<p>The traditional American Thanksgiving feast–turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, candied yams, cranberry sauce, preceded by an array of appetizers and accompanied by a wealth of side dishes, topped off by pumpkin pie and whipped cream–is a carb-and-fat nightmare for diabetics. I wouldn’t worry about the dessert so much as the appetizers, drinks, and main event. Turkey is fine, especially the white meat which is high in protein and low in saturated fat. But the mashed potatoes are pure carbs. Stuffing and gravy tend to be both high-carb and high-fat (as well as high-calorie). Yams are a starchy vegetable, high in carbs but with a lot of positive nutitional value; the sweet topping, however, sends them over the edge (and is quite unnecessary, IMO). Cranberry sauce is usually made with copious amounts of sugar, the berries themselves being extremely sour. Alcoholic beverages–beer, wine, mixed drinks, sweet soft drinks–tend to flow freely. Then there are all the appetizers and side dishes; even if individually harmless (which is not always the case), their cumulative effect is staggering. After the diabetic’s diet has absorbed that pounding, don’t expect the day to be saved by a sugar-free dessert.</p>
<p>That said, I have seen (but haven’t tried) recipes for sugar-free pumpkin pie, made with either Splenda or Stevia. You can further cut the carbs by eliminating the crust. When I make pumpkin pie, I sometimes have extra filling; I’ll pour it into ramekins and bake it up into individual pumpkin custards. It tastes just like pumpkin pie because it IS just like pumpkin pie, only without the crust which just adds carbs and fat. Another trick is portion control: get smaller ramekins, or fill them less full. Or cut the pie into 10 slices instead of 8.</p>
<p>Remember, from the diabetic’s perspective, it’s total carbs that count (or, according to some, grams of carbs less grams of fiber), not carbs specific to dessert, and not carbs specific to sugar. It’s the whole meal. Skip the dinner rolls. Skip the mashed potatoes, or if that’s too radical, cut down on the amount you’re serving so everyone gets just a modest helping. Pay attention to what you’re putting in the stuffing. Limit the appetizers (nuts, fresh veggies, pickles OK, anything stuffed or in a pastry crust a no-no). Watch the carb content of drinks, making sure to include low- or no-carb options. Make sure there are high-fiber, low-carb and low-fat food options, like a green salad with low-carb and low-fat dressing. Etc. Ultimately your diabetic guests are responsible for their own choices and portion sizes, but you can help them immensely by offering diabetic-friendly options at every step of the way, not just at dessert.</p>
<p>And thanks for thinking about diabetics. The holidays can be especially hard on them because our celebrations are so often centered on food and drinks, many of which are not healthy for diabetics.</p>
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