This is one of my all time favorites, in fact I am cooking it this weekend for friends visiting from the UK, I made it for them when I was in the West Country last year. I have modified it somewhat to make it low fat, low carb and low calorie. I published this in Ezine Articles. Recipes can be found at The Diabetic Cookbook

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetics more than 10 years ago but only now really getting serious about getting the disease under control. All diabetics, no matter if you are Type 2 or Type 1, are ruled by the numbers on the glucose meters and the accumulated blood sugar readings and the report from your doctor.

It is a silent kind of disease, I tried to not think about for years and ate what I wanted to and you know the result; I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure and BMI of almost 40. Currently my BMI is down to 26, my blood pressure and cholesterol are normal and to date have lost 60 pounds.

So, it has been a long journey and I wanted to share some of what I have learned. I think the hardest part of being a diabetic is trying to find the right food that tastes good. I cannot exist on endless meals of cottage cheese and a grilled chicken breast. I am sure that diabetic cooking can be tasty and healthy at the same time.

In my quest for food that I can eat I needed to find recipes that worked for diabetics. I am looking for diabetic cookbooks and not good but great recipes. We have to watch the carbohydrates, the calories and the fat. It is a triple whammy finding recipes that include acceptable amounts all three. It has been a challenge, of course I found recipes for meatloaf but very few that would work for diabetics. I searched for traditional meatloaf recipes and I have experimented with ways to adapt them for my diabetic diet restrictions.

This is my favorite turkey meatloaf. I make a batch and freeze portions to have at another time and so I will not eat the entire meatloaf in one sitting it is so tasty. I am salivating right now just thinking about it.

Not Boring Tasty Turkey Meatloaf

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion

1 pound ground turkey breast

1-3 gloves of garlic (to preference)

1 medium zucchini diced

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 half cup fat free chicken broth

1 half cup of uncooked oats (ground up)

1 half cup egg substitute (I like the egg white only kind)

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon spicy mustard

1 teaspoon cumin, basil, red pepper or your favorite spice

1 cup sugar free ketchup (reserve half for top)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Put the oatmeal in a food processor and whiz around a few times to break down the oatmeal into a coarse powder.

In a sauce pan, saute the onions, veggies and garlic until clear on low to med heat.

Take out of skillet set aside on paper towel to drain off the oil.

Spray loaf pan with not stick cooking spray or use non stick loaf pan.

Mix everything in a big bowl with your hands (get in there and get sticky) add the cooled onions; if mixture looks dry I add more broth or tomato juice at little at a time until the mixture is moist. Not too dry or too moist.

Pat into loaf pan, cook in a preheated 375 Degree oven for 30 minutes then spread sauce on the top, continue cooking another 10-15 minutes.

Sauce -

1 half cup of sugar free ketchup or tomato sauce

1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

1 half teaspoon of garlic powder

Mix ketchup, soy sauce with garlic powder, spread onto meatloaf for the last 15 minutes of cooking

Let stand a few minutes. A generous slice 2-3 inches thick is about 250 calories and 23 carbohydrates The Dietary exchange is about equal to 2 vegetable, 1 starch and 2 lean meat. It varies depending on what vegetables you use.

Be adventurous take a chance next time add carrots or yellow squash and spinach. Sometimes I like the meatloaf to have an Italian flavor so I add basil and oregano to the mix and add a little Parmesan cheese to the topping. If you like Middle Eastern spices add some chopped walnuts and top with pomegranate syrup.

I am working on getting my cousin to give me her remake of Granny Rubys Old Southern Strawberry Cake. The best cake I have eaten that was specifically for a diabetic. I hope to post that recipe soon.