Diabetic Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

Find healthy, delicious diabetic vegetable side dish recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Roasted Honeynut Squash

6
Honeynut squash looks just like mini butternut squash, but on the inside you'll find an even sweeter, deeper orange flesh. This winter squash has only been available at farmers' markets and in select grocery stores for a few years. If you see it, grab a few to try! This simple roasting method enhances the natural flavor of the squash with butter and spices.
By Carolyn Casner

Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

15
In this easy vegetable side dish recipe, sweet potatoes are tossed with maple syrup, butter and lemon juice and are roasted until tender and golden brown. The delicious glaze that forms on these maple-roasted sweet potatoes transform this ultra-simple dish into something sublime.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

1
The genius hack in this recipe: topping sweet potatoes with marshmallows while they're still piping hot from the slow cooker yields a baked marshmallow topping that's typical with baked sweet potato casseroles.
By Carolyn Casner

Sheet-Pan Roasted Root Vegetables

8
One pan is all you need for a heaping pile of nutritious, tender and colorful root vegetables. Whip up this large-batch recipe at the beginning of the week to use in easy, healthy dinners all week long.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Colorful Roasted Sheet-Pan Veggies

3
These easy roasted vegetables will give your plate a pop of color. Give the cubes of butternut squash a head start for 10 minutes to soften in the oven before adding in the other veggies. The broccoli, peppers and onion are naturally more tender than the butternut squash and cook more quickly. That way everything ends up finishing at the same time.
By Katie Webster

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Onions

11
Fresh herbs, onion and bacon sauté alongside Brussels sprouts in this easy vegetable side dish recipe. This savory dish is delicious in the fall and winter months, when Brussels sprouts are in season. If you can find them still attached to the stalk, don't be intimidated--buy them, as they're likely more fresh. Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Loaded Sweet Potato Nacho Fries

4
Bump up the vitamin A and fiber when you swap tortilla chips for sweet potatoes in this healthy recipe. Serve as an appetizer at your next party or turn it into dinner by adding chicken, tofu, shrimp or more beans for protein.
By Hilary Meyer

Balsamic Roasted Carrots

1
Roasting carrots brings out their sweetness, which is enhanced further with a tangy balsamic and maple glaze. Serve them straight-up for an easy weeknight side dish or garnish with chopped hazelnuts for holiday meals and dinner parties.
By Marianne Williams

Steamed Butternut Squash

1
Butternut squash steams quickly, making this a great cooking technique to enjoy this fall vegetable as a weeknight side dish. For extra flavor, toss the steamed butternut squash with salt, pepper and a little bit of olive oil, butter or Parmesan cheese after cooking.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Quick Cucumber Kimchi

7
While slowly fermented cabbage and pungent garlic are the ingredients most people associate with kimchi, there are dozens and dozens of other versions of Korea's national dish, featuring all manner of vegetables, such as these quickly pickled cucumbers with just a trace of garlic.
By Jamie Purviance

Sautéed Butternut Squash

Sautéeing butternut squash in olive oil quickly yields perfectly cooked results and slighly caramelizes the squash for extra flavor. This recipe makes a delicious vegetable side dish to pair with roasted meats.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sweet Potato Skins with Guacamole

3
Top crispy sweet potato skins with guacamole for a healthy take on classic potato skins in this easy crowd-pleasing recipe.
By Devon O'Brien
Advertisement

Inspiration and Ideas

Quick Vegetable Saute
1
Add a little shallot and dried dill or tarragon to any mixture of frozen vegetables and have a delicious side dish on the table fast. If you'd like to make this recipe with fresh vegetables instead, cut them into bite-size pieces and add a tablespoon or two of water to the skillet when you add the vegetables; adjust the cooking time as needed.
Zucchini & Mushroom Sauté
4
Serve this simple side dish with grilled turkey burgers. Other fresh herbs, like thyme or oregano, work well too.
Meringue-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole
9

Honey-Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash

3

Tangy cider vinegar, sweet honey, crunchy pine nuts and fresh mint come together to make an amazing glaze in this healthy roasted winter squash recipe. If you use delicata, the whole squash--including the gorgeous skin--is edible.

All Diabetic Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

Slow-Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1
This simple slow-cooker mashed potatoes recipe skips tedious peeling and boiling and helps save precious stovetop space by letting the slow cooker do the work. It's a great timesaving set-it-and-forget-it side dish recipe to round out any hearty meal. Buttermilk makes the mashed potatoes creamy while garlic and shallots add flavor.
By Carolyn Casner

Broccoli and Cauliflower Sauté

Mix up these nutrient-packed cruciferous vegetables for a flavorful and healthy side dish.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Easy Steamed Zucchini

This foolproof way to cook zucchini is also the easiest and fastest. Just steam it on the stovetop for a few minutes and you have a healthy vegetable side dish to add to dinner. Toss with a little pesto for extra flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cauliflower with New Mornay Sauce

