Illustration by Kat Frick Miller
As a registered dietitian, Lucy Zhang believes in a balanced diet. But over the course of our conversation about how she eats, one macronutrient kept coming up: fibre.
“Soluble fibre is very beneficial for lowering LDL cholesterol and keeping you satiated,” she says.
That’s why, with her clients at Beyond Diabetes Nutrition – the online practice she launched in the throes of the pandemic – she emphasizes building meals around three pillars: protein, healthy fats and more fibre.
She says each helps slow digestion, leading to a more stable blood-sugar response and steadier energy, crucial for clients concerned about diabetes.
Most of Zhang’s clients are similar to her: professionals in their mid-30s to 50s with a family history of diabetes, looking to make lifestyle changes to reduce their risk.
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Her own interest in diabetes education began in middle school when a family trip to China piqued her curiosity.
“I went to visit my grandma and found out she couldn’t eat fruit any more because of diabetes,” Zhang says.
The moment stayed with her. She remembered how much her grandmother loved fruit, and how it had suddenly been taken off the table.
In her practice, she focuses on helping clients keep meals blood-sugar friendly without sacrificing foods they enjoy, such as fruit. At most meals, that means a balanced plate: one-quarter carbohydrates, one-quarter protein and half non-starchy vegetables.
Relying on some routine meals makes things easy for busy professionals, she says. Most days, Zhang opts for a high-fibre, high-protein salad bowl for lunch: chicken or ground beef, fibre-rich carbs such as beans, edamame, lentils or sweet potato and a generous amount of greens for bulk and volume.
She regularly consumes chia seeds, ground flax, oats, barley and legumes, which she says are some of the best sources of soluble fibre.
“Because I do have my own family history, I am very aware and mindful of my routine,” she says.
She also draws on research showing that the order in which you eat matters. Starting with fibre- and protein-rich foods before carbohydrates can help stave off blood-sugar swings and slow insulin spikes, allowing people with a predisposition to diabetes to still enjoy their fruit.
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How I save money on groceries: I browse flyers on my phone to plan out my groceries for the week and compare prices between three grocery stores: No Frills, Food Basics and Bestco Food Market. I purchase meat, eggs and bread in bulk once a month from Costco.
How I splurge on groceries: My husband and I love doing date nights at home every month. We pick a cuisine and make it a three-course meal. We recently had an Italian night and made caprese salad with fresh burrata, grilled peaches and prosciutto, splurged on fresh pasta as our second and a homemade panna cotta for dessert.
The hardest shopping habit to keep up: Tackling balanced lunches on a busy weekday. If I’m throwing something together last minute, I don’t find it very satiating. I have to be intentional, so I make my lunches three days ahead of time so they’re ready to go throughout the week.
How we’ve changed my eating habits recently: I’m doing a lot more ingredient prepping and freezing. On Sundays I wash, prep and freeze my vegetables so they’re ready to eat.
Five items always in our cart:
- Chewy Protein Bar – Kirkland – $19.99 for a box of 42: Each bar has enough protein and fibre to make it blood-sugar friendly and filling.
- Canned pinto beans – Unico – $1.69 per can: Canned beans and lentils make a regular rotation in my grocery shopping. Cost-wise, they’re more than buying dry, but these are easier.
- Multigrain rye sourdough bread – Stonemill – $8.79 for three loaves: I love this toast because it combines the benefits of being a whole grain bread with being a sourdough, both of which make it a blood-sugar friendly option.
- Smooth peanut butter – Kraft – $4.49: Most people are surprised that as a dietitian, Kraft is my favourite peanut butter. But when you compare protein and carbohydrates to the all-natural stuff, the difference is negligent. I enjoy the taste of this so much more, so I choose this.
- Raspberries – Driscoll – $2.88 for a half pint: I always wait for a sale to purchase raspberries, because they’re expensive. One cup of raspberries provides about 30 per cent of my daily fibre needs, and I find it’s the tastiest way to get my fibre in. I planted a raspberry bush last year, I’m hoping to be able to harvest them for myself this year.