Healthy Living / Recipes / American
Pork Tenderloin & Cabbage Skillet
Lean pork, ginger-vinegar cabbage, and a little sweet potato.
A balanced-plate meal idea from Run 4 Awareness, built on the Diabetes Plate Method.
Carbohydrates in this meal
about 26 g total carbohydrate · about 6 g fiber, per serving (estimated)
Main sources: sweet potato, with a little from the cabbage and pepper.
Carbohydrates raise blood glucose, and the response is different for each person. This meal pairs a measured carbohydrate portion with protein, fiber, and non-starchy vegetables. Use the amount and timing in your personal diabetes plan. If you use insulin or medicine that can cause low blood glucose, do not change your medicine or skip carbohydrate because of a recipe. Ask your care team when you are unsure. Figures are estimates from USDA FoodData Central.
Ingredients
US cup and spoon measures. Weigh ingredients where you can for a more consistent plate.
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced
- 2 tsp oil
- 6 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 Tbsp grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- black pepper
- 2 cups cooked sweet potato cubes
Directions
- Sear the pork in the oil in batches, cooking it to 145F, then rest it 3 minutes.
- Cook the cabbage, pepper, onion, and ginger until tender-crisp. Add the soy sauce and vinegar and return the pork briefly.
- Serve with 1/2 cup sweet potato each.
Build the plate
Cabbage should look like more of the plate than the pork.
Why this plate works: non-starchy vegetables for volume and fiber, a lean or plant protein, and one measured quality carbohydrate, with water or an unsweetened drink. This follows the Diabetes Plate Method taught by the American Diabetes Association and the CDC.
Substitutions
Bagged slaw and precooked plain sweet potato. Gluten-free tamari for a gluten-free route.
Allergens
Contains: soy, wheat unless gluten-free tamari is used. Always check the labels on packaged ingredients for cross-contact.
Food safety
Cook whole pork to 145F and rest 3 minutes. Safe internal temperatures: poultry 165F, fish 145F, ground meat 160F, whole pork 145F with a 3-minute rest, egg dishes 160F, leftovers reheated to 165F. Use a food thermometer.
General information, not medical or nutrition advice. These are everyday meal ideas built on the Diabetes Plate Method from the American Diabetes Association and the USDA Dietary Guidelines. They are not a treatment plan and are not tailored to any one person. Your carbohydrate targets, portion sizes, medicine, and meal timing should come from your own doctor, diabetes educator, or care team. If you take insulin or medicine that can cause low blood glucose, or you have kidney disease, are pregnant, or have food allergies, talk with your care team before changing how you eat. If anything here conflicts with what your care team told you, follow your care team.
Every recipe is portioned to the Diabetes Plate Method: half the plate non-starchy vegetables, a quarter lean or plant protein, a quarter quality carbohydrate, with water or an unsweetened drink. The Run 4 Awareness team kitchen-tests each recipe and checks it with CHamoru home cooks for local fit. Nutrition figures are estimates from the USDA FoodData Central database for the listed ingredients and amounts, not lab-tested. Cook to safe internal temperatures and check packaged ingredients for added sugar, sodium, gluten, and allergens. Read how these meals are built on the Diabetes Plate page, and see the Site & Health Disclaimer.