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Fruit Smoothies

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Jeannette A

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My husband is newly diagnosed with type 2, he is a very fussy eater, most of his current diet is carb-based, he does not eat any veg - apart from beetroot and sweetcorn, but he has always been able to drink anything, so regularly had home-made smoothies with spinach/fruit. A health and well-being ‘expert’ told him he should not be having smoothies as they contain lots of sugar, and no fibre - but the skin is left on apples which puzzles me. Now I can’t get him to have a smoothie, and he’s reluctant to eat fruit as he’s put off by textures. Surely a couple of smoothies a week is better than no fruit/veg? The booklet we’ve been given says fruit is ok to have. I’m confused - welcome any advice, thanks!
 
Jeannette A said:
My husband is newly diagnosed with type 2, he is a very fussy eater, most of his current diet is carb-based, he does not eat any veg - apart from beetroot and sweetcorn, but he has always been able to drink anything, so regularly had home-made smoothies with spinach/fruit. A health and well-being ‘expert’ told him he should not be having smoothies as they contain lots of sugar, and no fibre - but the skin is left on apples which puzzles me. Now I can’t get him to have a smoothie, and he’s reluctant to eat fruit as he’s put off by textures. Surely a couple of smoothies a week is better than no fruit/veg? The booklet we’ve been given says fruit is ok to have. I’m confused - welcome any advice, thanks!
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Welcome to the forum
Choosing lower carb fruit like berries rather than banana, grapes, pineapple as they are higher carb and bananas are often used to give texture to smoothies.
I think the other issue is when things are blitzed up it breaks down the fibre and sugar is released more quickly and can increase blood glucose more quickly than the same ingredients not blitzed.
He could get vegetables in soups which would be low carb especially if home made.
Have a look at this link for some ideas for meals which are low carb and should be suitable for people managing their condition by diet only or diet and metformin. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
I believe it was decided once we had all bought a smoothy maker that because the fruit is macerated its not a lot better than fruit juice when it comes to your body processing the sugar - the sugars become ’too available' ( as leadinglight says above). Plus the feeling of satiation (feeling full) is not the same as when eating a piece of fruit so its very easy to consume a lot of calories and a lot of sugar -if you think how many pieces of fruit go to make up a smoothie you can see how. Would he eat some berries in yogurt to help it go down perhaps. What about some simple salad veg, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers etc and the like on the side of his meals.
 
Jeannette A said:
My husband is newly diagnosed with type 2, he is a very fussy eater, most of his current diet is carb-based, he does not eat any veg - apart from beetroot and sweetcorn, but he has always been able to drink anything, so regularly had home-made smoothies with spinach/fruit. A health and well-being ‘expert’ told him he should not be having smoothies as they contain lots of sugar, and no fibre - but the skin is left on apples which puzzles me. Now I can’t get him to have a smoothie, and he’s reluctant to eat fruit as he’s put off by textures. Surely a couple of smoothies a week is better than no fruit/veg? The booklet we’ve been given says fruit is ok to have. I’m confused - welcome any advice, thanks!
Click to expand...
I bought a nutribullet just weeks before diagnosis. When I checked on the effect of a smoothie made from salad stuff, I put it away at the back of a cupboard, as my blood glucose shot up in minutes.
However - if your husband's diet is carb based that would be where to start making changes.
Sweetcorn is a grain, not a vegetable in the dietary sense.
I concentrate on protein and fat as the basis of a meal, so eggs, cheese, meat, fish are what fill my fridge and freezer.
I have mushrooms, stirfry, mixed veges and mixed berries, but they are not essential parts of a Human diet - we can live without them completely if necessary.
There is a lot of information on diet which is just opinion and seems to have nothing backing it up other than supermarket brand food producers. Just because something is repeated a billion times doesn't make it true if there are no facts in the original statement.
Would your husband eat baked things, cakes, puddings or biscuits with a little fruit sneaked into the ingredients? There are quite a few sites with recipes using low carb ingredients. I incorporate apple or carrot into cakes, and it seems to go undetected.
 
Thank you both for the helpful advice - we have devised a salad of stuff he can eat (lettuce/sweetcorn/pepper/beetroot/celery) and also a veg based smoothie with carrots and spinach and only a handful of berries for sweetness, which he has only twice a week. We’ll see what the next three months brings when he has his next review
 
As a recent diabetic type two I managed to get myself on the ABL weight loss and mydesmond programes.

Not done much on mydesmond which is for diabetics specifically and about half way through the ABL course.

It’s 50% theory 50% exercise session, it’s relatively laid back.

Food wise everything on the course wasn’t new to me but somethings were/are useful to look at but was already half way through my new diabetic journey by the time I started the course.

It has given me reassurance that doing something right and tweaking things to make it better where appropriate.

They get you to set goals each week and submit your weight. Helps a little to keep focus.

Some group members share good ideas wrt exercise options and food ideas, with the help of the coordinator helps make better choices.

Virtual world walks for example O didn’t know existed and thought that was a good idea.

Food wise they don’t push one food over another but try to get you to consider better options that you will like. Let’s face it I am unlikely to eat sprouts even if it was a guaranteed cure.

I know the foods I prepare from scratch try and get the balance right and veg, courgette lasagne being a favourite as well as lamb curry, there are potatoes in the recipe but you can take them out or reduce the amount in them don’t tend to have rice, we grate broccoli in so you don’t even know it’s there, but has other veg in there like carrots and cauliflower onions.

Smoothies and fruit juices are not the best for diabetics as it’s effectively free sugar because you have already broken down the fruit.

The course compared various drinks and that was an eye opener, Lucozade compared to a particular smoothie it was a surprise I can tell you.

Good luck with your journey
 
Not even sprouts finely chopped and added to a stir fry or with stilton sprinkled over.
 
Glad you have found some options that your husband finds acceptable in terms of salad and veg @Jeannette A

They are such a useful source of fibre, vitamins and minerals, and such an important part of a healthy balanced diet.

Hope you can use the options you have developed as a springboard for other variants and extensions. 🙂
 
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