When considering a dish as beloved as lasagna, the question of its suitability for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes naturally arises.
Questions might include: Can diabetics eat lasagna? What are the nutrition facts for lasagna? How will lasagna impact blood sugar? Or is it the type of meal that’s best left out of your meal plan altogether?
That’s exactly what we’re going to explore below. Plus, you can get our delicious Cheesy Spinach Lasagna Recipe – yum!
Traditional Lasagna: A Nutritional Overview
Traditionally, lasagna is a rich, layered pasta dish filled with cheeses, meat, tomato sauce, and, occasionally, vegetables.
While undeniably delicious, its conventional form presents challenges when trying to regulate blood sugar levels.
The primary concern lies in the pasta layers, which are high in carbohydrates.
A standard serving of lasagna can contain 30-45g of carbohydrates, primarily from the pasta itself, the actual lasagna sheets.
Two sheets of lasagna pasta (50g) is roughly 37g of carbs – so if you have a large serving of lasagna, or the sheets are layered in multiple, the carbs you eat could be even more – 60 or 70g. That’s a lot!
Whether it’s 30g or 70g, these amounts of carbs will significantly impact blood sugar levels.
Ideally, a maximum of 25g of carbs per meal is recommended.
BUT, don’t despair! If you’re a lasagna lover (like us) this doesn’t mean lasagna must be entirely off-limits.
The key lies in thoughtful modifications and alternatives that lower the overall carbs, but still provide a deliciously tasty and indulgent experience.
Crafting a Diabetes-Friendly Lasagna
Transforming lasagna into a dish that fits within a lower-carbohydrate, diabetes-friendly diet involves creativity and substitution.
The main area of concern is the pasta layers, so to make your lasagna a suitable meal, focus on replacing traditional pasta layers with lower carb alternatives.
Here’s some ideas:
- Zucchini Slices: Thinly slice zucchini lengthwise, and use these strips as your lasagna layers. You don’t have to, but you can optionally grill or lightly sauté the slices beforehand to reduce moisture and add a slight char for extra flavor.
- Eggplant Slices: Similar to zucchini, eggplant can be sliced lengthwise and used as lasagna sheets. Eggplant has a meatier texture, which can make the dish feel substantial. With eggplant, we do recommend pre-cooking the slices lightly on a grill or in a pan helps to draw out excess moisture and concentrate the flavors.
- Cabbage Leaves: There are two ways you can use cabbage as lasagna sheets. 1) Blanch whole cabbage leaves until they are soft and pliable, then lay down between your layers of meat, cheese, etc. 2) Shred the cabbage into pieces, line a tray with parchment (baking) paper; lay out the shredded cabbage and bake for 20 minutes, turning at the halfway point – then layer accordingly. Cabbage – especially the roasted option – adds a delicious earthy flavor to the lasagna.
- Bell Pepper Sheets: Large bell peppers can be cut into flat panels and layered in the lasagna. This not only adds sweetness and a crunchy texture but also infuses the dish with additional vitamins and a vibrant color.
- Portobello Mushroom Caps: For a hearty, flavorful option, use large Portobello mushroom caps, sliced into broad strips. Mushrooms offer a rich, umami flavor and a texture that pairs well with traditional lasagna fillings.
Each of these alternatives not only reduces the carbohydrate content of the dish but also enhances its nutritional profile, adding various vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
When preparing these substitutes, it’s important to consider the water content and how it might affect the texture of the final dish. Sometimes the lasagna, once baked, can contain a bit more liquid.
This generally doesn’t affect the deliciousness of a dish, but if it’s the first time you try it, you might not expect it – so now you know!
Pre-cooking methods like grilling, sautéing, or roasting can sometimes help reduce moisture and improve the structural integrity of the lasagna, too.
General Nutrition Facts for a Modified Lasagna
Inside our Members Site, we have a few different lasagna recipes (one included below!).
And the benefit is, a modified, lower carbohydrate lasagna, incorporating the above suggestions, can transform this classic dish into a more diabetes-friendly option.
For example, a serving of our Spinach Cheese Lasagna contains around 16g of total carbohydrates – that’s a massive difference from 30-70g carbs!
The sheer reduction in carbohydrates can help lower blood sugar and A1c levels; and a more balanced macronutrient profile provides you with nutritional health benefits.
Spinach Cheese Lasagna Recipe
>> RECIPE HERE
Conclusion: Diabetes and Lasagna
Traditional lasagna isn’t a great meal for people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, and here’s why: Managing carbohydrate intake is crucial for achieving and maintaining optimal blood sugar and A1c levels.
Traditional lasagna is high in carbohydrates, period!
Creating a diabetes-friendly lasagna is still possible though, and it’s as easy as substituting the sheet layers of lasagna pasta with a more suitable option – zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, or cabbage, for example.
If you haven’t tried it, you really must because we sometimes think we could ‘never’ give up our favorite dish – and you don’t have to. But you can get used to an alternative that still gives you the deliciously tasty lasagna experience.
Plus you’ll know your numbers and health are safer, which makes it worthwhile, wouldn’t you agree?
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