some diabetics don't eat cooked fruit, only fresh (the fiber in the fresh slows the sugar spike, making it safer for diabetics). you can't go wrong with a frittata or some egg based dish and a fruit salad, though grapes are a no-no. i suggest you ask her what she prefers to eat. some diabetics may also (or should also) maintain a diet low in saturated fat because their risk of heart disease is so high.

She should be good with dishes that are lower in carbohydrates and sugar and higher in protein and even some fats. Things like scrambled or shirred eggs, veggies, multigrain breads/buns, lower-sugar sauces or dips like hummus with a whole-grain pita, those sorts of things.

if you're having standard breakfast fare at your brunch (eggs, bacon, sausage, that sort of thing), she should be fine for all of that. i've actually made the apple streusel bars thekitchn has posted in the past (http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/05/apple-streusel-bars/) with splenda instead of sugar and they were fantastic and not terrible in terms of carbs (which is the real enemy to diabetics!).

Being diabetic myself...my advice is to just make sure you have a great balance of protiens available. Most of us can splurge a little for a celebration as long as we balance it out. Make sure you have a great egg dish and breakfast meats available. Also, the Splenda website has a gazillion recipes on it that have fooled nearly everyone I've served...so you can let her in on the secret and everyone else can just have a great nibble and not think they are eating "diabetic" food. You also can't go wrong with a great bowl of nuts to snack on. And be sure to have some Equal or Splenda on hand for coffee or tea! It's not that we CAN'T have sugar and carbs, it's just that we have to balance them appropriately...

PS...frittatas are super easy to make ahead, and reheat beautifully. I've searched the ktchn and all the recipes here are great with a great balance of veggies and protein...a diabetic dream!

Thanks for all the advice, guys! More than anything I am learning I need to read up on diabetes so I have a better idea of how to best meet her needs. One question to those of you who mentioned frittatas -- and pardon my ignorance -- should i avoid recipes that are heavy on potatoes?

i wish i could "like" ginandbird's comment--i'm also diabetic and if it were me, i'd be so touched to know you were thinking of me in your planning, but would also probably have thought ahead and/or taken enough insulin to cover a big meal.

to answer your question re: potatoes, yes, they are higher in carbs, but for me personally, i wouldn't shy away from them (they happen to be up there with my favorite foods!).

The bottom line for eating with diabetes is moderation. Nothing is "off limits," as long as she manages her carb intake (whether from sugar, fruit, starches, etc.) according to her own doctor's recos. She may also be watching fats and salt to manage other issues related to diabetes. Having healthy choices will give her options, without making her feel like she has to eat the "special thing" you prepared for her. That lets you both off the hook. Just include some not-too-decadent dishes, and everyone will thank you.

Don't make the apple-bacon turnovers pictured above since the puff pastry and the fruit still have carbs. It would be difficult for a diabetic to gauge how much insulin to do with a food like that since the fat (butter) in the puff pastry would slow down the absorption rate.

Instead, I would take the advice given by others on the message board and make a frittata with a salad on the side.

If you want to make anything with potatoes, like homefries, you should peel and soak the potatoes for a few hours (the longer the better) to get most of the starch out of them. Then, they will be more diabetic-friendly (although they will still have some carbs).

My fiance is diabetic and I make us a big pile of scrambled eggs with melted cheese for breakfast. It's great and low in carbs.

Call her and ask what she'd prefer. There's no one diabetic diet, and diabetics do everything from moderation to extreme low carb to vegan diets.

@bina - cooking does not remove fiber from fruits. It does/can concentrate the sugars due to the decreased volume (water) due to evaporation from cooking.

I also agree with @AmyDerk. No ONE food is off limits. Anything is fair game, just make a few healthy options available for everyone and DON'T single her out. Most people hate that. Most people with diabetes should be on a consistent carbohydrate diet - NOT low carb! I also agree that you should have some artificial sweeteners available.

On potatoes: In a frittata, they should be fine. But if you are wary, there are dozens of great recipes without them. Diabetic Gourment Magazine online has tons of recipes...you can even type in "breakfast" or "brunch" and it will give you tons of options for yummy sweet carb stuff (and frittatas, too!) with nutritional facts. Be sure whatever you make in the sweets category that you cut it into servings suggested, and keep handy the nutritional facts for his Aunt...no one else needs to know :)

My grandmother is diabetic. Whenever someone in the family bakes, it's just become natural for us to trade out the sugar for Splenda so that she can indulge, too. Sometimes I'll trade out the regular flour for quinoa flour (v. high in protein and gluten-free).... there is an excellent Lemon Poppyseed Loaf in the cookbook "Quinoa 365", she loves it and everyone we've served it to could not tell it was sugar-free.

My husband is a diabetic and really he can eat most things just stay away from high fats. Yogurt is great, pastry not so much, egg dishes are great and a frittata is fantastic. Muffins are a great brunch food and they are really easy to make in a diabetic friendly way, here's a link to our muffin recipe: http://www.se7en.org.za/2009/05/06/se7en-million-marvelous-muffins-a-low-gi-recipe

My sister is diabetic and I am told that if you are going to serve potatoes, red potatos are best since they are waxy vs. starchy. Since swapping them out in potato salad - I'm a convert!

Be very careful with fruits. The high fructose level in them = blood sugar spike...not great for diabetics.

Depends on the diabetic. I'm eating strawberries right now, and my blood sugar will be fine.

bacon, sausagem, and eggs

As a type 1 diabetic, I would absolutely not touch that pastry/fruit recipe provided here. Both white flour and fruit have sugar/carbs (which are the same thing to a diabetic.) While I splurge occasionally, it probably wouldn't be for this type of pastry, it would be too hard to tell what was in it. There are so many other fabulous dishes you can make, a little fruit and a little carb is ok, but this is not ok. Make an egg dish, have fresh fruit. Way better for any diabetic. I completely disagree with this advice.