Alcohol in the Diabetic Diet

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If you have diabetes and you decide that you want to have an occasional alcoholic drink, it is important that you talk with your doctor first to determine if it is safe for you to do so. Alcohol in mixed drinks, wine, or beer can affect blood sugar levels differently, depending on whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the medications that you are taking, the level of your diabetes control, etc.

But, what about cooking with alcohol? This seems to be of concern to some of you as we occasionally call for alcohol in our cooking -- it's an excellent way to add flavor to foods. Most, but not all of the alcohol disappears, or evaporates, leaving few calories.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has published the following information concerning the alcohol content in cooked foods. You may find the results interesting and helpful in your cooking of other recipes which include alcohol.

Preparation Procedure: Alcohol added to boiling liquid and removed from heat
Percent alcohol retained: 85 percent alcohol

Preparation Procedure: Alcohol flamed
Percent alcohol retained: 75 percent

Preparation Procedure: No heat, stored overnight
Percent alcohol retained: 70 percent

Preparation Procedure: Baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture
Percent alcohol retained: 45 percent

Preparation Procedure: Baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture:
     15 minutes       40 percent
     30 minutes       35 percent
     1 hour               25 percent
     1.5hours           20 percent
     2 hours             10 percent
     2.5 hours           5 percent

Perhaps your doctor said "Nope, no alcohol at all". Well, okay we can deal with this! There are substitutions you can make in recipes calling for wine, beer, etc. Here are some suggestions:

In savory dishes for each cup (240 ml) of wine in the recipe, substitute 7/8 cup (210 ml) of fat-free low-sodium chicken, beef, vegetable broth, apple juice, white grape juice, or tomato juice, with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice or vinegar.
In desserts, substitute fruit juice for the wine, adding a dash of balsamic vinegar to the juice.
For orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier, use an equivalent amount of frozen orange juice concentrate plus some grated orange zest.
For coffee liqueur, use double-strength espresso or instant coffee made with 4 to 6 times the amount of coffee normally used.
For brandy or rum, try a small amount of brandy or rum extract, or pure vanilla extract.