Can diabetics eat cookies? Here's one you can!
So you might think it’s a bit odd for a nutritional therapist to be talking about cookies. But many people with type 2 diabetes see food as their enemy and struggle with what they can and can’t eat. A healthy diet for anyone, including people with type 2 diabetes, should focus on lots of colourful vegetables, high quality protein including two portions of oily fish a week, nuts, seeds, pulses and a small amount of fruit. But everyone needs a treat now and again. The secret is making that treat as kind to your body as possible so that it doesn’t upset blood sugar levels which can cause problems.
This cookie recipe is taken from The Reverse Your Diabetes Cookbook by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi. It uses dates to sweeten with nuts and seeds instead of flour. So it's gluten free as well as containing good fats and fibre from the nuts which help to fill you up - reducing that craving to eat them all in one go!
2 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons very hot water
200g peanut butter (or other nut butter)
200g ground almonds
25g ground flaxseeds
2 organic eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
10g at least 70% dark chocolate chopped into 25 small pieces
25 raspberries/blackberries/cherries (pitted)
Soften the dates in the hot water and use a fork to mash to a puree. Add this to a large mixing bowl with all other ingredients (except the chocolate and raspberries) and combine.
Form into 25 walnut sized balls and place onto lined baking trays. Flatten the cookies slightly, make an indent in the top and place a small piece of chocolate topped with a berry/cherry in the indent.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in a pre-heated oven (190oC). Allow to cool on the tray and then store in an airtight container.
