Yorkshire pudding is commonly served as a side dish of a roast dinner, such as roast beef, pork or lamb [1]. Despite its name, Yorkshire pudding is not a dessert as it is a baked batter that puffs up and becomes crisp on the outside while remaining soft and slightly doughy on the inside. Sometimes, sausages are added to the Yorkshire pudding which is known as Toad in the Hole.
Yorkshire pudding is generally made from flour, milk and eggs with meat drippings added. It is fairly easy to make with the oven. However, there are ready-made Yorkshire puddings available in the major supermarkets, with Aunt Bessie’s being ranked as the best [2]. There are other supermarket brands such as Tesco, Mark & Spencer, Asda and Waitrose that make their own ready-made Yorkshire Pudding.
As Yorkshire pudding is a staple in the British diet, this article explores whether people living with diabetes can safely enjoy Yorkshire pudding as part of their meals.
Can people living with diabetes have Yorkshire Puddings?
People with diabetes can enjoy Yorkshire pudding, but it is important to consider portion sizes as Yorkshire pudding contains carbohydrates, which can lead to elevated blood sugar. If one is on insulin, they may need to adjust their insulin dose appropriately.
Let’s look at a typical Yorkshire Pudding serving (Aunt Bessie’s) on the table below.
| Per 100g | Per Serving (per pud) | |
| Energy (kJ) Energy (kcal) | 839 kJ 200 kCal | 264 kJ 63 kcal |
| Fat | 7.9g | 2.5g |
| Carbohydrate Of which sugars | 26g 1.2g | 8.2g <0.5g |
| Fibre | 1.0g | 0.3g |
| Protein | 5.9g | 1.9g |
| Salt | 0.41g | 0.13g |
A typical roast dinner is usually served with 1-2 Yorkshire puddings, which consist predominantly of carbohydrates, which can raise blood sugar in people living with diabetes.
However, as Yorkshire pudding is usually eaten with roast meat, which consists of protein and fat, having Yorkshire pudding with meat and gravy can slow the spike in blood sugar by lowering the meal’s glycemic index.
What is glycemic index and why is it important?
The glycemic index (GI) is a scale used to see how quickly a particular food affects blood sugar after consumption [4][5]. The higher the GI food, the quicker blood sugar rises after eating it and vice versa. For example, pure glucose has a GI of 100 and slower-absorbed carbohydrates such as wholegrain bread and cereals, fruits and vegetables have a lower GI rating (55 or below) [6]. One can lower the GI of a meal by adding some fat, protein, and fibre to it.
Hence, if possible, it would be advisable for people living with diabetes to have a low GI Yorkshire pudding by either having it with roast or using a lower GI flour instead.
Homemade Low-carb Yorkshire Puddings
There are several recipes for low-carb or low-GI Yorkshire Puddings where they use arrowroot flour instead of white flour.
You can find the recipes on the link below:
Gestational Diabetes low carbohydrate Yorkshire pudding:
https://www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/wprm_print/42015
Low-carb food co:
FAQ
What food should diabetics avoid in a Sunday roast?
Sunday roast dinner usually consists of a portion of meat, vegetables, potatoes and gravy. Hence, it is important that people with diabetes remain conscious of their portion sizes, especially the amount of carbohydrates such as roast potatoes.
American Diabetes Association introduced the Diabetes Plate method as a simple, stress-free way to plan your portions without needing to count, calculate or measure [7]. They recommend filling half of a 9-inch plate with non-starchy vegetables, one quarter with protein and the last quarter with carbohydrates. As we often have a glass of drink with our meal, they recommend a glass of water or a zero-calorie drink to go with the meal.
Diabetes UK advised making simple swaps such as reducing salt intake, skimming fat off the top of gravy, choosing leaner cuts of meat for your roast, using lower GI carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes and butternut squash and adding more vegetables to make it healthier [8].
How many “toads in the hole” can people with diabetes eat?
Toad in the hole is a popular derivation of Yorkshire pudding where sausages are placed
in the middle of the Yorkshire pudding.
It consists of higher calories (Table 2) compared to a Yorkshire pudding due to the presence of sausages, and it tends to be eaten as a meal rather than a side dish. The NHS generally recommend a daily intake of 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men; hence, one will need to be mindful of the amount of calorie they take in a day.
| Per 100g | Per Serving | |
| Energy (kJ) Energy (kcal) | 920 kJ 220 kCal | 1751 kJ 419 kcal |
| Fat | 12 g | 23 g |
| Carbohydrate Of which sugars | 19 g 1.0 g | 35 g 1.8 g |
| Fibre | 0.8 g | 1.4 g |
| Protein | 9.2 g | 18 g |
| Salt | 0.84 g | 1.6 g |
However, one can reduce the number of calories in each serving by using healthier meat such as chicken or turkey sausages, reducing the amount of oil involved or reducing portion sizes.
Onion gravy vs. meat gravy, which one is better?
Gravy is an essential part of a Sunday Roast, and it is a very personal choice.
There is not one gravy better than the other. However, onion gravy can be a healthier choice as it does not use meat drippings, which mostly consist of fat. However, you can make meat gravy healthier by using lean meat and reducing the amount of fat and salt content.
Are there other ways of eating Yorkshire Pudding?
Of course there is! Yorkshire pudding is popular in York, and there is a restaurant that makes a giant Yorkshire pudding and wraps it with roast potatoes, vegetables, gravy and roast meat [9].
Final Thoughts
Yorkshire pudding is a delicious pudding that is generally eaten as part of a roast dinner, and it is easy to eat more than the recommended serving. Hence it is important for people living with diabetes to be mindful of the number of calories and carbohydrates on their plate, as well as what they can do to slow down the rise in blood sugar.
References
- McNamee, G. Lewis (2022, September 28). Yorkshire pudding. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yorkshire-pudding
- Blake, I. (2017, October 12). Blind taste test reveals the best yorkshire puddings to buy to convince guests you made them from scratch (and the winning brand is frozen). Daily Mail. Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-4969498/Good-Housekeeping-Institute-taste-tests-Yorkshire-puddings.html
- 12 bake at home yorkshires. Aunt Bessie’s UK. (n.d.). https://www.auntbessies.co.uk/ranges/yorkshire-puddings/12-bake-at-home-yorkshires#3
- Bda. (n.d.). Glycaemic Index Food fact sheet. Glycaemic Index Food Fact Sheet | British Dietetic Association (BDA). https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/glycaemic-index.html
- Esfahani A, Wong JM, Mirrahimi A, Srichaikul K, Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW. The glycemic index: physiological significance. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009 Aug;28 Suppl:439S-445S. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2009.10718109. PMID: 20234030.
- Diabetes UK. (n.d.). Glycaemic index and diabetes. Diabetes UK. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/carbohydrates-and-diabetes/glycaemic-index-and-diabetes
- Eating well. Eating Well | ADA. (n.d.). https://diabetes.org/healthy-living/recipes-nutrition/eating-well
- Diabetes UK. (n.d.-b). Simple switches: Roast dinner. Diabetes UK. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/cooking-for-people-with-diabetes/simple-switches/simple-switches-roast-dinner
- Food. The York Roast Co. (n.d.). https://www.theyorkroastco.com/food/
