If you’re living with Diabetes or pre-diabetes, then you may have heard about the Glycemic Index (GI). For those unfamiliar, GI is a scale giving values to foods based upon how quickly and how high each food increases blood glucose levels. Lower GI value foods tend to release glucose slowly and steadily. Higher GI value foods release glucose rapidly. People with diabetes may have steadier glucose control by eating less high GI foods and more lower GI foods.

Whether you’re looking for a recipe to feature fish in your holiday menu, or a quick dinner option for any night of the week, you won’t go wrong with this halibut dish. One-pan meals often mean less clean-up. With just 15 minutes of hands-on prep time and 25 minutes to roast, it means your oven does most of the work. Quick meals that taste good and have benefits for your health are a win-win during the busy holiday season! Few foods are a natural source of Vitamin D, which is what makes fish and seafood stand out. Foods which have it added (i.e. fortified) are trying to make up for what’s lacking from within the food supply and low exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is a critical nutrient in many body processes. It supports brain and bone health, as well as reducing risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Halibut is one type of fish with valuable Vitamin D, so adding it to your diet is like giving yourself a present for the holidays!

Many of us are still not getting enough fruits and vegetables, which means missing out on beneficial, immune-boosting nutrients at a critical time of year. No one wants to be fighting illness during the holidays. There are many reasons we don’t get enough:

COST – Remember that all forms of fruits and vegetables count. Stock up on sale items to stretch your food budget. Bagged salad on sale, along with produce that’s in season offers a variety of options.
TIME – Find low-prep options and make sheet pan cooking part of a new routine.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Mini BBQ Turkey Meatloaf Sheet Pan Dinner

Gaining an immune boost from foods requires consistently eating a balanced diet, full of antioxidant-rich items. Eating more plant-based foods with a variety of vitamins and minerals is important. In fact, our body accepts and uses the nutrients in foods better than from a supplement. So instead of popping a multi-vitamin to load up on Vitamins A, C, D & E, make sure you’re adding foods that are rich in these antioxidants.

Did you know that one cup of broccoli has as much Vitamin C as an orange? Cantaloupe and other orange hued fruits & vegetables are also high in Vitamin A, which fights infection. Adding fish or seafood and fortified dairy items adds Vitamin D. Nuts and seeds are a great source of Vitamin E.

Start simple by mixing in some of these antioxidant-rich foods into your meal. Top cereal or oatmeal with fruit. Add nuts or seeds on salad in place of croutons. Or, add broccoli into mac & cheese.

This one-pot option is delicious and time-saving!

Serve with a vitamin-rich fruit salad and serving of protein (fish, lean meat, beans, etc.) for a balanced meal.

For too many years, my family (and probably yours) have wasted food from the holiday meal. We cook too much for the number of dinner guests. Then, there are too many leftovers to use before foods go bad. Raise your hand if you get bored with leftovers just warmed up! As you gather recipes for your Thanksgiving menu, go one step further and find ideas to use leftovers in a different way. That’s a goal I’m setting for my family this holiday season!

Turkey Taco Salad