Favorite Italian Recipes for Hypoglycemia or Low Blood Sugar Problems

I love Italian food! But I have hypoglycemia. In other words, pasta and my blood sugar levels don't get along. I couldn't give up my favorite pasta dishes. If you have hypoglycemia or diabetes, try out some of these great Italian dishes that are high in deliciousness and low in sugar!

Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Meatballs with Spinach
The key to enjoying Italian food when you have hypoglycemia is to substitute whole wheat pasta for regular white pasta. Why? Whole wheat pasta takes a much longer time to digest in your body. This means that your blood sugar will not be affected immediately. Fill up with yummy meatballs instead of loads of pasta, and you will find yourself in Italian paradise!

To make this yummy Italian dish, cook up the whole wheat spaghetti al dente. Whole wheat pasta does not come out the same as regular pasta. Be ready for a tougher spaghetti noodle. While the whole wheat pasta cooks, wash and blanch fresh spinach. You can add shredded carrot for extra color.

Not all tomato sauces are created equal. Many have high fructose corn syrup and added sugar, which are big no-nos for anyone with hypoglycemia. Instead, I usually make my own tomato sauce using organic tomato paste, fresh tomatoes, garlic, and Italian seasonings. If you don't have the time, just be sure to check the label before you cook up the sauce.

What do I use to make the meatballs? The ingredients include: ground beef or turkey, garlic, onion, Italian seasonings, wheat germ, an egg, and whole wheat bread crumbs. Why add wheat germ? Extra fiber and vitamins, plus the more wheat the better!

I mash the meatballs together and form medium size balls. I line them on a greased cookie sheet and bake them at 350 degrees for 25-45 minutes, depending on the size and the oven. You can also fry them on the stove top. I usually bake them to reduce the amount of fat and to cut back on work.

Meanwhile, I mix together the pasta and spinach. When the meatballs are done, I let them simmer in the tomato sauce, then pour onto the spaghetti and spinach. Italian paradise!

Whole Wheat Lasagna
Follow the same recipe as your usual lasagna recipe, but substitute whole wheat pasta for your pasta noodles. Other delicious substitutions that I make include adding some spicy Italian sausage and mushrooms to the recipe and mixing spinach into the sauce. Yep, I am a spinach freak!

Meat-Filled Manicotti
I discovered a wonderful recipe secret at my local grocery store: Egg roll wraps! Yep, I am talking about Italian foods, but these pre-made pasta wraps originally intended for traditional egg rolls work great as manicotti wraps! To make them a little bit healthier and protein heavy, I fill them with more meat than cheese. Extras like chunky sauce, chopped peppers, onions, mushrooms, and veggies layered between manicotti noodles helps me chow down on less pasta and more vegetables and proteins.

I hope you enjoy these great Italian recipes! I love Italian food, and I won't let my hypoglycemia keep me from my fave recipes. Enjoy!