The Exotic Teapot

I found today out that two of my guests for my upcoming dinner party are diabetic. To accommodate their dietary needs, what do I need to consider when planning my menu?

My friend was diagnosed as diabetic, and here are some of the foods I know she needs to avoid:

white rice
white potatoes
white bread
sugary foods and desserts
tropical fruits

I think if you serve healthy veggies and cut down the sugar, everything will be fine.

Avoid foods that are high in fat (cholesterol and saturated). This includes meat, lobster, crab and egg yolks. Also cook with oils such as olive, sunflower and corn oils.

There are some foods considered free foods for diabetics (less than 20 calories). This includes tea, coffee, broth and bouillon. Therefore, I would not be concerned with serving a variety of teas at the party. Also a clear soup using broth and fresh vegetables would be a good idea, as long as the fat has been skimmed from the broth liquid.

You could provide the two guests with your planned menu in advance. By doing so, they can adjust their other two+ meals for the day accordingly. For example, if you decide to serve a starch, like rice, each of them can limit their intake of starchy foods for that day so that they can eat the rice at your party. Diabetics can dine just as others do if they plan their daily diet in advance. My husband is a diabetic and this works best for him.