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Dear Dietitian
May I have some Christmas cake?
Since being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes just over a year ago, I am not looking forward to watching my family eat all the yummy treat foods at Christmas. I would love a sugar-free Christmas cake recipe.
Good diabetes control depends on a balance between healthy eating, regular exercise and medication or insulin (if necessary).
Not all sugary food will raise your blood glucose level too high. Small amounts of sugar or foods containing sugar e.g. Christmas cake can be included as part of a healthy eating pattern. The key is the amount eaten.
A slice the size of a matchbox is acceptable, better still to leave off the icing. Remember the dried fruit in a cake is high in natural sugar. It is a good idea to know what your blood glucose levels are before eating a treat – if they are high save the treat for a time when they are within your normal range.
You may find a treat eaten as part of a meal will have less effect on your blood glucose than a treat eaten between meals.
You could swap a treat for a usual daytime snack or dessert that contains carbohydrate.
Limit your treat to no more than twice a week. If you know you can't stop at only 1 or 2 sweets or chocolates, don't have them in the house to tempt you.
Try these fruit cakes without added sugar: