# Freezer cooking for diabetics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 18, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152 "2012-04-18T14:18:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/1 "2012-04-18T14:18:32Z")
My fiance’s mom just had surgery on her ankle and is going to be off her feet for three months. It’s very important at this time to control her diabetes (she’s evidently in serious danger of losing the foot otherwise.) She and her husband have both had bypass surgery a few years ago and are supposed to be eating right both for their hearts and for her diabetes, but they TOTALLY don’t. Seriously, she’s all “I don’t eat sugar!” but pays absolutely no attention to glycemic index or anything else. He eats what she cooks; she cooks down home country food. So, I was going to do a bunch of cooking and freeze stuff for them. Her husband will be “doing the cooking” (which he’s never done before) so I was going to make dinners that can be easily defrosted with very simple instructions written on my packaging. The thing is, I have to make stuff that she’s supposed to be eating… that they’ll actually like and eat. Now, I could make some awesome baked ziti that they’d love… that she isn’t supposed to have. Or I could make some great healthy food… that requires more cooking and assembly. That they’d probably hate. I can’t think of any good examples of things that I could make that would be all three things - easy for future father in law to prepare, tasty to them, AND what they’re both supposed to be eating. Please to give suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/2 "2012-04-18T15:11:58Z")
One make-ahead thing I’ve always liked are egg & sausage muffins. That is, muffins made from eggs, sausage, cheese and often some peppers. This is low carb but in no means low fat - unless you use Egg Beaters, turkey sausage (bulk turkey sausage is hard to find!) and low-fat cheese. It’s up to you if you want to go that route or not - it’d probably taste ok, especially if you used real cheese with the low-fat other stuff. I don’t have a specific recipe that I use, but if you Google “egg & sausage muffins” you’ll find tons of recipes. Probably some low-fat ones too. They keep pretty well in the fridge but I don’t know how well they would freeze. They’d probably be a bitch to microwave frozen but I’m guessing they would thaw fine and then they can be microwaved. Pre-marinated pork loins are suuuuuuuper easy to make. They are delicious if you cook them to 140 degrees and let them sit for 20 mins wrapped in foil. I cook mine in a piece of foil in a cake pan (375, 20 mins per pound) then take it out, wrap it and let it sit. No cleanup. Gift them a good probe thermometer for that. If you cook by temp and not by time, you’ll end up with the tenderest of meats. Meatloaf is good. You can make it and freeze it, uncooked, in either a muffin tin with individual portions or small aluminum loaf pans. The loaf pans are probably better - no cleanup at all. You can probably find a recipe for eggplant or zucchini-based lasagna. Freeze that in tiny loaf pans too, uncooked. If you have a ice cream maker (or can score one from the thrift shop for cheap) you can make low carb ice cream pretty easily. It’s heavy and would be filling for them (once again low carb not low fat). I don’t have a recipe for that either but there are tons out there. Give them a variety of frozen veggies, the steam-in-bag kind. Steer clear of carrots, corn, lima beans and peas. Broccoli (even broccoli with cheese sauce), cauliflower, green beans and brussel sprouts are good. They can microwave a bag of veggies while whatever else is cooking in the oven. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/3 "2012-04-18T15:37:21Z")
I do think we need to be at least somewhat concerned about fat, considering she won’t be up and about for three months and they both have heart issues (actually in a few weeks she has to go get a stent put in). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/4 "2012-04-18T16:07:46Z")
I’ve had good luck with Indian cooking–make up a batch of chicken curry and some rice, put rice in tupperware, add curry & enough sauce to cover, then freeze. For salads, you can get pre-cut lettuce and some bell peppers, radishes, scallions & such; spend an hour once a week cutting up all the non-lettuce things and store them in tupperware in the fridge. For more idea’s, I’d go to a big supermarket and see what they’ve got for TV dinners and frozen entrees, particularly ones that label themselves “home cooking” or “country cooking”, then see if you can make that ahead and freeze it. Better food, more reliable ingredients & portions, and probably cheaper. Since you’re concerned about glycemic index, you probably already know this, but it’s best to be safe: sugar is not the enemy, carbs are the enemy. Potatoes and carrots are carbs, not simple vegetables, so meat, potatoes and carrots a complete meal does not make. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/5 "2012-04-18T16:20:01Z")
You didn’t give a lot of examples of things they _do_ like, “down home cooking” means different things in the South, midwest, etc. Can you give some more examples of things they do like and don’t like? -Meat loaf. You can actually make it pretty lean - use part ground chicken or ground turkey. Just don’t use ALL ground turkey it will be bland). Similarly you can “cut” mashed potatoes 50/50 with mashed cauliflower, thereby cutting waaaay back on calories and starchy carbs. -Beef stew is easy to make and freeze - use onions, celery, and turnips as the main veggies instead of potatoes and carrots (once turnips are cooked down in stew you really can’t tell them apart from potatoes). I like a tomato base but make it however you prefer. -Baked ziti with whole wheat pasta? There’s also the Barilla “Plus” high protein pasta. The taste really isn’t that different. I do baked ziti just like lasagna in layers with ricotta cheese, mozz cheese sauce and noodles. I mix in a box of drained chopped spinach to the ricotta to take it a complete dinner. -Sheperd’s pie - cooked beef, green beans, and topping of mashed Celery root (YUM); you can use a small amount of potato to hold it together if needed. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/6 "2012-04-18T18:42:53Z")
Oh, sorry. It’s the South. All the veggies are boiled to death and have pig fat in 'em. They don’t eat “weird foreign food” or anything they can’t recognize or pronounce. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/7 "2012-04-18T19:16:41Z")
