Diabetic Snack & Appetizer Cookbook

For diabetics, snacks are more than an indulgencethey are an important way to maintain proper blood-sugar levels. Although it relies on instant mixes, canned goods and artificial sweeteners, this slim cookbook, replete with easy recipes that follow diabetic guidelines, will be appreciated by many busy cooks. Finsand, the author of several diabetic cookbooks, provides a variety of snacksbeverages with fruit or milk bases, appetizers (meatballs, cracker spreads and other finger foods) and sweets, such as puddings, cakes and cookies. Most recipes can also serve as small lunches or side dishes: spinach-and-bacon salad, Parmesan asparagus and stir-fried vegetables; traditional borscht and onion and vegetable soups and unusual orange-beef and salmon-tomato broths. There is a wide variety of meat, poultry and fish as well as vegetarian items. A separate chapter features recipes like pizza soup, peanut-butter balls and a prairie-greens salad designed to appeal to diabetic children and to help them learn more about nutrition and self-care. Recipes include calorie and carbohydrate counts and exchange values for the American Diabetes and American Dietetic associations meal-planning system. Nutrition information is also offered for popular consumer products (Dannon, Pillsbury and the like). Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book Club selection. (March)