Recipes for a special diet

Children with Type 1 diabetes have a great new resource for recipes tailored to their special diet.

“Dishing It Up Disney Style: A Cookbook for Familes with Type 1 Diabetes” is a collaboration between Lilly Diabetes and Disney to provide a fun way for families to choose healthy recipes. The book is available through pediatric endocrinology offices only, so check with your child’s doctor.

Each recipe includes an illustration of a Disney character and a tip. For instance, Snow White gives a tip for crunchy homemade granola: “Cooking for seven can be tricky, but this recipe makes it simple! Little members of the household can have fun measuring out all the ingredients, stirring the mixture, and pouring it onto the cookie sheet.”

There are recipes in the expected categories that are both wholesome and delicious, according to a preface by Amy Hess Fischl, chair of the Diabetes Care and Education Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association. She said the recipes were selected based on sound nutritional recommendations.

“They have been selected to provide options that are low in added sugar, high in fiber and low in fat — but never lacking in flavor.”

There are a number of recipes here that I’d love to try, including Goofy’s zucchini frittata, Hercules’ oven eggs with ham, Tigger’s tortellini vegetable soup and Stitch’s chicken teriyaki.

I make the very simple recipe for Aurora’s applesauce muffins. It’s a very easy recipe. The house smelled so good on a rainy morning while the muffins baked. The muffins aren’t as sweet as I’m used to, I’ll admit that, but they are good and would be delicious for breakfast or with hot tea mid-morning.

Each recipe in the book includes the nutritional information, including calories, total fat, carbohydrates, fiber, protein and carbohydrate choice.


Aurora's Applesauce Muffins

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups chunky applesauce

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups and set aside. In a small microwave-save bowl, melt the butter on high for about 30 to 60 seconds; set aside to cool slightly.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a large mixing bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar. Stir in the applesauce and melted butter until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the apple mixture over the flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined (it's ready when you can't see any traces of flour).

Fill the baking cups about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

Serving is 1 muffin. Calories 176, total fat 7 g, total carbohydrate 25, fiber 1 g, protein 3 g, carbohydrate choice 1 1/2.

"Dishing It Up Disney Style"