Diabetic Grain & Starch Recipes

Soaking red onion in cold water helps mellow its raw bite while leaving its appealing crunch. This easy potato salad recipe is great at room temperature or chilled. If you're not planning on serving it right away, keep the dressing separate until you're ready to serve.

Step aside, bacon--these loaded baked potatoes are stuffed with smoked salmon, sour cream and chives for a fresh take on this comfort-food staple, and an easy healthy dinner.

This tangy potato and kale side dish is served warm.

Look for red lentils and quinoa at a large supermarket or a store that carries a wide selection of legumes and grains. Pairing them with flaxseeds boosts the nutrition of this pilaf.

In this traditional Chinese pancake recipe, chives are added for a pretty green hue and savory flavor. Serve as an appetizer with a soy dipping sauce or use like a tortilla for chicken or pork that's been marinated in ginger and soy sauce. The amount of water needed for the dough will vary depending on the type of flour and the humidity.

In 1998, we did our first story about pairing craft beer and food. We visited Dock Street Brasserie in Philadelphia, where executive chef Olivier De Saint Martin served up food, like this salad, that had more in common with Parisian bistros than brew pubs. This was one of the favorites chosen from more than 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. Try it with an American pale ale.

This sweet potato and turnip mash is fragrant with fresh sage.

There's no shortage of seasoning on these wedge-cut steak fries--they're coated in a generous amount of rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.

Love steak fries? Try these sweet potato wedges with a honey mustard dipping sauce. They're pre-cooked in the microwave, then seasoned with salt and paprika and on your plate after less than 10 minutes under the broiler.

Perfect with soup or as an easy snack, this healthy cheese toast recipe pairs reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), smoked salmon and dill on top of crusty bread.

Creamy ricotta and lemon zest lend bright flavor to this healthy cheese toast recipe, for a perfect soup pairing or easy snack.

Chili powder, cumin and ginger combine to create these spicy mashed sweet potatoes. A touch of maple syrup balances the spice for a twist on a traditional Thanksgiving side dish.

A trio of frozen products that are easy to keep on hand make this breakfast dish a snap. Try it for dinner, too! No need to thaw the veggies first; cook them from frozen. Serve with a dash of hot sauce, if desired.

Quinoa is a whole grain and contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. With its high fiber and antioxidant content it's easy to see why everyone is talking about quinoa these days! Try it with garden vegetables in this delicious, quick-and-easy dish.

These traditional Lebanese lamb-and-rice stuffed grape leaves are fragrant with mint, marjoram, cinnamon, cumin and allspice. Serve with lemon wedges and plain yogurt for dipping.

Turn everyday brown rice into delicious brown rice pilaf with the addition of currants and sliced almonds.

Boiling the sweet potatoes ahead of time speeds up the grilling process, meaning this crispy and delicious side dish will be on the table in under 30 minutes!

Think hummus meets tabbouleh in these vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, bursting with chickpeas, parsley and bulgur tied together with a lemony, garlicky sauce. The grape leaves will seem soft when just finished cooking, but will firm up as they cool. We prefer these at room temperature or cold--perfect for bringing to work for lunch.

Use leftover cooked pork to whip together these easy BBQ pork baked potatoes. Add steamed broccoli and Cheddar cheese to round out this easy healthy dinner.

This lightened-up take on the classic Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole is spiked with crushed pineapple and toasted pecans. We top it with an airy, slightly sweet meringue. You can pipe the meringue to make it look fancy or simply spread it neatly with a rubber spatula.

Skip the greasy mess with this healthy latke recipe by frying your potato pancakes in a waffle iron instead. Serve with sour cream and applesauce for dipping.

Garlic cloves, cooked along with the potatoes, give this puree extra body and lots of flavor.

Roasting garlic and thyme in olive oil infuses them with a heady flavor that makes a luxurious addition to these mashed potatoes. Purple potatoes make a delightful lavender mash, but you can use white potatoes if you prefer.

Colcannon is a classic Irish side dish that couples mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale. We use low-fat milk instead of the more traditional cream-and-butter combination for a lighter, but no less delicious, profile. Serve this healthy side with lamb, salmon or roast chicken any time of year--there's no need to save it just for St. Patrick's Day.