September 27, 2023 Time for tapas

When food is often the main event, say, during most social occasions, it can be a challenge to keep your weight and blood sugar (glucose) levels under control.

One solution?

Take a culinary lesson from the Spanish and the people of Latin America with tapas: small plates of food featuring a variety of different tastes and flavours. Based on whole grains, such as corn, dried beans, vegetables, rice, and various herbs and spices, the traditional Latin American diet can offer health benefits similar to the Mediterranean diet.

This diet can lower cardiovascular disease risk factors like cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and decrease the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes.

In Canada, many traditional cultural diets have been replaced by a more typical North American one—more meat, fried foods, and sugary options like soft drinks and sweet desserts—which has increased the risk of diabetes among many groups, including the Latin American community.

But if you live with diabetes, you know that one of the keys to good diabetes management is healthy living and healthy eating, which includes portion control.

Aim for balance

Tapas-style entertaining can make portion control easier to accomplish. Jennifer Buccino, people affected by diabetes (PAD) knowledge & connection executive director at Diabetes Canada, suggests a menu that alternates between carbohydrate-containing and carbohydrate-free options. Here are a few examples of foods in serving sizes that equal 15 grams of carbohydrate, or the equivalent of a one-ounce slice of bread:

• Cassava (a root vegetable): ¼ cup (50 mL)

• Corn: ½ cup (125 mL)

• Sweet potato or plantain (looks like a green banana, but must be cooked before eating): ⅓ cup (75 mL)

• Tortilla: 1 (6-inch portion)

Buccino offers another piece of advice: “Look at the number of small plates being served so you aren’t having too many dishes that ultimately add up to more food than a regular meal.” 

And when it comes to sweets, she says, “Choose fruit more often and save the sweet desserts such as flan and dulce de leche for an occasional treat.” 

For more help planning carbohydrate-rich portions, Buccino recommends Just the Basics: Latin American.

Slash the fat

Maintaining a healthy weight is one important factor for keeping your blood glucose levels in your target range. One way to do this is to use lower-fat cooking techniques. Instead of frying foods, roast, bake or steam them. For example, spray cut-up corn tortillas with a vegetable oil cooking spray and then bake them in a single layer in the oven for crispy and pleasing results

Read labels

Do not be fooled by what you might think are healthier substitutes for your favourite foods. Be sure to read the nutrition facts label before you buy. For example, sweetened condensed milk—a popular ingredient in many Latin desserts—contains 70 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 11 grams of sugar per tablespoon. The low-fat version contains the same number of calories, just half a gram less of fat and even more sugar, which does not offer any benefit when it comes to controlling your blood glucose levels. In cases like this, your best option is to have your favourite desserts less often.

Nutritious substitutes for Latin American foods                                          

Instead of	Go for
Regular corn meal or flour	Whole-grain corn meal or flour
White flour tortillas (a thin             flatbread usually             made from wheat flour)	Whole-grain tortillas
Fried corn tortillas (and chips)	Baked corn tortillas (and chips)
Lard	Canola or olive oil
Regular ground meat	Lean ground meat
Sugar-sweetened beverages (such as Agua Fresco)	Sugar-free beverages (such as water with a wedge of lemon)
Regular queso (the Spanish word   for cheese)	Part-skim mozzarella or reduced-fat           Monterey Jack cheese

Recipes

Here are some tapas recipes to get you started.

Mini Meatballs in a Saffron-Garlic Sauce

Extra-lean turkey and baking lighten the fat.

Meatballs:

1 lb. (500 g) lean ground turkey

2 large eggs, beaten slightly

¼ cup (50 mL) rolled oats

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tbsp (45 mL) chopped fresh parsley

¼ tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper

All-purpose flour

Sauce:

1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

⅓ cup (75 mL) chopped onion

½ tsp (2 mL) sweet paprika

1 cup (250 mL) sodium-reduced chicken broth

2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh parsley

¼ tsp (1 mL) crumbled saffron

1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped garlic

Preheat oven to 500°F (250°C). Coat a large shallow baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together all the meatball ingredients; shape into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls. Place in baking pan (don't allow them to touch each other). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and dust very lightly with flour.

