a recipe by 1/3 to reduce calories, or use a reduced sugar substitute for baking such as Splenda® Sugar Blend for Baking.
4. Cut the fat! Replace half or more of the oil called for in recipes with fruit puree such as applesauce or pureed prunes.
5. Use reduced fat or fat free ingredients. Try fat free evaporated milk, reduced fat sour cream and light cream cheese in your holiday baking recipes.

Lightened Up Pumpkin Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients:
3/4 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
2 Tbsp. light molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tsp. McCormick ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. McCormick Nutmeg
1 whole egg plus 3 egg whites
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups nonfat evaporated milk
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
2 cups Meijer frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, molasses, salt, and cinnamon. When these ingredients are well mixed, stir in the egg whites followed by the pumpkin and evaporated milk. Pour into the pie crust.

3. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the pie comes out clean. Cool then top with whipped topping before serving.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 220 Calories, 8g Fat, 20mg Cholesterol, 400mg Sodium, 28g Carbohydrate (16g Sugar), 3g Fiber, 7g Protein. 2 Carbohydrate Exchanges.
Recipe adapted from www.splenda.tastebook.com

Skinny Snacks:
Conquer overeating at holiday gatherings by enjoying a skinny snack before heading out to your event. You’ll be less likely to partake in mindless eating and over-indulging if you’re not starving when you arrive at the party. Keep these skinny snacks on hand:

1. One cup Old Orchard Healthy Balance® Cranberry Juice blend (29 calories), 1 ounce Meijer 2% Milk Cheddar Cheese (80 calories), 3 whole wheat crackers (40 calories)
2. One cup Smart Balance Fat Free Milk (120 calories) and one banana (80 calories)
3. One Planters NUT-rition Antioxidant Bar (160 calories), 1/2 cup baby carrots (30 calories) and 3/4 cup Tropicana High Pulp Pure Premium orange juice (82 calories)
4. Meijer light yogurt-6 oz. cup (80 calories) with 2 Tbsp. Bare Naked Fit Granola (60 calories) and an 8 ounce glass of Gatorade (50 calories)
5. A handful (about a dozen) Meijer Tortilla Chips (1 ounce = 140 calories), 1/4 cup Meijer corn and Black Bean Salsa (40 calories) and 1/2 cup Juicy Juice Mango juice (60 Calories)