Standout Foods Take Center Stage

By Amy Campbell Meet with a dietitian and one of the first questions you might ask him is, "What should I eat?" The answer, in part, lies in the reason for seeing him in the first place. Most dietitians will tell you to eat a variety of foods from all of the food groups, but there are also some particular standouts that you might want to make an extra effort to add to your repertoire. These are foods that may wait quietly on the sidelines while the superfoods take center stage. Think about adding some of the following tasty treats to your menus. Barley. Barley admittedly can sometimes taste bland. I've made soup with barley and it definitely needs a lot of seasoning. But flavor issues aside, barley is a great source of soluble fiber, the kind of fiber that takes up fluid in the digestive tract and can help lower cholesterol and blood glucose. Barley also has a low glycemic index, which means it doesn't cause quick spikes in blood glucose after you eat it. Some other benefits of barley are that this grain contains B vitamins, vitamin E, and types of antioxidants called lignans. A half-cup of cooked barley has about 100 calories and 22 grams of carbohydrate. Ideally, try to choose hulled barley, which is the whole-grain form of barley. It takes longer to cook than the more common type of barley, called pearl barley, but it has more nutrients. Suggestions for eating barley: Cook it up and eat it like oatmeal. Throw in some cinnamon for an extra blood glucose-lowering boost. Or...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs