Oh Wow....mostly all you mentioned is suspect! The steak baked potato and asparagus is the best.
He needs to stay away from salt, sugar of course but alos "white starch" like cake, the puff pastry pinwheels and the breakfast casserole biscuits and gravy and grits.
Baked beans good, potato salad not so much, chips definitly a no no....reduced salt corn chips are better....or best of all whole wheat pita chips you make yourself.
If he will be good and not eat what he shouldn't....there's probably enough there he could eat...but for the breakfast with the grits etc...
But I suspect, if it's there he will eat it.
Re think a few things...less white starch and salty stuff ( like cheese) and more whole grain and things like chicken and fish.
Linda C

Easy rule of thumb is to avoid sugar and most flour. So I'd forget the baking and the sweets. There are good sugar-free ice creams available, and you can come up with some nice fruits to go with it.

Puff pastries plus lasagna? Start thinking in terms of one or the other. Hashbrowns plus grits plus biscuits? Three starches? Dial back on some of that, or provide lots of alternatives.

Many (most) diabetics need to really curb all the starch intakes. Always err on the side of fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible.

Hope this helps a little.

I agree, way too many refined carbs here. A plate of lasagna could up Dad's blood sugar more than a piece of pie, as did bread.

Sigh. I'd keep the lasagna/salad/garlic bread, but add another vegetable. That breakfast needs eggs or some additional protein, maybe lox and some whole grain bagels? Appetizers sounds good to me, but I'd add another low carb/high fiber/protein kind of thing, like hummus with celery sticks to dip. Diner breakfast should have something Dad can have, and he asked for the steak dinner, so that's a go.

Desserts? Fresh strawberries or mixed berries with yogurt and a tiny bit of angelfood cake? Fruit crisp can be made with artificial sweetener and oatmeal in the topping, blueberry is a big favorite here, along with peach. I used to make pumpkin custard for Dad out of skim milk, sugar free instant pudding and canned pumpkin, it was tolerable and the girls actually liked it a lot.

Oh, and the bread? Make it whole grain, then hug your Dad for me. They are so stubborn, sometimes.

Annie

I agree with the other posts. Please do not bake and serve all those things he cannot/should not eat. I speak from experience when I say that because I am not allowed sugar, white grains & rice. When I bake I use a splenda/sugar mix that works great and also use whole grain flour that is white. Recently I read that this is not bleached flour but a special grain that happens to be white. Cooks.com has some great recipes if you need help.

Some of those brats & franks have 900 grams of salt in them and sugar. That will put a strain on his heart.

Good luck.

Perhaps you can glean some information and menu ideas from the link below. -Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Diabetes Food Pyramid

It's very thoughtful of you to want to try to have food which will be good for your father. Being diabetic myself, I know how difficult it is to pass up food I shouldn't eat but is readily available. I can usually always find something to eat but always need to exercise portion control, especially if there are alot of carbs.

I agree with the others who suggested keeping "white" carbs to a minimum if possible to reduce the temptation factor.

I've made several dessert recipes from Elena's Pantry which are quite good. If you want to have a cake, I especially like her no flour Orange Cake (adapted from Nigella's Clementine Cake at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/clementine-cake-recipe/index.html). If you'd rather not use agave nectar (a low GI sweetener), I've read somewhere recently that substituting Splenda Granular for the sugar in Nigella's recipe works well.

For munchies, I like unsalted nuts.

Here is a link that might be useful: Elena's Pantry Orange Cake

I found the link below as well. Mayo clinic also has information.

I'm thinking something like: eliminate almost all the baked sweets, reduce the carbs, less alcohol, use smaller plates and smaller portions.

I know you want to be a good host, but don't serve him an excessive amount of food that he can't safely eat. Good luck - let us know what you end up doing - this is interesting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Diabetes meal planning

David, I forgot, I've tried some pasta that is called Dreamfields. 5 grams of digestible carbs and a lot of fiber, and it tastes just like regular old white pasta, maybe you could try that for the lasagna. Elery's brother in law is also diabetic and it doesn't seem to affect his blood sugar much at all. It would help with the carbs, I don't know what to tell you about the cheese!

Annie

Thanks for all the input and links all y'all. After reading through them I think I've got it. More good veggies, whole grains, and portion control. Like I mentioned he is just a little stubborn. LOL He still has a few colds ones or a scotch even though he probably shouldn't.

I'm thinking of roasting a couple of chickens instead of the lasagna for Friday night. Unless I can find the pasta Annie mentioned. That with some brown rice, salad, and a veggie might be better. I'm thinking a veggie omelet for him for the Sunday brunch thing. That with some fruit should work out okay too. I have oatmeal and bran cereal in the pantry for other options. Also, I have chicken breast in the freezer and will pick up some kind of fish at the store to fill in if I need it over the weekend. The weather is messing with our plans somewhat but you never know what it is going to do until it happens down here.

