Healthy Treats Your Dogs Can Eat
If you want to give your dog a treat, there are much better options than mac and cheese or anything else listed above. You have so many choices for easy homemade treats, usually using ingredients you already have around the house. You can also choose from the many healthy snacks that you can buy for your dog from pet stores or online.
Keep in mind that dogs should only ever be given treats in moderation. Even though these are much healthier options than mac and cheese, too much of a good thing can still be bad.
Here are some of our favorite choices.
Better Bet: Asian Tuna Burger
The Count: 437 calories, 38 g carbs
Make this Asian Tuna Burger at home. Tuna gives you heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Add a whole-grain bun, 1/2 cup of broccoli-carrot slaw, and a few orange slices. Skip the bun to shave 23 grams of carbs from your plate. Turkey and veggie burgers can also be good alternatives, if you check the calorie count.
Can Dogs Eat Mac And Cheese
While Mac and Cheese is very popular throughout the world, known to be eaten at pretty much any time of the day. Can dogs eat mac and cheese? It is easy to give them something that we are cooking ourselves. You may have fed it them before and they liked it. But is it actually healthy or should they be eating it at all?
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Whole Wheat Fortified Or Gluten
Whole wheat pasta tastes much like a white pasta cooked al dente. Yet a 1/3-cup serving of cooked whole wheat pasta has three times the fiber, making it a better option for blood sugar control.
Fortified pasta is another alternative to white pasta. These types of pasta have egg whites, lentils, and other protein sources added to the flour blend.
They also may include barley and oats to add more fiber, and flaxseed to add healthy omega-3 fats. In fact, a 2021 study finds that higher levels of some omega-3 fatty acids could reduce your risk of early death by 13%.
These forms of pasta have more protein and more fiber in the same amount of calories as regular pasta. Both the protein and fiber content are helpful for people with diabetes keeping a close eye on their blood sugars.
Gluten-free pasta products are available at most grocery stores. They include pasta made with chickpeas, brown rice, quinoa, and other options.
Worse Bet: Cajun Sausage Gumbo
The Count: 1,069 calories, 92 g carbs
Rotisserie chicken provides a reasonable start for a Cajun gumbo lunch, but the sausage, oily soup base, and giant corn muffin make this meal a problem. Fat, saturated fat, and calories are sky-high. The large corn muffin has 71 grams of carbs. A mini-muffin offers the same taste for only about 9 grams of carbs.
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The 21 Best Snack Ideas If You Have Diabetes
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.
Its also important to snack on nutrient-dense foods that promote overall health.
This article discusses 21 excellent snacks to eat if you have diabetes.
Can Dogs Eat Plain Macaroni
Now that you know why you shouldnt feed your dog mac and cheese, you may wonder if feeding them plain boiled macaroni pasta is alright. The answer to that is yes, its okay for dogs, but only in small amounts.
Too much pasta, even if its just plain, can be bad for dogs and cause problems such as weight gain. It can also make your dog feel sluggish and slow their metabolism. Of course, if your dog has a gluten allergy, you should never give them pasta or any products with wheat.
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Whole Grain Pasta Versus Regular Pasta
Whole grain pasta in general has lower calories, more fiber and more nutrients than regular pasta made from refined flour. Refining strips fiber, vitamins and minerals from the grain and in return, you get a softer, smoother texture.
1 serving of whole grain pasta contains 174 calories, 37 grams of carbohydrate and 6.3 grams of fiber as compared to a serving of regular pasta with 221 calories, 43 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams of fiber. That extra fiber in whole grain pasta can slow down the absorption of sugars from your digestive tract and this can mean that your blood sugars will not spike as much as they might with regular pasta.
In addition, whole wheat pasta has a glycemic load of 15 while regular pasta has a glycemic load of 23. In both whole wheat pasta and regular pasta, about 80% of the calories are derived from carbohydrates.,
Put all this together and serving for serving, whole grain pasta gives you more fiber, more nutrients, fewer calories and fewer carbohydrates than regular pasta, making whole grain pasta a better choice, overall. Also, you can always opt for non-wheat based pasta such as corn, quinoa or rice-based pastas.
