Nothing but dessert

You mentioned that day-old rice has a lower Glycemic index. Is that the same case for a day-old pasta?▶

It’s not so much that it is day old but rather that it is cooked, cooled and then either consumed cold (as in a salad) or reheated the next day. The cooking and cooling process increases the resistant starches in both rice and pasta and resistant starches have a lower effect on blood sugar. Another technique for pasta would be to cook it al-dente or slightly under the cook time stated on the package. Slightly firm pasta also has a lowered effect on blood sugar.

Is honey [maple syrup] healthier than sugar? What about non-nutritive sweeteners?▶

Sugar is sugar for the most part, the type rarely matters. Your body will process nutritive sweeteners that increase your blood sugar in the same way whether it is white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, cane sugar or coconut sugar. They provide the same number of calories and are low in nutrients and so there is no advantage for people with diabetes to choose one over another. Focusing on the total amount of any added sugar rather than the type is key. Non-nutritive sweeteners like Stevia and Splenda have little to no impact on blood sugar but have a different taste and flavour profile. Sugar alcohols, which are neither sugar or alcohol, have a marginal impact on blood sugar. Less than regular sugar but they are not non-nutritive sweeteners as they will slightly impact your blood sugar depending on the amount you eat. It really comes down to how much you are wanting to eat and personal preference.

For allergies, would raw cashews or roasted cashews replace almonds?▶

Cashews would not be a good replacement for almonds in these recipes. Walnuts was the suggestion if you can tolerate other tree nuts. To replace the nuts entirely, there is not an exact conversion number, and we did not test these recipes with flour as the alternative. Ground almonds can carry more moisture than traditional flour so typically the replacement ratio is not 1:1. On average, 1 cup of traditional flour is the replacement for 2 cups of ground almonds or almond flour (a 1:2 ratio of flour to almond). For the cake that means about ½ cup flour in place of the 1 cup almonds and for the lemon squares it would be about 6 Tbsp flour in place of the ¾ cup almonds. If the dough is still moist consider adding more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, until a good consistency is reached.

Can you reduce sugar in baking recipes?▶

If you google this question, you will get very different answers depending on where you look. Typically, you can reduce sugar in some recipes better than others by ¼ to ½ the amount called for in the ingredients. Outside of the sweet flavour that sugar provides it also plays key roles in baking recipes. It contributes to colour development, balance of flavour components and texture. The only way to know if you can reduce the sugar in a recipe is to give it a try unfortunately and see if you are happy with the result.

Is there a substitute for eggs if I'm allergic?▶

There are many substitutions for eggs depending on the recipe. The most common one used in baking recipes is a ‘flax egg’. Flax eggs work best when the recipe calls for just one egg. Up to two eggs tend to work fine but it is not recommended to substitute for the eggs if more than two are called for in the recipe. To make a flax egg combine 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed with 2.5 Tbsp of water. Stir for 30 seconds and then place in the fridge to set for about 10 minutes before adding to the recipe. If a recipe calls specifically for whites or yolks, like a meringue or a custard, then you cannot substitute a flax egg. For this reason, you could use flax egg in the chocolate cake from this class, but they would not work in the lemon custard squares. Please note we did not test these recipes with a flax egg so we cannot speak to the results in these recipes.

Can I use lemon juice from the bottle instead of fresh Juice?▶

We did not test the recipe in this way but technically it should work. The flavour will be different and without the zest it will lack the fresh lemony notes.

On the nutrition facts table on a package, there is a carbohydrate value and a sugars value, is the sugars value the added sugars (not naturally occurring)?▶

The sugars value on package labels is a combination of both added sugars and naturally occurring sugars. We are not able to separate yet with respect to the Canadian Nutrient File used to develop the information on the table. It is confusing and hopefully soon we will be able to provide separate values on products and recipes.

When my glucose is low, I have gotten into the habit of eating "treats" such as cookies. My nutritionist says that glucose tablets are better. Is this true?▶

The Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines chapter on Hypoglycemia was just updated. It says that the best treatment is prevention as much as possible but when you do experience a low, treatment should be the item that will lead to a safe blood sugar level the fastest. Because of this, glucose tablets are probably the best choice. If you find yourself without them, some juice or candy would work and then once blood sugar reaches a safe level, the individual should have a usual meal or snack at the next regular time. If a meal is > 1 hour away, a snack including 15 g of carbohydrate and a source of protein is suggested. To learn more have a look at our our CPG video series on hypoglycemia.

WHO has recently said they don’t support artificial sweeteners? Are they safe to use?▶

Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines and Health Canada both continue to support the use of artificial or non-nutritive sweeteners. They continue to be considered safe to use in the typical amounts that are eaten in Canada. That goes for those people living with diabetes too. While people living with diabetes can consume small amounts of sugars if they choose not to use non-nutritive sweeteners, it is very individual based on preference and diabetes management goals. If you are interested in reading more about sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners our resource may be helpful.

Is there a sub for the strained prunes? It is not supplied in my corner of Canada.▶

We used pureed baby prunes so if your local store sells premade baby food, check that section. Apple sauce can be used in place of the prunes, but we found the flavour of the cake was enhanced with the prunes vs. the applesauce.

Please advise why you're not using Stevia instead of sugar?▶

Using sugar or non-nutritive sweetener is a personal preference. People living with diabetes need to limit sugar but not avoid it completely so small amounts used in baking and sticking to the serving size is perfectly ok. We choose to use sugar to show that small amounts are still ok for people living with diabetes and that it is not necessary to eat non-nutritive sweeteners if you don’t want to. If you prefer a non-nutritive sweetener, simply follow sugar replacement guidelines on the packaging to determine how much you should substitute.

I don't like Canola oil. What other oil can I use in the chocolate cake recipe?▶

You could substitute avocado oil, grape seed oil or any vegetable oil. Stronger flavoured oils like nut oils and olive oil may create a difference in the flavour.

Can I use another flour in lieu of all-purpose flour?▶

We did not test the cake with an alternative flour but we think that whole wheat flour should work. If you want to substitute gluten-free flour or something like oat flour, please read the package to see what the substitution ratio is for all-purpose flour.