Title: The Create-Your-Plate Diabetes Cookbook: A Plate Method Approach to Simple, Complete Meals
ISBN: ISBN-13: 978-1580407045
Author: Toby Amidor
Toby Amidor, nutrition expert from FoodNetwork.com and best-selling cookbook author, has created a new cookbook that allows you to balance your plate with the Create Your Plate approach (the Diabetes Plate Method), The Create-Your-Plate Diabetes Cookbook: A Plate Method Approach to Simple, Complete Meals. This book features 125 recipes to fill your plate, your belly, and that are also diabetes-friendly. Toby wanted this book to make a difference for not only those concerned with blood glucose, but to also help maintain healthy cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight.
The recipes featured in this cookbook have been created to meet the nutrition guidelines of the American Diabetes Association. Your plate is used as a visual guide to create meals that allow you to fill your plate with nonstarchy vegetables and allow you yet to eat smaller portions of foods that contain more starchy carbohydrate and protein foods. I like that there is no counting carbs or measuring portions.
To create your plate, it is recommended that you use a 9″ dinner plate. You can use a larger size plate if you are an individual that needs more calories or an 8″ plate if your needs are lower in calorie. You start with filling half your plate with nonstarchy vegetables and then allow 1/4 of the plate for the protein and also the same size for a portion of carbohydrate food. A low-calorie drink can accompany the meal.
Toby spends time informing readers on options to consider for proteins, and foods to consider for low carb and what are high carb options. When it comes to the zero-calorie beverage options, I am personally not an advocate of diet sodas and teas when they add artificial sweeteners for sugar substitutes.
After learning how to be more of an educated consumer, Toby provides some sample plates. This section gives you a sample menu for the day and the cookbook breaks it down into meal ideas too. Then it’s onto the recipes.
There are unique items, like Funky Monkey Yogurt Bowls for breakfast or a portable option of No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Bites. I like that Toby does use sweeteners like stevia in the recipes and includes sweetening her recipes with unsweetened applesauce. For usual family favorites like sloppy joes, Toby features Turkey and Black Bean Sloppy Joes for a quick weeknight meal in this cookbook. I love it! The last chapter of the book concludes with dips, condiments, and salad dressings you can make at home, which are often more fresh and flavorful, cost less, and don’t come with all the preservatives like store-bought.
Toby is the founder of Toby Amidor Nutrition, where she provides nutrition and food safety consulting services for individuals, restaurants, and food brands. Her cookbooks include Smart Meal Prep for Beginners, The Easy 5-Ingredient Healthy Cookbook, The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook, The Greek Yogurt Kitchen, and The Best Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook Ever. Toby has also appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, Coffee with America, Good Day Street Talk, and San Antonio Live. For the past 10 years, she has been an adjunct professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and is also an adjunct at Hunter College in New York City teaching food service management. In 2018, Toby was awarded by the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics the coveted Media Excellence Award.
