Help please to decide the pudding menu

[Kate Moyes]

Hi folks. Can you help me please? I'm organising two fund raising 'Pudding Nights' for our Charity that supports the work of our museum. I would like to serve up 6 puddings at each, one of the evenings would be early summer the other mid autumn. I know that several of our potential participants are diabetic and any help you can give me in deciding the puddings to be served would be much appreciated.
Each pudding is to be served up (v.small portions) with the story giving the history attached to that type of pudding. I would prefer not to use sweeteners but realise that sometimes needs must.
If you can suggest a pud.. Even better, if you know of its origins I would be most grateful.
Thanks
Kate

 

[Northerner]

Hi Kate, welcome to the forum 🙂 Perhaps it would be a good idea to post a list of the puddings you would wish to serve to your non-diabetic guests so that our members can advise either whether they would be suitable as they are, or advise of any changes to the recipes that might make them more 'diabetes-friendly'?

 

[trophywench]

Hi Kate

There are some gorgeous low-carb pud recipes here

http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/forum/Blah.pl?b-805/

- knowing the carb-count is essential for T1's and very helpful to low-carbing T2's.

 

[Robster65]

One useful criterion is anything with wholegrains, nuts or seeds in to lower the GI.

I've got no idea what puddings might fit the bill, but I'd be happy to volunteer if you need a chief taster. 😛

Rob

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I've got no idea what puddings might fit the bill, but I'd be happy to volunteer if you need a chief taster. 😛

Rob

If for any reason you can't make it Rob, you know who to call. Meeeeeeeee please

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

There's a lovely Nigel Slater thing involving foil wrapped parcels of berries that can be served with cream/unsweetened yoghurt/small dollop of ice cream that makes a FAB and very low carb treat. A bit fiddly for larger numbers though 🙄

 

[Kate Moyes]

Puddings

Thanks - Brilliant idea to list original pud thoughts - folks please tell me which I should cut out from diabetic point of vie or better still how I can make each more diabetic friendly. I'm very worried about substituting Splenda (or similar) for sugar inrecipes as the chemistry changes and I won't get the same result. Thanks too for the link I've had a look at it and will study further.

When I originally decided that I would do this night (fool that I am - and before I had taken into account the need to be able to meet the needs of diabetics) I had in mind including things like...

Suet puddings (probably something like spotted dick - but could equally well be a boiled jam roly-poly or a fruit dumpling - i.e. historically a cloth boiled pud )

Sponge pudding - steamed (this could be treacle or in winter perhaps a marmalade pudding or similar.) (Could even be a steamed 'batter' pudding rather than the light sponge variety

Rice pudding (I can easily adapt this one and would probably fight to keep this one in the mix as it will get me historically back to Roman times - I thought about making it with brown rice too - how does that affect it's suitability for diabetics)

Sherry trifle - again I think reasonably easy to adapt if it's acceptable to use sugar-free jelly (don't like it much but don't know what else you would suggest unless I use gelatine and make a strawberry purree/gelatine jelly - don't mind extra work so long as the end result is suitable and flavour etc is GOOD!)

Summer pudding - doesn't need to be sweetened very much if I choose the fruit well - but is this OK?

Bread & butter pudding (only because I thought bread pudding would be too heavy)

Gooseberry or rhubarb fool (Bit heavy on cream this one but if someone could advise me as to how soya cream compares I'd be very interested. I know it will work as a substitute for some creams but have no idea how good it is from the diabetic point of view.)

Mince pies (for autumn eve - perhaps )(I have a simply fantastic sugar free & fat free mincemeat recipe that I've been using for years but I know there's sugar in the fruits and then there's the pastry

Frumenty - (this is a kind of porridge made from wheat boiled in milk. 1 cup whole grain wheat cooked in milk (or cream) & water, a little honey, added raisin and optional served with stewed fruit)

Thank you for your patience and reading through to the end of the list. Thanks to to those who will offer to sample - but sadly that aspect of the evening is already sold to capacity and I have testers queuing up at the back door. (But then who wouldn't go through such hardship to help buy the Suffolk horses for our museum!!!).
Every bit of advice will be very much appreciated - thank you.
Kate.

