Your Diabetic-Friendly Meal Plan for December
Updated: Nov. 17, 2020You can take dinner planning off your busy to-do list this December.
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Day 1: Winter Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie
We seem to eat for comfort during the holidays…but comfort foods aren’t necessarily healthy. To make a classic comfort food dish more healthy, I came up with this lovely take: turkey shepherd’s pie. It’s perfect for putting out on your holiday buffet table. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts
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Day 2: Greens and Beans Turkey Soup
On winter evenings, we like nothing better than a piping hot bowl of soup. This one uses the turkey carcass to make a flavorful stock for the soup. —Susan Albert, Jonesburg, Missouri
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Day 3: Potato-Topped Ground Beef Skillet
Compared to other ground beef skillet recipes, the depth of flavor in this recipe is amazing, and I never have leftovers when I take it to potlucks. I love recipes that I can cook and serve in the same skillet. If your butcher has chili grind beef, which is coarsely ground, go for that; it lends an extra meaty texture. —Fay Moreland, Wichita Falls, Texas
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Day 4: Crispy Almond Tilapia
Since changing to a healthier style of cooking, I’ve come up with new coatings for baked fish. I use almonds, panko bread crumbs and a smidge of hot sauce to add crunchy texture with nice heat. —Amanda Flinner, Beaver, Pennsylvania
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Day 5: Crispy Asian Chicken Salad
Asian flavor, crunchy almonds and crispy breaded chicken make this hearty salad something special. —Beth Dauenhauer, Pueblo, Colorado
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Day 6: Cumin Quinoa Patties
This easy to make veggie burger packs an amazing taste, and the crunch from the addition of quinoa makes the texture to die for. This is an easy and delicious vegetarian burger option that you must try. Pan-frying adds a perfect crisp that takes it to the next level. The mixture can be made ahead of time, and it freezes very well. Enjoy! —Beth Klein, Arlington, Virginia
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Day 7: Hearty Pork Bean Soup
It's wonderful to come home to this pork bean soup dinner simmering away in a slow cooker, especially on a busy weeknight. This soup uses dried beans and is simple to throw together in the morning before work. When you get home, just add a few more ingredients, and in half an hour dinner is ready! Do not put the tomatoes in for the first 8 hours of cooking, or the beans will not become soft. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
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Day 8: Salmon with Root Vegetables
This cozy hash is loaded with protein and healthy fats that keep you going on busy days. We've been known to devour it at breakfast, lunch and dinner! —Courtney Stultz, Weir, Kansas
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Day 9: Turkey Stroganoff with Spaghetti Squash
My twin sister and I came up with this entree after we both successfully lost weight but still wanted to indulge in comfort food. Spaghetti squash is a fantastic healthy alternative to pasta, and we use it in many recipes. —Courtney Varela, Aliso Viejo, California
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Day 10: Slow-Cooked Italian Chicken
With its nicely seasoned tomato sauce, this enticing chicken entree is especially good over pasta. My father loved this dish. —Deanna D’Auria, Banning, California
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Day 11: Beef Cabbage Roll-Ups
Cooking up original recipes is a hobby of mine. My version of classic cabbage rolls is delicious served over rice or noodles. —Irma Finely, Lockwood, Missouri
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Day 12: Spicy Turkey Stir Fry with Noodles
I created this ground turkey stir-fry recipe when I began my journey to get fit. Eating well always sounded bland and boring, so I wanted to bring life to the world of healthy eating. I think I did it with this spicy dish. —Jermell Clark, Desert Hot Springs, California
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Day 13: Spinach and Shrimp Fra Diavolo
This quick shrimp fra diavolo is spicy, garlicky, saucy and loaded with delicious shrimp. Plus, with the addition of spinach, you’re also getting a serving of veggies. When you need a perfect low-fat weeknight meal that is easy to pull together, this is it. You can substitute arugula or kale for the spinach if you'd like. —Julie Peterson, Crofton, Maryland
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Day 14: Whole Grain Chow Mein
