Diabetics Rejoice!: July 2024

Saturday, July 6, 2024

Instant Pot Keto Bread Pudding (or Oven Baked)

For as long as I can remember, Classic Bread Pudding has been a favorite comfort food of mine. This low carb, gluten free bread pudding is every bit as comforting as a traditional recipe! You can use any low carb bread of your choice, but I actually prefer using leftover keto yellow cake as a base, or a mixture of keto cake and low carb bread. My favorite boxed Keto Cake Mix is King Arthur’s brand, but any keto yellow cake (made from scratch or a mix) will work in this recipe. It’s very easy to make this pudding in an Instant Pot, but baking it in an oven works just as well. Instead of traditional raisins, I sprinkled one tablespoon of black Zante currants over the pudding before cooking. They only add 1 carb per serving, while maintaining that authentic flavor (feel free to leave them out, if you wish). Whether made in an Instant Pot or in the oven, this simple classic dessert will warm your heart!

Instant Pot Keto Bread Pudding (or Oven Baked)

Makes 6 servings

4 cups low carb bread (or leftover keto yellow cake), cubed and dried out

2 large eggs, beaten

1½ cups low carb milk of choice

1/4 cup low carb brown sugar substitute, packed (use only 2 tablespoons if using cake)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

A pinch of mace (optional)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon black Zante currants*

1. Spray a 7-inch (1½ quart) baking dish or Bundt pan with non-stick spray or grease well with butter; set aside. If bread or cake is fresh, break into pieces or cut into cubes and spread out on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 300° oven for 10 minutes to dry out a bit before proceeding.

2. Place the bread in the greased 7-inch baking dish or Bundt pan. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, except the currants. Pour the custard mixture over the bread and let it soak in for a few minutes. Sprinkle the currants over the bread. Cover loosely with a “tin foil hat” so condensation doesn’t build up on the pudding as it cooks in the Instant Pot. (If baking in the oven, do not cover with foil.)

3. Pour 1½ cups of water into the Instant Pot. Put the pudding on a trivet and lower it into the pot. Close the lid. Set controls to PRESSURE COOK on HIGH (or Manual) for 15 minutes. Make sure the seal valve is closed and press start.

4. When the cooking is done, leave it to release pressure naturally. When the pin drops, open the pot. Lift the pudding out and remove the foil. Leave it to cool on the counter for a few minutes and, if cooked in a Bundt pan, then you may invert it onto a plate. Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream, low carb ice cream or sugar free caramel sauce.

5. Oven Baking Directions: Follow steps 1 and 2. (Do not cover pudding with foil.) Place pudding in a preheated 350° oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until custard is set but still a little wobbly in the center. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

*Note: If you choose to omit the currants, you may subtract 1 g of carb from the nutritional information per serving.

Nutritional Information per serving (1/6th of recipe): 112 calories, 3.3 g carbohydrate (0.9 g dietary fiber, 1.8 g sugars, 2 g sugar alcohols), 8.2 g total fat (1.2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 115 mg cholesterol, 176 mg sodium, 137 mg calcium, 76 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 95 IU Vit A, 7.7 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 2.4 grams

More about my experience with Type 2 diabetes:

After experiencing gestational diabetes while pregnant in 1988, it wasn't long before a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes was made, and then, much later, I was correctly diagnosed with autoimmune Type 1.5 (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, also known as LADA).

Like many people newly diagnosed, I had to read and learn what diabetes was all about. I did everything my doctor told me to do, took my medication exactly as prescribed, began to exercise more, I consulted with a diabetic nutritionist, I changed my carb-loving lifestyle to within the dietary guideline of my nutritionist and lost some weight. For many years, following the advice of the experts, I managed the disease fairly well. Yet, it concerned me that my need for medication continued to rise steadily, but I was told by my doctor that diabetes is a progressive disease and that what I was experiencing was normal. In a few years of trying diet change, exercise and oral medication alone, I was prescribed insulin to go along with the oral meds. My blood sugars stabilized, but my need for more and more insulin over time to manage good control continued to go slowly and steadily upward, along with my weight. With the larger and larger amounts of insulin (the fat storage hormone), it didn’t take long for me to become obese! I was not pleased because at the rate my need for meds was growing, it appeared that it wouldn't be long before my condition would be too difficult to control.

Finally, I said "enough!" Something had to change! I read The Diet Cure by Julia Ross and began a diet overhaul unlike anything ever suggested by my diabetic team. Two other books I highly recommend are The Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman for a T2 diabetic and Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution by Dr. Richard Bernstein for a T1 or any diabetic on insulin. I cut out all white starches and grains from my diet and went 100% sugar free. (No expert had ever suggested I look at the sugar grams in the foods I ate before and I was shocked to discover large amounts hidden in most processed foods, even items not meant to be sweet!) I began to eat mainly fresh vegetables, very small amounts of fruit and only when it's in season (I love summer berries!), plenty of healthy fats and a moderate amount of high-quality protein. I now follow a Ketogenic diet which allows about 20-30 grams of good carbs per day, mainly in the form of non-starchy vegetables. I don't go out often but, when I do, I go to a restaurant where I know I can eat within my diet. By living this lifestyle, I lost over 65 pounds but, more than that, my need for medication grew less and less. I now need only very small amounts of insulin at meals and 4 units of long-acting insulin at bedtime (down from over 25 units when I was eating higher carb). The best part is that I’ve been able to stop all other oral prescription medications, as well! My blood glucose is always steady, in a normal range and hardly ever goes above 100 mg/dl. My A1c is consistently 4.9 or lower. These excellent health outcomes keep me motivated to stick with a keto lifestyle, plus I really enjoy the food!

I am now at my ideal weight and have kept it steady for over six years. My cravings for carbohydrates and my voracious "sweet tooth" are well controlled. I am motivated to cook and have made cooking healthy my #1 hobby. I'm excited about incorporating the alternative flours into my baking so I can occasionally still enjoy a dessert or bread product in my diet. The outlook of managing my diabetes and the future of my health is extremely positive.

If you're reading this and dealing with similar issues, take heart! You can make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle to share in this positive outlook, too. Just take it one day at a time, be good to yourself, and do not depend solely on medication. I had to face the fact: There is no "magic pill" out there! Instead, I needed to commit to eating well to heal myself from within. Remember, it's your future and your health; no one can do this for you! You owe it to yourself and your loved ones!

Saturday, July 6, 2024

Instant Pot Keto Bread Pudding (or Oven Baked)

Diabetics Rejoice!