Breakfast Cereal

[MissieMoo]

Since starting to monitor my sugar levels I find my breakfast the most important meal - I am usually quite hungry.

Can anyone recommend/suggest an appropriate cereal to ensure sugar levels don’t spike too much!

Everything I look at has too higher levels!
Thanks

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @MissieMoo

I was surprised how big my breakfast spike was when 8 got a Libre. Like you I was after a change for bring those down. I make a muesli using quinoa flakes,nuts, flaxseed. I used a recipe for ‘kettle Porridge’ from a book by Helmsley and Helmsley. I make whole load and few spoonfuls, some yogurt and half an apple I still only have 20g of carbs. This changed the spikes to little blips in the mornings.

I am sure that lots of others will come up with other ideas.

 

[Drummer]

Short answer is there isn't one.
I have settled on two meals a day at about 12 hour intervals, and I have two proper meals, low in carb but highly nutritious.

 

[ianf0ster]

I agree with Drummer that cereals all tend to be high carb. So either eat a higher protein alternative such as eggs, fish, meat, cheese etc. or skip breakfast completely.

 

[EllsBells]

Lots of us also have Greek yoghurt - full fat and a small handful of berries. Various types of berries are fine.

 

[Inka]

Since starting to monitor my sugar levels I find my breakfast the most important meal - I am usually quite hungry.

Can anyone recommend/suggest an appropriate cereal to ensure sugar levels don’t spike too much!

Everything I look at has too higher levels!
Thanks

How many carbs per meal are you aiming for? All Bran is lower carb - 19g carbs for a 40g bowl. The Lizi granolas are also lower carbs, and there are some Eat Natural cereals that are lower carbs for a good-sized portion.

 

[g miller]

Can anyone tell me where polenta comes on the carb scale of things? I am doing my head in trying to find things I can eat to lose weight as well as controlling my BG

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Can anyone tell me where polenta comes on the carb scale of things? I am doing my head in trying to find things I can eat to lose weight as well as controlling my BG

It's a medium to low GI, and a low GL.
I was ok.
Similar effect as porridge had.
The effect is personal though, no two people will be affected in the same way, so all you can really do if you have a meter, is try some and see the effect it has on you.

 

[Drummer]

Can anyone tell me where polenta comes on the carb scale of things? I am doing my head in trying to find things I can eat to lose weight as well as controlling my BG

Polenta is cornmeal and around 75 percent carbs.
If you need to know the carb content just use a search engine and type in 'carbs in xxxxx' - though you need to allow for US and UK differences in how things are listed. If it says 'fiber' then it will be US and the fibre will be included in the total carb count.

 

[mark king]

Weetabix are ideal for breakfast or as a quick snack, try one buttered and smeared with jam or marmite and eaten like a cracker.
They offer easy portion control being 13gm of carbs per biscuit. It is easy to measure out and know how many carbs you are taking on board unlike loose cereals where it is easy to add a few more when weighing out.

Best

 

[Inka]

Marmite on Weetabix 😱 I think I might have to have a little lie down @mark king

 

[mark king]

Necessity is the mother of invention @Inka 😛

 

[Leadinglights]

Weetabix are ideal for breakfast or as a quick snack, try one buttered and smeared with jam or marmite and eaten like a cracker.
They offer easy portion control being 13gm of carbs per biscuit. It is easy to measure out and know how many carbs you are taking on board unlike loose cereals where it is easy to add a few more when weighing out.

Best

My goodness, I hadn't even thought of that in years, yes buttered weetabix or shredded wheat with marmite.

 

[trophywench]

I have had jam on a Weetabix and it was OK, according to my tastebuds in approx 1960. An opened jar of jam could easily grow a green fur coat without me batting an eyelid as far as I'm concerned these days.

 

[Stuvart]

Went shopping earlier and found a low sugar granola in aldi (harvest morn own brand) its 57g carb and 3.8g sugar per 100g, which is slightly less than there weetbixs, so I'll give it a try and see how i react.

 

[Leadinglights]

Went shopping earlier and found a low sugar granola in aldi (harvest morn own brand) its 57g carb and 3.8g sugar per 100g, which is slightly less than there weetbixs, so I'll give it a try and see how i react.

I have Lizzi's low sugar granola 45g carb /100g (same on sugar) but I still only have a scattering on my Full fat Greek yoghurt and berries

 

[Stuvart]

Well had some this morning 80g ish g with skimmed milk and my bg only rose by 1.5mmol. So it seems ok for me and not bad in taste either.

 

[Leadinglights]

Well had some this morning 80g ish g with skimmed milk and my bg only rose by 1.5mmol. So it seems ok for me and not bad in taste either.

You were lucky as 80g is nearly twice the suggested portion and would be some people's total carb allowance for the day if not on insulin.

 

[Stuvart]

You were lucky as 80g is nearly twice the suggested portion and would be some people's total carb allowance for the day if not on insulin.

True but being t2 and only 7 weeks since diagnoses (at 143) my body still likes/tolerates high carb (slowly coming down) and 45g (recommended portion size on the pack) is about 4 spoons full and that is so small.
Sigh what a pita this d is.

 

[rebrascora]

Part of the problem with the increase in obesity and diabetes in our modern world is that we have lost sight of what a normal portion is. You are right that 45g looks piddly when you weight it out and put it in a bowl but it is important to acknowledge that you are used to eating too much and work towards that portion size being your goal. I find it helps to have creamy Greek natural yoghurt and a few berries and mixed seeds to bulk that portion size out (rather than watery milk) without adding too much to the carb content or as @Leadinglights does, I just have a sprinkle of low carb granola on the top of my yoghurt with berries and seeds.

True but being t2 and only 7 weeks since diagnoses (at 143) my body still likes/tolerates high carb (slowly coming down) and 45g (recommended portion size on the pack) is about 4 spoons full and that is so small.
Sigh what a pita this d is.

Don't kid yourself that your body is tolerating these carbs at the moment. With an HbA1c that high it is certainly not tolerating them and could already be doing damage which is not yet apparent... that is the nature of diabetes complications, they sneak up on you. It is however important to bring your levels down slowly to reduce the risk/impact of damage to the fine blood vessels in your eyes particularly and choosing a lower carb granola is a good first step. Making slow steady changes is important. You may find that creamy natural yoghurt or whole (blue top) milk is more filling with it and also lower carb than your semi skimmed milk option so perhaps think about that as your next step.