Diabetic Favorites: Vegetarian Chili, a Versatile Staple

What do you do when you have been diagnosed as a diabetic, and you know you have to count your carbs and watch your saturated fat intake, but you don't know what exactly it is you should eat? Many of your old favorites might not meet your current health needs, and most of the things listed on your exchange list look plain, boring, or weird.

I have spent a lot of the last year trying new recipes and fiddling with old ones searching for solutions that work for our family. One of our favorites is vegetarian chili. We all love this so much that I serve it nearly every week.

The basic recipe is simple. Put a large pot on the stove. Add a couple tablespoons of oil (I prefer extra virgin olive oil) and dump in a chopped onion and three chopped bell peppers. (I like to use assorted colors in season but settle for green in the winter.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers are soft. Then pour in two 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, two 15 oz. cans of black beans, two 15 oz. cans of pinto beans, and one 15 oz. can of tomato sauce. I prefer to drain and rinse the beans, but if you like a stronger bean flavor go ahead and add the liquid too. Stir in about ¼ cup of chili powder and a teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until it has heated all the way through, and the flavors have blended. It usually takes about 15 minutes.

That is the simple base recipe, but the variations are endless. If you like your chili milder, leave out the black pepper and cut back on the chili powder. If you want it hotter, substitute Mexican style diced tomatoes for the regular diced tomatoes and add a teaspoon of crushed red pepper and two teaspoons of cumin. For a chunkier chili, add a 32 oz. jar of your favorite salsa instead of the tomatoes. Try varying the beans. I like to substitute one can of dark red kidney beans for one of the cans of black beans to make it a three bean chili. Sometimes I use cannellini, navy, or great northern beans.

Try adding your favorite veggies. Anything from a couple of thinly sliced carrots to a can of corn can make the chili unique and different. If you just can't give up the meat flavor, a pound of low fat ground turkey or a bag of vegetarian "burger crumbles" can make it heartier and give you a more traditional chili taste and texture without all the saturated fat in beef and pork.

Be creative in your toppings too. We like to top it with a few corn chips or a little low fat shredded cheese. Some options include sliced green onions, fresh tomatoes, or a scoop of yogurt.

How ever you make it, vegetarian chili with its endless variations makes a great dinner inline with typical diabetic diet recommendations. A one cup serving of the base recipe counts as two starch exchanges, one lean meat exchange, and one vegetable exchange.