Food & Diabetes: Incorporating Spring Fruits and Veggies into Your Diet

Determining what food you can eat when you have diabetes can be puzzling, but one thing's for certain -- eating more produce is an excellent way to keep your type 2 diabetes management on track. Vegetables and fruits are filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, low in calories, and -- with a few exceptions -- virtually fat-free.

Can't afford fresh produce? Think again. If you buy produce in season, the bargains are out there. Buying fresh produce and cooking most of your meals at home can help with weight loss.

• Lose Weight and Save Money By Cooking at Home

What in-season produce deals are in the grocery stores in the spring? According to the About.com Guide to American Food, asparagus, beets, celery, greens and lettuces, peas, peppers, rhubarb, spring onions, strawberries, and turnips should be available in abundance (which means they're likely to be cheaper this time of year than at any other time).

Now that you know the produce bargains, the next step is to find recipes for your purchases. About.com's Meal Planner can help. Here are some suggestions:

Asparagus

• Easy Asparagus Soup*
• Asparagus Omelet

Beets

• Beet "Potato" Chips*
• Beet and Orange Salad

Celery

• Dairy Free Cream of Celery Soup
• Lemon Pork with Celery

Greens (Collard, Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard)

• Greens with Garlic and Chiles
• Southern Style Collard Greens*

Lettuce

• Thai Lettuce Wraps
• Low Carb Lettuce Wrap Sandwiches

Peas

• Tagliatelle with Peas
• Rice Salad with Peas and Chicken

Peppers

• Spicy Beef and Bean Stuffed Peppers
• Marinated Bell Peppers

Turnips

• Roasted Turnips
• Gluten-Free Mashed Turnips

Rhubarb

• Rhubarb Crumble
• Rhubarb Applesauce

Spring Onions

• Spring Vegetable Couscous
• Campbell's Spring Vegetable Risotto

Strawberries

• Low Fat Meringue Nests with Strawberries
• Strawberry Sorbet

Variety is not only the spice of life, but it will make it easier to stick to your diet. These recipes from About.com are sure to please as they take you around the world on a culinary journey. Most of them are easy, and all of them will provide a great dining-at-home experience while utilizing the freshness and economy of seasonal produce.

_{*Recipes marked with an asterisk have a higher fat and calorie content. They can still be enjoyed in moderation, with an eye toward portion control and staying within your total calorie limit for the day.}

Check out even more recipes from these contributing About.com Guides: American Food, British and Irish Food, Busy Cooks, Dairy Free Cooking, Eastern European Food, French Cooking, Greek Food, Home Cooking, Italian Food, Local Foods, Low Fat Cooking, Southern Food, Thai Food, Vegetarian Food.

Need help counting calories? Try About.com's free online tracking service, Calorie Count.