I was thinking, by the way, about chili (“defrost in microwave”) and chicken breasts with simple marinade (“preheat oven to 350, start checking temp at 20 minutes, cook until internal temp reaches 165”) but I’d like some more variety. Beef stews sound good. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/8 "2012-04-18T19:33:49Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I was thinking, by the way, about chili (“defrost in microwave”) and chicken breasts with simple marinade (“preheat oven to 350, start checking temp at 20 minutes, cook until internal temp reaches 165”) but I’d like some more variety. Beef stews sound good. For what it’s worth, chili is carbier than it would seem. At least 25 carbs for a 2-cup bowl. Those beans and tomatoes add a lot, though they are also very healthy IMO. Other than that, I don’t have much that others haven’t already mentioned. I had a whole post typed out right before my electricity went out, but it went kablooey and since then everyone’s said most of what I wrote. > [@](#): > > Oh, sorry. It’s the South. All the veggies are boiled to death and have pig fat in 'em. They don’t eat “weird foreign food” or anything they can’t recognize or pronounce. You can still make decently healthy veggies even boiled and with fat and sugar added. If that’s the only way they’ll eat their vegetables, it’s still better than no veggies at all. In other words, filling up on glazed carrots is better than filling up on white bread and desserts. Do they like sweet potatoes? Red garnet yams are almost eerily sweet on their own and they might fit the bill even without sugar/marshmallows/etc. added (just don’t TELL them you didn’t add sugar! They might not notice! Or add very little.) Frozen veggies with sauces are readily available and pretty decadent. Soups are great and freeze easily, and are good hiding place for veggies. Sausages are also good and easy to pull out for simple meals. Just make sure that they understand they can be eaten without a bun. What about BBQ? Once again, skip the bread, and try to go with a vinegar-based sauce instead of something overly sweet. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/9 "2012-04-18T19:40:03Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > For what it’s worth, chili is carbier than it would seem. At least 25 carbs for a 2-cup bowl. Those beans and tomatoes add a lot, though they are also very healthy IMO. Of course, that all depends on what kind of chili you’re making. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/10 "2012-04-18T19:59:16Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > What about BBQ? Once again, skip the bread, and try to go with a vinegar-based sauce instead of something overly sweet. Oh yeah, pulled pork and cooked turnip/mustard greens is a southern dish that’s actually quite low starch. Go ahead and add a little hog to the greens for flavor, just a couple slices bacon diced, fried and drained. The greens themselves have like 2 calories a pound so even if you are watching calories overall its ok to splurge a teensy bit. I’ll probably never be welcome in Virginia again after saying this but you can cook a pork shoulder in a crockpot with some liquid smoke and make a reasonable facsimile of pulled pork. After cooking up the pork you can either go for North Carolina style sauce (vinegar & pepper) or grab a low sugar tomato based bbq sauce. [example recipe for crockpot pork here](http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/easy-crockpot-pulled-pork-recipe/). ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/11 "2012-04-18T20:36:35Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Of course, that all depends on what kind of chili you’re making. True. Texas chile is about as low-carb as it comes. Given that \*\*Zsofia \*\* mentioned her in-laws were fairly conservative food-wise, I’m assuming she meant basic chili-with-beans like you get at Wendy’s (which, according to their site, has 21 carbs for a small serving. That’s worse than my homemade chili!) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/12 "2012-04-18T21:18:11Z")
I honestly don’t know them very well at all, so I know a lot more about what they don’t like than what they do. The mister hasn’t been all that helpful with this project. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/13 "2012-04-18T22:45:11Z")
The website Nourished Kitchen has a lovely cream of chicken soup that is low-carb and freezes well. I’m posting from my phone or I’d link to it directly. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/14 "2012-04-19T17:01:33Z")
Hummus is a good way to get low-fat protein and fiber into them. Just tell 'em it’s “bean dip.” Which is true. _pokes around the Nourished Kitchenwebsite_ Ah, **Drain Bead** must be talking about [this recipe](http://nourishedkitchen.com/recipes/?recipe_id=6003335). Sounds good! Thanks, DB - I hadn’t been to that one yet. _bookmarks site_ ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/15 "2012-04-19T18:07:32Z")
For meals other than their main ones, Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice both make some pretty tasty and healthy options. You’ll have to give a hard look toward the non-pasta based ones for your MIL, but most of the entrees have at least one serving of veggies (at least the ones that I buy for my lunch) and when they don’t, a salad or a serving of raw veggies goes well with them. For breakfast, there’s also premade sandwiches that’re on the lower fat, not-so-bad carbwise end of the spectrum (whole wheat English muffin w/ egg white patty, turkey bacon or sausage and low fat cheese and not too bad on the sodium). They’re made for the microwave, so would be easy for your FIL. These are just options for meals other than the ones you plan on fixing ahead. missred (Type II diabetic) ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/16 "2012-04-19T19:37:08Z")
According to [About.com](http://About.com) (yeah, I know), rutabagas are low in carbs and are a neat underutilized veggie. Cut 'em up, boil 'em up, mash 'em, or just roast 'em, delicious. They’re even good raw with a dip, got a nice spicy note. Apparently brussels sprouts are low carb - could you maybe slice some up with some bacon and a small amount of fat/stock, freeze, then have them reheat in a skillet until glazed? Or they could probably be roasted just as easily in the oven. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/17 "2012-04-19T22:42:54Z")
One other thing I should mention - we don’t live particularly near them, so I can’t go cut up a bunch of veggies every week or anything. Otherwise I’d take them weekly dinner packs or something, which would be easier because it wouldn’t require everything be freezable. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-cooking-for-diabetics/619152/18 "2012-04-19T23:12:20Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > … Her husband will be “doing the cooking” (which he’s never done before) … Can he make basic things like scrambled eggs?