As far as the sweets go I guess I'll leave out the sweet rolls for sure. We will have a b-day cake on Saturday for DS birthday. I always have various cookie dough in the freezer ready to bake. I'll just bake enough for the kids and me. : ) The sugar free ice cream is a great idea as is the yogurt with fruit. Ovenbird's cake looks good too. Salt free nuts, whole grain pita chips, and the hummus have been added to his munchie options too. Wondering if a tabouli salad would be okay too? I use bulger wheat in my recipe.

I did talk to my brother who lives up there and he said Dad is pretty good for the most part....minus the beer and scotch. I emailed my stepmom tonight for some input and help too. I'm thinking I can pull this off and satisfy everyone that will be here.

Do you think I'm somewhat on track with all of this?

Thanks again! If you have anymore ideas or input let me know.

David

David, Your revised plan sounds much safer. The idea is not to eliminate carbs, but reduce them. All carbs will increase blood sugar, but some spike it very rapidly and those should be avoided. White pasta is one of the worst things for me to eat. Many of the sugar-free products are made with sweetners that cause gastric distress, and probably should just be skipped altogether. Berries and angel food cake would be fine. Although most of the sugar substitutes say they are for baking, they just don't work well for most things, but for pudding, Splenda works great.

The steak meal sounds good, but try not to serve the largest potato in the market. For another meal, a sweet potato would be a good choice. Don't be fooled by the word sweet.

Instead of huge meals 3 times a day, he may need to eat a smaller meal then have a snack between meals. A fresh fruit and cheese plate might work. Just think fewer carbs, and more frequent opportunities to eat and things will be just fine. He will probably eat much less than your other guests, but most meals offer plenty of choices if he will choose wisely.

It's a special weekend, so don't worry about a few brewskis or scotches. I think you are absolutely on the right track. And as for the artificial sweeteners in ice cream, well, in small quantities, most people are okay. I've heard of diabetics eating a whole bag of sugar-free candy and feeling the effects badly. But as with most of life, moderation rules!

Have a great time!

Replace the carbs with veggies (not all, like say, carrots are not the best option) sans sauces. He can have those pretty easily. Just a suggestion.

Wait! I had another idea. If you wanted, you could check out Eating Well's website for menu ideas and recipes. Their recipes tell you specifically if they will be all right for a diabetic and/or HBP patient. This is one place they combine them both! Just look in the nutrition profile and it lists which types of patients can eat it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Arugula and prosciutto pizza

Sugar is fruit and carbs basically.
If you could find some recipes that are use vegetables, nuts, cheese and meat without carbs, you would be fine.
I would have lots of these things for snacks too...snacks
can be smoked oysters, grilled chicken, cashews- fun stuff in other words without resorting to potatoes or breads.

Gourmet, not, but something for a different sweet. This was popular "way back when" in the full sugar, etc. version.

Sugar Free Pumpkin Eclair Cake

1 can pureed pumpkin (not prepared pie filling)
1/2 cup canned fat free evaporated milk
1/2 cup skim milk
2 small packages sugar free, fat free instant vanilla pudding
1 and 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1-8 oz. carton thawed sugar free whipped topping
graham crackers

Line an 11x7 dish with a layer of graham crackers. Mix pumpkin, milks, pudding mixes, and spices until smooth and slightly thick. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread half this mixture on top of the graham crakers. Top with another layer of graham crackers. Top with the other half of the mixture. Chill over night. When ready to serve, spread with remaining whipped topping and sprinkle lightly with crushed graham cracker crumbs, or pecans, or additional pumpking pie spice. I think some crushed ginger snaps might be a good topping.

This could be doubled and do very nicely in a 9x13 dish or pan.

David, your new menu sounds great and should satisfy everyone! But like soonermom suggested, try to get smaller baking potatoes...baked and mashed potatoes are some of the worst foods for spiking my blood sugars. If they're small, your dad won't feel deprived and the big eaters can always have seconds. Or if he's not wedded to baked potatoes, try a lower GI potato like sweet potatoes or firmer ones like red skinned potatoes or new potatoes both of which take longer to digest.

BTW, I get raves from everyone (both diabetics and non-diabetics) when I serve that Orange Cake. It is best after a day or so. I try to remove the larger pieces of the white pithy bitter stuff before I toss the oranges into the food processor. If you think it needs a little something extra, try a very very light dusting of powdered sugar.

Good luck!

That orange cake looks delicious!
I'm going to make that soon.

Make sure Dallas is on the menu darfc

For the oatmeal, try to do steel cut instead of rolled.
And a nice casual stroll after meals can help a lot.

As the years go on, it's harder and harder to cook for our parents, isn't it? Especially when they aren't good at controlling themselves...

David, you've gotten lots of good advice here, and I agree with Rob, Eating Well has some good recipes and ideas, as does Cooking Light.

Good luck, it sure changes the way we cook, eat, and look at food, doesn't it?

Annie