I advise you to read the following diet tips for diabetes:
What Is The Nutritional Content Of Macaroni
: USDA *
| g |
* See the source for the full list.
Macaroni is pasta, similar texture and nutritional content to other kinds of pasta, such as spaghetti or rigatoni, so it is rich in fiber and carbohydrates. It is low in sodium and saturated fats as well! This can make it a good part of a humans balanced diet, in moderation.
The core ingredients of pasta are flour, egg, and water. These ingredients separately and together are normally okay for your cat to eat. Its fiber and carbohydrates, as well as low sodium and saturated fats, are also helpful for digestion and energy.
So if you want your cat to sample macaroni, it isnt the end of the world. Their bodies arent designed for it, so it should be given as a small treat in moderation. However, it gets more complicated when you add the cheese.
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Is There Better Food Options For Cats Than Mac And Cheese
There are many better food options for cats than mac and cheese. Any food that is designed for cats is healthier for them than mac and cheese, and there are many foods that humans eat that cats can digest as well.
Remember, cats are natural-born carnivores, so they are good at digesting meat. This means feeding them meat, fish, and even eggs are fine.
They can also digest fruits and vegetables well, so these can be given to them as a balanced part of their diet as a way to provide vitamins, fiber, and other important health benefits.
Busy Day Mac ‘n Cheese Bake
1 box Kraft macaroni and cheese dinner Preheat oven to 350F. Brown beef and drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce, onion, and pepper. Cook over low heat while preparing macaroni and cheese. Using the skim milk, prepare macaroni and cheese according to package instructions, but omit margarine. Coat an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray. Layer 2/3 of macaroni and cheese in pan. Top evenly with meat. Layer remaining macaroni and cheese around the edges of the casserole leaving meat showing in the center. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend and to heat casserole thoroughly. Recipe may be doubled to make a 9 x 13 casserole. Yield: 4 servings. Serving size: 1/4 of recipe. Calories: 418 calories, Carbohydrates: 39 g, Protein: 34 g, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Sodium: 666 mg, Fiber: 1 g Exchanges per serving: 2 1/2 starch, 3 1/2 lean meat. Carbohydrate choices: 3. This recipe was developed by Tami Ross, a Diabetes Nutrition Specialist and Certified Diabetes Educator in Lexington, Kentucky. Disclaimer Statements: Statements and opinions expressed on this Web site are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the publishers or advertisers. The information provided on this Web site should not be construed as medical instruction. Consult appropriate health-care professionals before taking action based on this information.Continue reading > >
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Should You Feed Your Cat Mac And Cheese
You should absolutely not feed your cat mac and cheese! The macaroni is fine, but the cheese in it is extremely bad for your cats digestive system. It will lead to a happy cat for about 5 minutes, and then a lot of cleaning up diarrhea and vomit.
Even if your cat could digest it, it is high in sodium and fat and will create a sluggish, unhealthy cat if it were consumed too much. Mac and cheese is not a good food to feed your cat in any circumstance, so stay away from it.
Now For The Best Foods
All of the foods on our list have a low glycemic index and provide important nutrients you need to stay healthy.
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How To Eat Cheese
The best cheeses to choose are those that are natural with lower fat content, lower sodium, and as much protein as possible. Processed cheeses, which are typically higher in sodium and fat, should be avoided. Other higher sodium cheeses include feta and Edam, while those such as mozzarella and Emmental have less.
Because cheese has little impact on your glucose, its a great food to pair with higher GI foods to balance them out. Snacks such as an apple with cheese or a mini pizza made with a whole grain bread, fresh vegetables, and mozzarella cheese are good choices.
While its easy to eat a lot of cheese in one sitting, its best to limit the quantity. A typical serving size is 1.5 ounces of natural cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese.
Cheese Can Help Maintain Healthy Glucose Levels
People with diabetes must consider the glycemic content of various foods. This is based on how quickly the body is able to digest the carbohydrates in those foods.
The glycemic index is a 100-point scale that rates foods based on how rapidly they cause blood sugar to rise. Foods are given a higher value the more rapid the rise in blood sugar.
Most cheeses contain little to no carbohydrates and thus rate very low on the GI scale. Some cheeses, however, have more than others.