 

[robert@fm]

Rice pudding (I can easily adapt this one and would probably fight to keep this one in the mix as it will get me historically back to Roman times - I thought about making it with brown rice too - how does that affect it's suitability for diabetics)

Can rice pudding be made with basmati rice? This would help reduce the GL; when I was diagnosed in 2000, I was told that if I eat rice it should be basmati, as it has a lower GI than other varieties (I don't think GL had come in yet)...

 

[Kate Moyes]

Basmati

Hi Robert
I think Basmati is about the only rice I wouldn't normally use as it isn't starchy enough... Unless.... I make coconut rice but then the coconut would increase significantly fat ontent. Which one of those is the lesser of the two evils please?

Modern twist on old classics is fine so long as there's enough for me to link the history as well. I just want to be able to be as all inclusive as I can
Thanks

 

[Steff]

No help im afraid but could i beg for an invite

 

[Mark T]

Hi Robert
I think Basmati is about the only rice I wouldn't normally use as it isn't starchy enough... Unless.... I make coconut rice but then the coconut would increase significantly fat ontent. Which one of those is the lesser of the two evils please?

Modern twist on old classics is fine so long as there's enough for me to link the history as well. I just want to be able to be as all inclusive as I can
Thanks

Well since a diabetic has issues with blood glucose by definition and the carbohydrate in food directly raises blood glucose levels then I think the answer might be obvious. Of course the saturated fat content in coconut isn't good either.

Have you calculated the nutritional composition of your puddings?

 

[cherrypie]

If you are going to use flour and bread then it would not be something that would be ideal for diabetics. Even dried fruit has a high sugar content. Type 1 diabetics and Type 2's on insulin need to know the carb content and ingredients and Type 2's need to know the ingredients
Lighter puddings would be the answer using berries, yoghurt, sugar free jellies, nuts and seeds and possible small amounts of cream. Most diabetics see puddings as treats and not something they eat all the time.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hi Kate

Two quick thoughts to add into your considerations:

1 People with diabetes will often allow themselves a treat/occasional pudding, so some will eat whatever they fancy and enjoy it!
2 For those attempting to stick slightly more within their 'normal' diet the crucial factors will be the total carb content (not just sugars) of the dessert, and also its likely speed of absorption (GI) far more than fat content. In fact higher fat puddings might contain more sugars and still produce a reasonable BG level as the fat will slow absorption of the carbs.

I notice you mentioned trifle... You could make something like his with sugar-free jelly and reduced/artificially sweetened custard plus cream (apparently you need to be careful of reduced-fat versions because of the possibility of their containing hydrogenated vegetable oil/trans fats*). If you missed out any cake/ladies fingers and just had pears or something in the bottom the carb load might not be too disastrous.

If I were coming I'd prob just pick whatever 😉

* Thanks Cherrypie!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Ha! Posted at the same time as Cherrypie!

Fresh berries and natural yoghurt is a good thought too.

 

[Copepod]

Cherrypie & Mike have said the key points to consider, so nothing to add, really, but I will, as puddings are fun!

I have, on very rare occasions, been known to go running / cycling / kayaking for a few hours, then have no main course and 2 puddings, with appropriate insulin dose and go to bed with a normal blood glucose level. 🙂

 

[Natalie123]

In my opinion if it is only an occasional treat, I would say that it shouldn't matter. I go out for meals and have puddings and I just guess the carb content and hope for the best. Before I did carb counting I just accepted that my blood sugars would be high afterwards which didn't bother me for a one off. It is ok for a diabetic to have a treat occasionally!

You said they will be small portions, which is good. High fat content is obviously not healthy but doesn't affect blood sugar levels so is OK for a diabetic as a treat, the thing to watch is carbohydrate (sugar and starchy carbs) but like I said, I would just treat myself. I don't ever use sugar substitutes because they can have a laxative effect in large quanties, not to mention that they don't taste the same!