Cilantro Salad (Recipe)
Ochsner has recently partnered with Charles Mattocks, Celebrity Chef, Diabetes advocate and nephew of the late reggae legend Bob Marley on his diabetes documentary entitled, “The Diabetic You,” scheduled to be released in mid-2017.
This delicious salad has many nutritional benefits for diabetics and those monitoring their blood sugar levels.
This salad is a wonderful array of non-starchy vegetables, cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro, which do not cause blood glucose to increase due to the fiber content.
Fruit in moderate small amount spread throughout the day is recommended. Apples with skin provide both good sources of soluble and insoluble fiber. Increased dietary fiber is recommended for patients with diabetes.
Feta cheese provides some protein and richness to the salad. Moderate amounts of cheese, especially soft cheeses like goat cheese or reduced fat versions of cheese, are recommended due to the lower sodium content and saturated fat.
Olive oil and Black olives are high in monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants that help to reduce risk of heart disease. Although these are fat sources which are very dense in calories, in moderation they have health benefits. They are found in the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with reduction of heart disease and recommended by many cardiologists.
Lemon juice and black pepper add flavor and do not increase blood sugar.
Ingredients
- 2-3 bunches of cilantro
- 1 cucumber
- 1 large tomato
- 1 large red apple
- 1/4 container of crumbled reduced fat feta cheese (can use goat cheese if preferred)
- 1 small container of black olives
- 1 small lemon - juiced
- 1/4 small green pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop cilantro. Cube cucumbers, apples, pepper and tomatoes into small pieces.
- Add crumbled feta and black olives.
- Combine olive oil and lemon juice, drizzle over and enjoy. Note: To lower fat and calories in this recipe, reduce the amount of olive oil and cheese and add more lemon juice.