'Dining with Diabetes' provides information for diabetics

By Amy L. Habig, MPH, RD, LD
Extension Educator, 
Family and Consumer Sciences
Ohio State University Extension
Adams/Brown/Highland Counties

Dining with Diabetes, a three-class cooking school series provided by Ohio State University (OSU) Extension, helped diabetics and their caregivers get the tools and information needed to manage diabetes through nutrition and physical activity.

In October and November, diabetics and their caregivers gathered to attend the Dining with Diabetes series at Eastern Brown High School.

During the classes, participants learned about carbohydrate counting, fats and sodium, vitamins and minerals, and reading nutrition labels.

As a result of attending the class, participants said they started using less sodium, reading and using nutrition facts labels to select foods, eating smaller portion sizes, and reducing the amount of fat they consume.

After the lesson on fats and sodium, one person even kept track of how much sodium they consumed in one day. To their surprise, it was much more than they had expected! Now they will be much more attuned to the amount of sodium that is in the food they eat.

At each class, participants were able to sample main dishes, side dishes, and desserts that are carbohydrate friendly.

Participants also learned how to improve the nutritional quality of foods by modifying certain recipes to reduce the amount of carbohydrate, fat, and/or sodium in the recipe. Participants received an extendable mirror to inspect their feet for cuts or wounds, and an educational diabetes booklet

OSU Extension would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their contributions to the program: Karah Stanley, Registered and Licensed Dietitian from the Southwest Regional Medical Center for sharing nutrition information at each class, Eastern High School for the use of their Life Skills Lab, and the Adams-Brown Diabetes Education Coalition for their support.

If you are interested in attending future Dining with Diabetes Classes in Adams, Brown, or Highland Counties, contact Amy Habig at the Ohio State University Extension Office at 937-393-1918 or habig.13@osu.edu.