While meatballs are cooking, begin making sauce. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes or until soft. Stir in paprika. Cook for 2 minutes. Add broth and meatballs; turn to coat with liquid. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, turning meatballs occasionally. Add parsley, saffron and garlic; stir to mix. Cook for another 10 minutes, uncovered, until sauce has thickened.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional breakdown per serving: 5 g carbohydrate, 21 g protein, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1 g fibre, 156 mg sodium, 156 calories

© Rosie Schwartz

Black-Eyed Peas & Walnut Lettuce Wraps

This recipe from California Walnuts demonstrates a terrific way of cutting down on carbs: using lettuce as a wrap instead of a tortilla. That means you can use the carbohydrates for other plates.

2 cups (500 mL) frozen black-eyed peas

¾ cup (175 mL) water

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, seeded and chopped

6 oz. (170 g) butternut squash, cut in ½-inch/1.25-cm dice (about 1 cup/ 250 mL diced)

½ cup (125 mL) chopped California walnuts

¼ cup (50 mL) each sherry vinegar or wine vinegar, and chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

16 leaves iceberg lettuce or butter lettuce

In a medium saucepan, combine the black-eyed peas and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes or until peas are tender but not mushy. Discard any liquid remaining in the pan and transfer peas to a large bowl.

Coat a large non-stick skillet with non-stick cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add onion, red pepper and squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Turn heat to low, cover pan and continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes more or until squash is just tender. Stir in walnuts.

Add walnut mixture to peas along with vinegar and parsley. Stir and toss to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly.

Spoon about ¼ cup (50 mL) of the mixture into each lettuce leaf.

Fold leaves in half and eat them taco-style.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional breakdown per serving: 34 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 10 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 7 g fibre, 13 mg sodium, 262 calories

Sardine Spread

This recipe, which is rich in healthy omega-3-fat, comes from the Diabetes Prevention & Management Cookbook by Johanna Burkhard and Barbara Allen, published in co-operation with the Canadian Diabetes Association (Robert Rose), now known as Diabetes Canada. You can serve it on whole-grain crackers or crostini (toasted bread rounds) or on cucumber slices to save on your carbohydrate count.

1 can (4 oz./120 g) skinless boneless sardines, drained and patted dry

¼ cup (50 mL) packed fresh parsley leaves

¼ cup (50 mL) roasted red bell pepper, rinsed and patted dry

2 tbsp (25 mL) light mayonnaise

½ tsp (2 mL) grated lemon zest

1 tsp (5 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ tsp (1 mL) hot pepper sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, combine sardines, parsley, red pepper, mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce; process until smooth. Season to taste with black pepper.

Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled, before serving.

Makes ¾ cup (175 mL).

Nutritional breakdown per serving (2 tbsp/25 mL): 1 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 3 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g fibre, 148 mg sodium, 53 calories

Frozen Mango Dessert

This dessert is from Choice Menus by Marjorie Hollands and Margaret Howard, published in co-operation with the Canadian Diabetes Association (Collins), now known as Diabetes Canada. It is a great example to show that not all dessert recipes with Latin American ingredients need be loaded with sugar.

1 cup (250 mL) light vanilla ice cream

1 cup (250 mL) mashed ripe mango

(2 medium or frozen unsweetened)

¼ tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg (optional)

Soften ice cream for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Blend with mango and (if using) nutmeg until well combined. Scoop into 4 small serving dishes, cover and freeze until ready to serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional breakdown per serving: 16 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 2 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 1 g fibre, 38 mg sodium, 83 calories

Did you know?

October is Latin American Heritage Month in Canada and Hispanic Heritage Month in Ontario. If you are of Hispanic, African, Arab, Asian, Indigenous, or South Asian descent, that can increase your risk of living with type 2 diabetes.

If you already live with diabetes, know that you can still enjoy your favourite cultural foods, achieve target blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of complications through your diabetes management.

Want to learn more about how you can live well with diabetes whether you live with type 2 or type 1? Join us this November for Diabetes Canada Connect, a free virtual week-long educational and community event.

This updated article originally appeared in Diabetes Dialogue, Summer 2014.