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New Twist on the High Protein Cobb Salad is Ideal for Diabetics

New Twist on the High Protein Cobb Salad is Ideal for Diabetics

People with diabetes often feel like their diet is restrictive, or like they are told what they can’t eat or that they can’t eat things that taste good. Enter this twist on a Cobb Salad and you have a fresh, restaurant quality meal that will not leave you feeling like you’ve been cheated. Though you may feel like you are cheating.

People with type 2 diabetes often suffer from comorbidities like obesity, overweight, heart disease, or hypertension. Having a diet consisting of lean proteins or proteins that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, fresh vegetables, fruits, and other fresh ingredients is key to controlling blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure, and promoting weight loss. This salad has it all. The salmon is both high protein and full of omega 3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to your heart. The eggs also provide high quality protein. The lettuce, red pepper, and avocado provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Preparation of a fresh dressing is quick for this salad and actually adds protein from the buttermilk and yogurt, while eliminating the refined sugars and unhealthy ingredients often found in prepared dressings.

This is one salad that is good for you and is also really tasty and can leave you feeling satisfied. The richness of the salmon, avocado, and dressing can help you feel sated while the fiber of the vegetables and avocado can help you feel full. But also very importantly, feeling full and satisfied from a high protein, vegetable rich salad can help control blood sugar levels, which is ideal for diabetics.

Cobb Salad with a Fresh Twist

Adapted from Martha Stewart

  • 1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into small pieces
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • ½ red pepper, cut into thin 1 inch pieces
  • 3 ounces smoked salmon, forked into small pieces
  • 8 ounces bacon, cooked, cooled, and diced
  • 3 hard boiled eggs, cut into 8 pieces

Dressing:

  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup low fat mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Prepare dressing by whisking together buttermilk, yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, shallots, dill, and pepper in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salad.
  2. Prepare proteins (cook bacon and eggs).
  3. Prepare red pepper and avocado.
  4. Place torn lettuce in a bowl. Add peppers, avocado, eggs, bacon, and salmon. Toss salad.
  5. Serve salad with dressing on the side.

The above recipe is offered by Dr. Shillingford, MD, PA, a board certified surgeon specializing is advanced laparoscopic and weight loss surgery in Boca Raton, Florida and surrounding areas, such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Parkland, and Coral Springs. Many of Dr. Shillingford’s gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band patients have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes prior to their bariatric surgery. This salad is high protein, high fiber and does not have refined sugars (which are often found in prepared dressings), all of which can help control blood sugar levels in diabetics. For gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and gastric band patients wishing to try this high protein recipe, make sure you do so in accordance to the correct stage of your post op bariatric diet as eating foods too soon after bariatric surgery can cause unwelcomed side effects.