How to enjoy cherries while watching your blood sugar

Cherries are full of disease-fighting plant compounds, and they barely budge your blood sugar thanks to their very low glycemic load (GL). Here's how to add cherries to diet when you're watching your blood sugar.

Cherries are an especially good choice from the produce aisle–besides plenty of sugar-lowering soluble fibre, they contain red pigments that may increase your body's insulin output, which ultimately lowers your blood sugar. And they're low in calories to boot.

• The GL of cherries is based on 110 grams (1/2 cup) worth, but since the GL and the calorie count are so very low, feel free to eat more.
• When you get a snack attack, reach for a handful of cherries instead of higher-GL foods like crackers or pretzels.
• At dessert time, pile cherries on a half portion of ice cream, and your bowl will look just as full but with far fewer calories.
• Cherries pack a real antioxidant punch, rivalling even oranges. Their stash of vitamin C and other antioxidants helps fend off heart disease, cancer and many complications of diabetes.
• The type of soluble fibre cherries contain, called pectin, is also great at lowering cholesterol. Sorry, though, maraschino cherries don't cut it. These so-called cherries have been bleached, processed and injected with sugar and red dye, taking all the goodness out of a once-healthy food.
• Also skip cherry juice, which is usually sweetened and lacks the fibre of whole cherries.

Here are some easy ways to add cherries to your diet.

• Add finely chopped cherries to ground meat; you'll cut the fat, boost the nutrition and add unexpected zip to meat loaf and burgers.
• Add frozen tart cherries to your next smoothie.
• Add chopped fresh cherries to low-fat yogurt for a fantastic midday snack.
• Instead of hot fudge with ice cream add cherries to your frozen treat.

A word of caution: one bad cherry in a bag can truly spoil the whole bunch. Sort your cherries and pick out the bad ones before putting them in the fridge.

If chewing around the cherry pit and spitting it out is a little too messy for your taste, check into buying a cherry pitter. Some can pit olives as well. Instead of serve and spit, you'll pit and serve!