About Nela Vastag
Hi! My name is Nela Vastag, and I reside in Croatia. Six years ago, my son Lovre was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of five.
This change significantly impacted not only his life but also our entire family's. Particularly in terms of nutrition.
During his hospital stay, he could only eat hospital food, and he craved something sweet, so he asked me if I would make "healthy cakes" that he could eat, and I promised to do so wholeheartedly.
Little did I know what lay ahead. I assumed I could easily find suitable recipes online, but my search proved futile. There were too few available recipes, or they were uninteresting to us.
Living in a Mediterranean country meant that our meals were mostly unaffected, but crafting suitable desserts posed a significant challenge.
Nonetheless, I remained committed to fulfilling my promise to my son, even if my initial attempts resulted in desserts that only he enjoyed. At first, he was content with anything resembling a biscuit, but the rest of the family were less enthusiastic.
Determined to create desserts that fit to Lovre's dietary needs, I experimented with individual ingredients, monitoring their effects on blood sugar levels. Some ingredients were discarded altogether, while others were sparingly used or incorporated frequently.
Additionally, I sought out scientific studies to deepen my understanding of how specific ingredients impacted blood sugar levels.
Through a process of trial and error, my desserts kept getting better, gradually improving the taste and became beloved treats for the entire family and our guests, prompting me to share the recipes with others.
I found inspiration for my recipes everywhere: in daily newspapers, my old recipes, and old cookbooks. I tried to adapt them all, as classic cakes became too sweet and heavy for us.
Some ideas were my own, while others were improvised, using ingredients I had on hand because I wanted to make a snack for Lovre to take to school the next day. Sometimes we ran out of "nighttime cookies," the ones we used to prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia, so I relied on experience to create new ones.
Do I need to say? Over time, Lovre became picky. Not all treats were to our liking. Some weren't good for him. Some just got boring. All of this led to more experimenting, as it brought joy to everyone when I hit upon ones that were enjoyed by all.
While I may not be a professional pastry chef, I am simply a mother striving to ensure Lovre experiences a happy childhood despite his diabetes.
We view diabetes as a manageable condition rather than a debilitating disease, and I am committed to promoting his overall health and well-being by providing nutritious food for him and our entire family.
For him and for all of us
I want to share my experience with you. I know it's hard to give up what we love. When it comes to desserts, we don't have to.
I also know what it's like to send a child to school who can't eat what other kids do. But when other kids are stuck with boring food and your child has a delicious cake that doesn't disrupt his/her blood sugar regulation, they'll feel like they've got the better end of the deal.
What's unpleasant can still be softened with things that bring joy. Desserts are definitely one of them.
On these pages, I aim to share our experiences, offering recipes, inspiration, support, and valuable information.
Welcome to our journey!