Quick and Easy Portobello Mushroom Pizza Recipe by Jill Weisenberger

Every day we’re bombarded with messages to limit the amount of processed foods in our diets and instead eat more fruits and vegetables.
But that advice can be harder than it seems since processed foods are abundant and convenient. So we asked our friend and colleague, Nationally Recognized Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Care and  Education Specialist, and Best-Selling Author Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, FAND, and CHWC, for creative ways to add more vegetables to our meal plans. Lucky for us, she also shared a delicious, easy-to-make mushroom pizza recipe! 
Q: Small changes often have big rewards. Can you advise us on how to add more vegetables to your meals – like breakfast and lunch?  
Jill Weisenberger (JW): For breakfast, you can add veggies to something you’re already eating. For example, top your eggs with salsa or scramble your eggs with any veggies you like. Alternatively, you can simply add vegetables on the side. I learned a lot of ideas from traveling. Roasted mushrooms and grilled tomatoes are often served in some European countries. In Greece, I sat down to stuffed grape leaves, Greek salad, and a bowl of olives. And in Israel, every breakfast included raw chopped tomatoes and cucumber or something similar.
I get vegetables at lunch by reaching into my fridge for anything raw and tasty: jicama, snap peas, radishes, carrots, etc. Plus, I usually have leftovers from the previous night’s dinner that I can heat up.
Q: Can you share some tips and resources to make eating more plant-based meals easier without sacrificing food and restaurants?
JW: Start with the plant-based foods you already love. Do you have a favorite lentil soup or chickpea salad? Put them into the rotation more often.
You don’t have to give up meat if that’s what you’re used to. Simply add plant proteins. Can you add white beans to chicken soup, red beans to beef chili, or canned chickpeas to a salad with leftover baked salmon?
In restaurants, double up on any vegetable to tame your appetite for a smaller serving of meat.
And try some new recipes based on your favorite flavors. Italian? You can get some ideas simply by entering “healthy Italian bean recipes” into your internet browser. Or, if your family loves tacos, create bean or lentil tacos and omit the beef.
Jill shares her simple portobello mushroom pizza recipe that you can personalize for a fast lunch or snack. Each member of your family can create and enjoy their own personalized pizza. There’s no portion distortion!!

Portobello Mushroom Pizza Recipe by Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, FAND, CHWC

Ingredients

  • Large or medium-sized portobello mushrooms
  • Tomato bruchetta or jarred spaghetti sauce
  • tomato slices or any veggies on hand
  • Cheese
  • Fresh or dried herbs or a combination of both

Click HERE for the Full Recipe

Jill Weisenberger is the author of Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week is a bestseller and can help you manage your weight and blood sugar at the same time, The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition offers solutions to your everyday food and nutrition problems – no matter how busy you are, 21 Things You Need to Know about Diabetes and Your Heart gives you specific actions to take to improve your health right away, and her newest book Prediabetes: A Complete Guide featuring dozens of concrete steps to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic health problems.
Jill Weisenberger’s Stick With It is a self-paced video course that guides you step-by-step to the healthy habits you want. You’ll learn why your motivation and willpower move up and down like a roller coaster and what you can do to keep them up higher and longer!

Tomato and Goat Cheese-Walnut Pesto Flatbread Recipe by Jill Weisenberger

There are so many wonderful ways to enjoy summer produce, including Jill’s delicious heirloom tomato flatbread recipe!

“The goat cheese and walnut pesto pair perfectly with these beautiful heirloom tomatoes,” says Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND. 

Tomato and Goat Cheese-Walnut Pesto Flatbread Recipe by Jill Weisenberger RD

Ingredients

  • For the Goat Cheese-Walnut Pesto
  • 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves (about 16 g)
  • 1/3 cup walnut pieces
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • juice of 1/2 lemon (about 11/2 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 5 ounces soft goat cheese
  • For the Tomato Flatbread
  • 4 medium to large tomatoes

FULL RECIPE 

Nutritional Information: Serving: 1slice | Calories: 182 | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 310mg | Fiber: 2.5g

Quick Takes with Registered Dietitian Jill Weisenberger

Q: How much is ‘too much’ when it comes to eating carbohydrates for someone with type 2 diabetes?

