Think food for the diabetics have to be bland and unappealing? Not anymore. CGH and Marshall Cavendish have published a cookbook featuring unique recipes specially created for the diabetics.

Entitled A Cookbook for Diabetics by a Dietician and a Chef, the 136-page publication is jointly written by Chief Dietitian Magdalin Cheong and Executive Chef Daniel Yeo from our Dietetic and Food Services (DFS) team. Together, they developed and wrote 60 delicious recipes that are both nourishing and pleasing to the Asian palate over an eight-month period.

Their painstaking efforts are well-worth it as every recipe is simply chock full of flavours, and can be enjoyed by both the diabetics and their family members. Also included in the book is a section on how to manage diabetes.

“There are many diabetic cookbooks out there, but they are often published in the West for a diet that is quite different from the Asian palate. We decided to fill this gap,” says Mr T K Udairam, CGH CEO.

“One key question that many diabetic patients ask is what and how much of a certain food they can eat. With this book, we hope to help them achieve variety in their diet and make their eating more interesting, yet at the same time, enable them to maintain good glucose control and stay healthy,” says Mrs Magdalin Cheong.

“Each recipe has been tried and tested to ensure that it meets the nutrient requirements as well as the approval of the Chef’s discerning taste buds,” she adds.

There is also a bonus with each copy - beautiful pictures of tantalizing dishes that adorned the pages.

Madam Noraini Bte Abdullah, a 61 year-old CGH diabetic patient, says she is immediately drawn to the bran and oatmeal muffins recipe when she sets eye on the picture. The housewife, who confessed to having a sweet tooth, is happy that the book offers healthy alternatives. She cannot wait to try making the muffins.

“Through this cookbook, we hope to make food exciting and pleasurable again for diabetics with an Asian palate,” says Mr Udairam. “Many may not realize it, but food plays an important role in not only controlling diabetes but also preventing its onset for those at risk.”

CGH held an official book launch on 13 November 2008 at the hospital’s main lobby. This was followed by a sumptuous buffet lunch where our invited guests and diabetic patients sampled some of the lip-smacking recipes from the cookbook.

Spicy Seafood Parcels

These crispy, lip-smacking treats are a unique way of serving otak-otak or
steamed seafood mousse. Each parcel contains about 10 g carbohydrates.