By Rosemary Black
Reviewed by QualityHealth’s Medical Advisory Board

This all-American holiday calls for a celebratory meal filled with special dishes and cooked with love. The meal may need to be timed strategically depending upon if you take insulin or a pill to lower your blood glucose.  The good news is that many of the traditional Thanksgiving foods fit in perfectly with the meal plan of those who have diabetes as well as other family members.

Turkey is a great focal point, says Olha A. O’Quinn, Ph.D.,  a diabetes educator at Saint Vincent’s Hospital in New York City. Sweet potatoes and pumpkin both are good sources of fiber and vitamin A, and cranberries, too, are rich in nutrients—at least until they’re covered with sugar.

“If you love cranberries, try preparing them with a non-caloric sweetener like Splenda,” suggests O’Quinn. “Avoid jellied sauce which is pure sugar.”

In general, she says, use common sense when planning the menu. If you are serving salad, for instance, avoid very sweet dressings. And don’t go crazy by loading up the sweet potatoes with brown sugar.