For the more than 25 million Americans living with diabetes, food choices are critical to their health.

Chef Sam Talbot, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 12 years old, understands those challenges. Talbot earned national recognition as the runner-up in Season 2 of Bravo’s TV show “Top Chef.”

In his new book, “The Sweet Life: Diabetes without Boundaries,” he shares how diabetes has affected — but has not compromised — his life, and offers 75 fresh, all-natural recipes for both diabetics and non-diabetics.

Doctors recommend that diabetics follow a healthy, well-balanced diet with plenty of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables and carbohydrates that rank lower on the glycemic index (see sidebar).

One medium pear provides 24 percent of your day’s fiber, and 10 percent of your day’s vitamin C, and is 100 calories.

“Pears are one of my favorite fruits to use in recipes,” says Talbot. “They are a low GI fruit, they’re high in fiber, and the flavor of a ripe pear is just out of this world.” He says that also are versatile.

Judging ripeness

Ripeness is the key to enjoying pears at their sweetest and juiciest. To see if a pear is ripe, press its neck, or stem end. If it yields to gentle pressure, it’s ripe. If it feels firm, leave the pear at room temperature to ripen within a few days. (Don’t refrigerate your pears unless you want to slow their ripening.)

Try this Yogurt with Pear and Coconut recipe, excerpted from Talbot’s book (published by Rodale). For more of his recipes, visit SamTalbot.com. For more pear recipes, visit usapears.org.

— FamilyFeatures.com