Hidden sugars in food are a constant concern for anyone who is worried about their health. If you’re managing conditions such as pre-diabetes, the foods you eat will be of upmost importance to your wellbeing.

Pre-diabetes occurs when your blood glucose level is higher than normal but not high enough to diagnose type 2 diabetes.

Without lifestyle changes there is an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Such measures include, eating a nutrient-rich, low-sugar diet, including physical activity as part of a daily routine, not smoking, controlling elevated blood pressure and cholesterol.

We expect sugar to be present in cakes, biscuits, and sweet drinks, and will naturally limit them if we’re aiming to cut sugar-laden foods from our diet. However, sugar and sweeteners can be found in most processed food, and often in products we wouldn’t expect to need any sweetening. Becoming confident with reading labels when doing your weekly shop can really help.

Fibre-rich foods

High-fibre foods help to maintain a steady blood sugar as they tend to have a lower glycaemic index (GI), so aim to include these at each meal. This can help with a feeling of fullness for longer, decreasing the need to snack, and fibre adds bulk to the diet which supports a healthy gut.

High-fibre foods include quinoa, wholegrain rice and pasta, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and low GI fruits, like apples.

Lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, and fish also have minimal impact on blood sugars. Always choose water over sugary alternatives.

Tomato chicken stew on a butter bean mash

Ingredients Serves 2-3

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp dried chilli

½ low salt stock cube in 150ml boiling water

2 tins of tomatoes

Few handfuls of spinach or rocket

Fresh coriander

1 tbsp olive oil

2 chicken fillets, diced

2 tins butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 lemon, juiced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

1 Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan and place it over a low heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté gently for about 10 minutes.

2 Add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and dried chilli, and stir over the heat for about 1 minute. Add the stock and tomatoes. Increase the heat under the pan and once simmering reduce the heat again and cook for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.

3 While the tomato sauce is cooking, add a little olive oil to a separate pan and fry the chicken until cooked through. Add to the tomato sauce and simmer for another 15 minutes.

4 To prepare the butter bean mash, add the butter beans with the lemon juice to a high-powered blender, season with a little salt and pepper. Add a dash of recently boiled water. Blend for a couple of minutes, until completely smooth.

5 Just before serving, take the stew from the hob and stir through the leafy greens. Divide the butter bean mash between two to three plates, evenly top with the stew, sprinkle over some coriander leaves.

Seed crackers