4
A topping of Mornay sauce is a delicious treatment for numerous vegetables: broccoli, asparagus, fennel, Belgian endive, to name a few. In our revised version, we have replaced some of the high-fat cheeses and cream with low-fat cottage cheese, which contributes a rich dairy flavor without the fat. Even children will eat cauliflower prepared this way.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Brown Sugar-Glazed Beets

4
Try a sweet glaze on beets or other root vegetables to help balance their earthy flavor. This easy recipe will work with steamed carrots, turnips or rutabaga too.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Butternut Squash & Root Vegetables

2
This easy roasted butternut squash and root vegetables recipe is incredibly versatile. Pile the squash and veggies onto grain bowls, add to sandwiches, toss in soup, serve as a side dish--you name it. Roasting vegetables in the oven gives you 20 minutes of hands-off cooking time to assemble the rest of your meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Calabacitas

1
Enjoy this traditional Southwestern dish of sautéed summer squash, onions and peppers as a side or as a vegetarian filling for tacos.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Quick Pickled Beets

5
For these easy pickled beets, you only need to let them marinate in the pickling mixture for about 30 minutes to get great flavor. Marinating them longer just enhances the taste. Try them in place of cucumber pickles as a condiment or as a vegetable side dish for roasted chicken or beef.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Smoky Aioli

The delicious dipping sauce makes this easy Brussels sprouts recipe an irresistible appetizer or side dish. If you want to double the recipe, use two large rimmed baking sheets and swap their spots in the oven halfway through cooking.
By Carolyn Casner

Cinnamon Baked Pumpkin

1
Baked pumpkin is a fun twist on tradition. A sprinkle of cinnamon is a delicious nod to the usual pie and transforms the squash into an enchanting side dish recipe.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

1
Garlic cloves, cooked along with the potatoes, give this puree extra body and lots of flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sautéed Peppers & Onions

This simple technique of cooking onions and peppers is a useful way to get your veggie servings in. They're quite versatile--use these peppers and onions on a burger or sausage sandwich, stuff them into quesadillas or layer them into casseroles.
By Katie Webster

Creamy Coleslaw

3
Red and green cabbage and bright orange carrots make a colorful, healthful combination. For an especially nutty flavor, use Savoy instead of regular green cabbage.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Simple Sautéed Spinach

9
Sautéed spinach (or any greens) with garlic and a squeeze of lemon (or vinegar) is a simple formula that lets spinach shine and will never go out of favor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Green Beans with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

A much healthier take on the old-fashioned green bean casserole, this version thankfully skips the canned soup and fried onions! Fresh green beans are cooked until crisp-tender and topped with a garlicky-thyme mushroom sauce, shallots and crumbled chèvre.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Green Bean Casserole Salad

1
Trying to lighten up your green bean casserole? Try this quick and easy salad version, which combines fried shallots, croutons, mushrooms, green beans, and chopped chard leaves for a lighter take on a holiday classic.
By Lauren Grant

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

This version of the holiday staple uses a little bourbon to boost the flavor of the sweet potatoes, but you can also use orange juice. Baking the potatoes in their skins allows their natural sugars to caramelize for enhanced sweetness.
By Andrea Kirkland

Steamed Green Beans with Rosemary-Garlic Vinaigrette & Fried Shallots

1
Here's a new way to delight your green-bean-loving guests. The genius of this easy green bean recipe is in the dressing, which is made with savory oil that has also been used to fry shallots and garlic.
By Breana Killeen

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

3
Chef Michael Symon loves Brussels sprouts because they can be cooked so many different ways. In this healthy recipe, the rich flavor of the walnuts, Dijon and capers is perfection with roasted meats.
By Michael Symon

Cider-Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Everyone loves Brussels sprouts when they're drizzled in a tangy-sweet sauce. Plus, bacon! Serve with chicken, pork or steak and roasted potatoes.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Air-fried sweet potato fries are crispy, tender and delicately sweet. They're also made with less fat than traditional fries, so they're a healthier option when you're craving crunchy spuds. If the cinnamon-pepper spice is too intense, try thyme, oregano, paprika or garlic instead.
By Sarah Epperson

Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts have surged in popularity recently and it's easy to understand why. They're high in nutrients while low in calories and can be prepared quickly in a variety of ways--baked, steamed, and even eaten raw! This simple side dish recipe serves up roasted sprouts seasoned with just a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This incredibly simple and quick recipe for roasted sweet potatoes relies on the most basic of seasonings--olive oil, salt and pepper. Ready in just 30 minutes, it's a great side dish for a family dinner on a busy weeknight but because it's so easy and delicious, it can also be doubled or tripled and served at larger gatherings.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Date and Balsamic-Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are roasted until just tender then simmered with dates in a reduced garlic/balsamic vinegar sauce.
By Diabetic Living Magazine
Load More
Advertisement
© Copyright EatingWell. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.eatingwell.com