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100 Healthy Recipes

A well-balanced diet is one part of a healthy lifestyle for people with type 2 diabetes. But it's not always easy to make smart food choices and change the way you eat.

A healthy diet is not just about eating less of the foods you love or achieving weight loss. It is also about making some simple lifestyle changes that you can maintain. It may surprise you to find that you can still enjoy in reasonable amounts many of the foods you currently eat. Remember to discuss your specific food needs with your doctor and dietitian or educator.

Get a head start on good eating with 100 recipes created from healthy food choices. Click on any of the 9 categories below to choose a recipe.

Asian Vegetable Salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes or less

Total Time: 5 minutes or less

Serves: 4

Asian Vegetable Salad
    Ingredients
  • 1 pound frozen stir-fry vegetables
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 8 cups ready-to-serve spinach salad
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, to taste
    Preparation:
  • Lightly spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
  • Sauté the vegetables until crisp-tender and heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Continue cooking, stirring, until heated through.
  • Toss the stir-fry mixture with the raw spinach. Drizzle vinegar over top before serving.

Nicoise Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Nicoise Salad
    Ingredients
  • 6 cups ready-to-serve romaine lettuce
  • 6 ounces canned albacore tuna in water, drained
  • 2 baked potatoes, unpeeled, sliced
  • 2 cups cooked green beans
  • 8 black pitted olives
  • 2 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    Preparation:
  • Place lettuce in a large salad bowl. Top with tuna, sliced potatoes, green beans, olives, and tomatoes.
  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve salad with balsamic vinegar and black pepper on top.

Easy Split Pea Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes or less

Total Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 8

Easy Split Pea Soup
    Ingredients
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 cup carrot, chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 12 ounces dry split peas
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    Preparation:
  • Place all ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.
  • Cook, uncovered, until the peas are tender, about 45 minutes. Serve hot.

Chunky Tomato Vegetable Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes or less

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Chunky Tomato Vegetable Soup
    Ingredients
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups vegetable juice cocktail-canned
  • 2 cups vegetable broth, low sodium, fat free
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    Preparation:
  • Put the oats in a heavy pot or saucepan and, stirring frequently, toast them over moderate heat until they start to turn darker. Transfer the oats to a bowl.
  • Heat the oil in the same pot and sauté the onion, carrot, and garlic until the onion softens.
  • Stir in the remaining ingredients, including the toasted oats. Simmer until the oats are tender, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Barley Lentil Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 90 minutes

Serves: 8

Barley Lentil Soup
    Ingredients
  • 1 cup sliced onion
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup carrots, sliced
  • 1 cup celery, sliced
  • 15-ounce can stewed diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups low fat chicken broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
  • ½ cup scotch barley
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
    Preparation:
  • Spray a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat; sauté the garlic and onion until they are golden brown, about 1 or 2 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the mixture is at a light simmer. Cover and cook until the barley and lentils are tender, about 1 hour to 1½ hours. Serve hot.
  • Serving suggestion: This soup goes well with a large tossed salad and whole-grain crusty bread.

Greek Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 3

Greek Chicken Salad
    Ingredients
  • 6 cups ready-to-serve romaine lettuce
  • ½ cucumber, sliced
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
  • ¼ cup red onions, chopped
  • ¾ cup boiled chicken breast, shredded
  • 2 cups canned or boiled lentils, drained, and rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped mint (optional)
    Preparation:
  • Toss lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers, in large salad bowl. Top with lentils and chicken. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Toss with lemon juice, oil, and seasonings at serving time.

Make-Ahead Tossed Salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes or less

Total Time: 5 minutes or less

Serves: 10

Make-Ahead Tossed Salad
    Ingredients
  • 10 cups romaine lettuce (1 head), chopped
  • 5 cups cabbage, shredded (½ head)
  • 2 cups grated carrots (2 carrots)
    Preparation:
  • Wash romaine under cold running water and allow to drain in colander. Add cabbage and carrots.
  • Place all in large bag and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days.
  • Optional toppings: Dried herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions. Serve with flavored vinegar or nonfat salad dressing.

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