We hope you’ll be inspired by these four delicious diabetes-friendly recipes that will help you create a healthy, balanced diet and some stunning dishes to boot!
Walnuts are low in sugar[1] and one handful* offers 1.4g of fibre and 4.4g of protein[2] – making them a satisfying choice for those living with the condition. Walnuts are also the only tree nut to contain a significant amount of the plant-based omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), 2.7g/30g.
In addition, over 30 years of scientific research suggests that walnuts may offer benefits for diabetes. A large study, which followed women aged 35-77 years without diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at the start of the study for 10 years, found a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women who regularly consumed walnuts, compared with women who never/rarely consumed walnuts, for example.[3]
So why not enjoy the texture and taste of California Walnuts and the nutrition benefits they have to offer, in these yummy diabetes-friendly recipes; vibrant walnut mixed bean & watercress salad, the satisfying vegetable & walnut ragu, the colourful and tasty baked peppers with rice, chicken & walnuts and the comforting aubergine & walnut Parmigiano?
Mixed bean, walnut & watercress salad
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15-20 minutes
Serves 4
- 1 yellow pepper, sliced
- 100g pack asparagus tips, halved
- 100g California walnuts
- 50g sun-dried tomatoes, sliced plus 3 tbsp oil
- 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 400g can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 100g bag watercress, thick stalks removed
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Preheat the oven to 200oC, gas mark 6.
Method
Place the pepper, asparagus and walnuts on a baking tray and toss in 1 tbsp oil from the tomatoes, roast for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss together the beans, sun-dried tomatoes and watercress, toss in the pepper mixture.
Whisk the remaining 2 tbsp tomato oil with the vinegar, season and toss into the salad.
Cooks tip
Try using 2 cans of mixed beans or butter beans, great with rocket too.
| Nutrition information | |||||
| Typical values | per 100g | per 249g serving | %RI per serving | ||
| Energy | 684 | kJ | 1701 | kJ | 20% |
| 165 | kcal | 410 | Kcal | 20% | |
| Fat | 11.4 | g | 28.3 | G | 40% |
| of which saturates | 1.4 | g | 3.4 | G | 17% |
| Carbohydrate | 6.7 | g | 16.7 | G | 6% |
| of which sugars | 1.9 | g | 4.7 | G | 5% |
| Fibre | 5.7 | g | 14.2 | G | |
| Protein | 6.1 | g | 15.3 | G | 31% |
| Salt | 0.16 | g | 0.39 | G | 6% |
Baked peppers with rice, chicken & walnuts
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 250g pouch sun dried tomato basmati rice
- 50g California walnut Pieces, roughly chopped
- 200g roast chicken, shredded
- ½ x 25g pack parsley, chopped
- 4 red peppers (1kg)
Preheat the oven to 200oC, gas mark 6.
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes, add the rice, walnuts and chicken and fry for 2-3 minutes until heated through, season to taste and stir in the parsley and 2-3 tbsp water.
Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Trim the bases if needed so they stand upright and place them in a small roasting tin with 3 tbsp water in the base.
Spoon the rice mixture into the pepper shells and bake for 30 minutes or until the peppers are just softened. Serve with a fresh leafy salad.
Cooks tip
You can use this filling to stuff large onions or aubergine shells.
| Nutrition information | |||||
| Typical values | per 100g | per 376g serving | %RI per serving | ||
| Energy | 394 | kJ | 1481 | kJ | 18% |
| 94 | kcal | 354 | Kcal | 18% | |
| Fat | 4.6 | g | 17.2 | G | 25% |
| of which saturates | 0.8 | g | 2.8 | G | 14% |
| Carbohydrate | 6.8 | g | 25.8 | G | 10% |
| of which sugars | 3.0 | g | 11.4 | G | 13% |
| Fibre | 1.9 | g | 7.2 | G | |
| Protein | 5.5 | g | 20.6 | G | 41% |
| Salt | 0.10 | g | 0.39 | G | 6% |
Vegetable & walnut ragu
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Serves 4
- 1 tbsp unsaturated oil such as rapeseed or olive oil
- 400g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 onion, chopped (180g)
- 1 red pepper, diced (180g)
- 100ml red wine
- 50g sun dried tomato paste
- 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 100g California walnut halves
- 250ml reduced salt vegetable stock
- 1 courgette, diced (170g)
- 25g basil, shredded
To serve: Cooked spaghetti
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the sweet potatoes, onion and pepper for 5 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half. Stir in the remaining ingredients except courgette and basil and bring to the boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the lid and add the courgette, simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced, season to taste and stir in the basil. Serve with cooked spaghetti
Cooks tip
Great served with other shapes of pasta or rice.
| Nutrition information (Ragu only) | |||||
| Typical values | per 100g | per 437g serving | %RI per serving | ||
| Energy | 377 | kJ | 1649 | kJ | 20% |
| 91 | kcal | 396 | kcal | 20% | |
| Fat | 5.6 | g | 24.3 | g | 35% |
| of which saturates | 0.8 | g | 3.3 | g | 16% |
| Carbohydrate | 7.0 | g | 30.7 | g | 12% |
| of which sugars | 3.9 | g | 16.9 | g | 19% |
| Fibre | 2.0 | g | 8.6 | g | |
| Protein | 2.1 | g | 9.4 | g | 19% |
| Salt | 0.21 | g | 0.90 | g | 15% |
Aubergine & walnut parmigiano
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines, thinly sliced lengthways
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red pepper, finely diced
- 100g broccoli florets, finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 50g California walnuts, finely chopped plus 15 whole walnuts
- 125g pack reduced fat mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 400g passata
- 1 tbsp Parmesan, finely grated
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200oC, gas mark 6.
- Brush the aubergine slices with a little oil and griddle or fry for 1-2 minutes each side.
- Add the remaining oil to a large frying pan and fry the pepper, broccoli, tomatoes and chopped walnuts for 4-5 minutes until softened, season well.
- Select the 12 largest aubergine slices and place half a slice of mozzarella in the centre, divide the filling between the slices and roll up, placing them seal side down in a greased ovenproof serving dish. Finely chop any remaining aubergine slices and stir into the passata, pour this over the aubergine rolls and scatter over the remaining mozzarella, torn and the whole walnuts.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 30 minutes until golden and tender.
Cooks tip
Great served with a salad and crusty bread. Make this dish in advance and simply cook when needed.
| Nutrition information | |||||
| Typical values | per 100g | per 336g serving | %RI per serving | ||
| Energy | 467 | kJ | 1566 | kJ | 19% |
| 113 | kcal | 378 | kcal | 19% | |
| Fat | 8.2 | g | 27.7 | g | 40% |
| of which saturates | 1.7 | g | 5.7 | g | 28% |
| Carbohydrate | 4.0 | g | 13.3 | g | 5% |
| of which sugars | 3.3 | g | 11.2 | g | 12% |
| Fibre | 2.3 | g | 7.6 | g | |
| Protein | 4.5 | g | 15.0 | g | 30% |
| Salt | 0.10 | g | 0.34 | g | 6% |
*Approx. 30g
[1] Food Standards Agency (2002), McCance & Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods, Seventh summary edition. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry
[1] Food Standards Agency (2002), McCance & Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods, Seventh summary edition. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry [1] Pan A, Sun Q, Manson JE, Willett WC, Hu FB. Walnut consumption is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women. J Nutr. 2013 Apr;143(4):512-8. doi: 10.3945/jn.112.172171. Epub 2013 Feb 20.
These recipes are reproduced courtesy of California Walnuts.
For more diabetes-friendly recipes and food ideas visit 50connect Food and Drink Channel.
About the Author / 50connect editorial