For example, cheddar cheese contains just 0.4 grams of carbohydrates per 1 ounce, while Swiss cheese contains 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per 1 ounce. So its important to check the nutritional label on various cheeses.
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Benefits Of Cheese For People With Diabetes
Cheese isn’t one of the most popular snacks for people with diabetes, but it should be. Compared to bagels, cookies, chips and other traditional snacks, it’s significantly lower in carbs. In fact, some cheese varieties contain no carbs at all.
Cheddar cheese, for example, has less than one gram of carbs per serving. Halloumi, a type of grilled cheese, is carb-free and has only 78 calories per slice. Another good choice is brie cheese, which boasts 95 calories, 5.8 grams of protein, 7.8 grams of fat and 0.1 grams of carbs per serving . Gruyere, paneer and Romano cheese all have around one gram of carbs per serving.
This may come up as a surprise, but cheese actually protects against diabetes and its complications. A meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in August 2013 found an inverse association between the consumption of dairy products, including cheese, and type 2 diabetes. As the researchers note, other studies show that dairy foods may help lower the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
Several theories exist. Scientists believe that calcium, one of the most abundant nutrients in dairy products, improves insulin response. Additionally, manufacturers often add vitamin D to dairy foods, which may reduce diabetes risk. These products also contain whey protein, magnesium and other nutrients that may protect against this disease.
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Combining Foods Affects Glycemic Index
Combining foods will alter the GI. Pair low-GI foods with high-GI foods to create a meal that more moderately affects your blood sugar. Foods with higher proportions of protein and fat will often have minimal impact on blood sugar. For example, adding a low-GI food such as cheese to a slice of bread will result in a lower GI than eating the bread alone. Specifically, a slice of white bread with skim milk cheese has a GI of 55, and a slice of white bread alone has a GI of 71, according to the 2002 International Table of Glycemic Index and Load.
Is Cheese Really Healthy
Most types of cheese are made with casein , milk fat, bacteria, water and salt. Their nutritional value depends on the production process and the ingredients used. Some manufacturers add herbs, spices, dried fruit and special mold cultures for extra flavor. Hundreds of cheese varieties exist, from cottage cheese to gouda, feta, Danish blue, Camembert and smoked cheese.
Some varieties are higher in fat and calories than others. One serving of grated parmesan cheese , for example, boasts 119 calories, 7.8 grams of fat, 3.9 grams of carbs and 8 grams of protein. Cheddar cheese has 114 calories, 6.4 grams of protein, 9.3 grams of fat and 0.9 grams of carbs per serving . The same amount of feta cheese provides just 75 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1.1 grams of carbs and 4 grams of protein.
Despite its high fat content, cheese isn’t bad for you. In fact, several studies conducted over the years have linked dairy foods to lower rates of obesity, heart disease and metabolic disorders.
For example, a September 2018 cohort study published in the Lancet assessed the effects of cheese, milk and yogurt on cardiovascular health. Researchers concluded that dairy foods don’t increase the risk of cardiac events or mortality.
Another large-scale study, which appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in February 2016 found that higher intakes of dairy foods may help prevent weight gain in middle-aged and older women.
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Factors Affecting Blood Sugar Response
Several factors will affect the GI of a food you’re eating. Some of these factors are the physical form of the food, meaning how much processing was involved the cooking time, because longer cooking times may increase GI such as with pasta the fiber content — generally foods with higher soluble fiber are digested more slowly and have a lower GI and whether the food is combined with other foods. If you have diabetes, it is important to keep your blood sugar levels in good control to reduce the risk of related medical problems such as kidney disease and vision and nerve problems. A low-fat cheese can help you achieve more balanced blood sugar levels if you replace calories from carbohydrates with those from cheese. For instance, use one-quarter less pasta than usual and add low-fat ricotta cheese to a baked pasta dish.
Watch Out For The Sodium
People with diabetes need to limit sodium, as it can elevate blood pressure and lead to cardiovascular problems. Some cheeses are higher in sodium than others. For example, feta cheese has 316 milligrams of sodium in 1 ounce, while mozzarella has just 4 milligrams of sodium per ounce. You should check labels and choose low-sodium options when possible.
The USDA recommends that adults and children over 13 limit sodium to
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