@Hybrid1000 you are doing nothing wrong - it is all the nurses fault for putting your husband on the wrong track right from the start - I an really dismayed that a professional person should not provide essential facts to a patient.
High carb foods such as potatoes, bread, some other starchy vegetables, all grain products, all are digested into simple sugars which are absorbed into the blood and they can do damage to small blood vessels - in the eyes and kidneys - and they can also result in erectile disfunction - I bet that would get your husband's attention.
I found reducing my intake of carbs very easy and quickly returned to normal numbers and lost weight, felt so much better. I am 71 now and have gone back to work - it is more effort than before, as I service knitting machines and they do seem a bit heavier than before - but I am becoming stronger, I can feel it month on month.
I don't use salt in my cooking so I find I must ensure to add salt to a couple of things every day in hot weather or I get terrible cramps at night. I don't eat anything low fat, as they are often higher in carbs - and we need fats to make into essential things in our bodies, nerve coverings, brains, making hormones and other chemicals all have building blocks taken from dietary fats. I am not advocating using loads of fat just the natural amounts found in our natural diet.
To control blood glucose, for a type 2 diabetic with no other issues - and a correct diagnosis, simply taking account of the carbohydrates, the starches and sugars in the daily diet and reducing them down until they no longer cause high spikes in glucose levels will do the job.
Using a blood glucose meter to check on specific foods can then help to fine tune things - some people find that sweet potatoes are better than ordinary - I found no real difference, but I have always been very sensitive to carbs.
Would making dinner earlier help reduce the snacking?
I use swede rather than potatoes, I make stir fries from low carb vegetables, breakfast is often steak or a pork chop with mushrooms, and I can then go all day without eating again. I do indulge in bubble and squeak made from swede rather than potato, I mix in eggs and leftover veges, or sometimes I defrost a frozen mixture and use that, but it needs to drain - I melt it in a sieve over hot water so it has no chance to get waterlogged.
It is always advised that, if eating a high carb diet the reduction is done slowly as such sudden change to consistently lower levels is a significant shock.
A low carb diet can be very easy to do with some planning - and I really prefer it, I use herbs and spices to pep up blander dishes - the packs of frozen stir fry from Lidl are good - three different ones, though I only get the two with the lowest carbs I am sure the third one will be just as good for your husband. - other supermarkets must have similar things.