My kids are picky eaters, but teriyaki and hoisin sauces work wonders with them. They love the meatballs, and I swap the noodles for whole grain pasta. —Kelly Shippey, Orange, California
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Day 15: Steak San Marino
I'm a busy pastor's wife and mother of three, and this delicious, inexpensive and easy main dish helps my day run smoother! The steak is so tender and flavorful, my kids gobble it up and my husband asks for seconds. —Lael Griess, Hull, Iowa
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Day 16: Rosemary Pork Medallions with Peas
It's nice to have a quick meal to fix after coming home from work. It's simple to prepare and doesn't use a lot of ingredients, so it's great for beginner cooks. —Laura McAllister, Morganton, North Carolina
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Day 17: Mushroom and Brown Rice Hash with Poached Eggs
I made my mother's famous roast beef hash healthier by using cremini mushrooms instead of beef and brown rice instead of potatoes. It's ideal for a light main dish. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
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Day 18: Ginger Halibut with Brussels Sprouts
I moved to the United States from Russia and love cooking Russian food for family and friends. Halibut with soy sauce, ginger and pepper is a favorite. —Margarita Parker, New Bern, North Carolina
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Day 19: Asian-Style Round Steak
My friend gave me this recipe two decades ago. All I added was a little more meat, the celery and mushrooms. My family loves it! —Marilyn Wolfe, Des Moines, Iowa
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Day 20: Chicken & Spanish Cauliflower “Rice”
I learned about the paleo diet from some friends who now have tons of energy and are super fit. Since then, I’ve changed my eating habits, too. Everyone from my dad to my little nephew loves this chicken in Spanish cauliflower rice. —Megan Schmoldt, Westminster, Colorado
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Day 21: Wintertime Braised Beef Stew
This easy beef stew is incredibly rich. Since it's even better a day or two later, you may want to make a double batch. —Michaela Rosenthal, Woodland Hills, California
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Day 22: Cod with Hearty Tomato Sauce
My father made up this sweet, flavorful recipe for my mother when he took over the cooking. We serve it with whole wheat pasta or brown rice. —Ann Marie Eberhart, Gig Harbor, Washington
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Day 23: Bulgur Jambalaya
I like making this dish because it allows me to stay on track for my weight loss without giving up foods I love. —Nicholas Monfre, Oak Ridge, New Jersey
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Day 24: Hearty Vegetarian Chili
Rich and flavorful, this chili is absolutely packed with fun veggies like mushrooms, beans and sun-dried tomatoes. It's so filling, you'll win over any meat lover. —Pam Ivbuls, Omaha, Nebraska
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Day 25: Pork and Green Chile Stew
This easily adaptable stew is ready in four hours if cooked on high in a slow cooker, or in less than eight hours if you cook it low and slow. —Paul Sedillo, Plainfield, Illinois
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Day 26: Beef Roast Dinner
Because this healthy dish is slow-cooked, you can use less expensive roasts with results as mouthwatering as the more costly cuts. Change up the veggies for variety, nutrition or to suit your tastes!—Sandra Dudley, Bemidji, Minnesota
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Day 27: Lentil Loaf
This lentil loaf is so flavorful, you won’t miss the meat. And it’s packed with fiber and nutrients. —Tracy Fleming, Phoenix, Arizona
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Day 28: Garlicky Chicken Dinner
Flavorful bone-in chicken is enhanced by herbs, lemon and hearty vegetables in this savory meal-in-one entree. —Shannon Norris, Cudahy, Wisconsin
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Day 29: Spicy Turkey Tenderloin
Here's a full-flavored dish that will really wake up your taste buds.
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Day 30: Steaks with Mushroom Sauce
These rich steaks are smothered in a rich mushroom-wine sauce to create a wonderfully savory entree. The tender steaks are sure to be a hit, and would certainly dress up any plate. —Stephanie Allee, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
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Day 31: Stuffed-Olive Cod
Visit the olive bar in your supermarket to put a new twist on cod in this simple high-protein, low-fat entree that’s a weeknight lifesaver. — Tria Olsen, Queen Creek, Arizona
Originally Published: November 17, 2020