Jill Weisenberger (JW): This is way too individualized for me to give you a solid answer. If your blood glucose is in your target range before eating, but above your target range 2 hours after eating, chances are you ate too much carbohydrate. Though it might suggest something else such as taking your medications incorrectly or needing a different dose, or it might even be your blood sugar’s way of reminding you not to miss your usual exercise. 


Q: How much is too much when it comes to eating carbohydrates for someone with pre-diabetes? 

JW: People with prediabetes have more flexibility because they are not at risk of having a dangerously high blood sugar level. Instead of focusing on the quantity of carbohydrate, I prefer to focus on the quality of carb-rich foods. Aim to eat fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains and other wholesome, nutrient-rich foods. 


Q: Are there any carbohydrates someone with pre-diabetes should avoid?

JW:  recommend limiting what I call fun foods. For me, that’s chocolate. For someone else, it’s corn chips. If it doesn’t had much to the wholesomeness of your diet, eat just small amounts or skip it completely. It’s almost always reasonable and possible to fit in favorite foods. However, I do urge extra caution around sugary beverages. Sugary drinks, like sodas, sweet tea and lemonade, are linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes. 


Q: I’ve read that adding walnuts to your meal plan is a good idea. Why or why not?  

JW: Love walnuts! And yes, they are a great addition to the diet. They give us omega-3 fatty acids, fibers, phytonutrients and more. Diets with nuts are associated with improved heart and blood vessel health in people with diabetes and in the general population.

Prediabetes: A Complete Guide


 Jill Weisenberger
’s candid and energetic approach and her sound nutrition and fitness advice has earned her a place as one of 10 Dietitians You Need to Follow on Social Media in US News & World Report. Jill offers healthy and delicious recipe ideas and nutrition strategies and is renowned for disease prevention and management, nutritious, delicious meals, and truths (and myths!) about food trends.

Divabetic Scavenger Hunt: At Home Party

Divabetic Scavenger Hunt & Smoothie Party: At Home Party – Register Now!

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes at risk? 

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free and entertaining, Scavenger Hunt: At Home Party on Thursday, June 18, 2020, 7 PM, EST. This hilarious night of virtual diabetes wellness and conversations features make-your-own smoothies with Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND. 

Having diabetes does not mean you need to deny yourself all the foods you love, but it is about healthy choices. One good choice is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables with smoothies. During our online Scavenger Hunt, Jill shares tips for making healthy smoothies without compromising your diabetes wellness.  

When: Thursday, June 18, 7PM, ET 

Where: on Zoom Register Now on Zoom Code

Fee:  Totally Free

 How: Mr. Divabetic will have a list of people may find around their kitchen. Once he posts an item you will have 30 seconds to find it and accumulate points for fun prizes including Jill Weisenberger’s Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week bestselling book. After the hunt, we’ll sit back, laugh, make smoothies and enjoy a toast together until we can do it again in person.  

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast

 We’re talking about “I Know What You Ate Last Summer” with Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND on Diabetes Late Nite with music from ‘The Best Of Patti Austin’ album courtesy of SONY Music. Addtional guests: Chris Pickering co-founder of ‘The Betes Bros, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Lorranie Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.

Divabetic Smart Snacks #4

Choosing healthy snacks can be difficult when you have diabetes.

The key is to choose snacks that are high in fiber, protein and healthy fats. These nutrients will help keep your blood sugar levels under control.

It’s also important to snack on nutrient-dense foods that promote overall health.

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans have close to 15 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber in a 1-cup (164-gram) serving of chickpeas, making them an excellent snack for people with diabetes.

Oasis Mediterranean Cuisine’s Hommus Crisps

One of our new favorite snacks, Oasis Mediterranean Cuisine’s Hommus Crisps‘ contain: chickpeas, green lentils, corn, sesame seeds, vegetable oil, sea salt.

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