Snacks and drinks

[Lilies]

Diagnosed 3 days ago T2, trying to get my head round things, trying to eat only GI food, bored and hungry though....
can i eat a few snacks between meals or is this a no no, and what makes a good snack? Low fat yog? cheese? am allergic to nuts
When dieting previously have drunk Options Chocolait to fill up on, havent dared to since diagnosis, are there any suitable drinks i can have?

 

[Northerner]

It's a shame you are allergic to nuts, as that is what I usually suggest! Cheese or anything protein-based is OK to snack on, such as slices of ham or chicken, as are sugar-free jellies for a sweet treat. Low fat yoghurt tends to be higher in sugar, so quite the opposite of what you need to look for. It is the carbohydrate amount of snacks that you need to be conscious of, as it is carbohydrate that will drive your blood glucose levels up. Do not buy any food that has the word 'diabetic' on it, like diabetic chocolate, as this still contains carbs and can have an upsetting effect on the digestion. What would you have eaten in the past as a snack? Options chocolate should be fine, as long as you don't drink it by the gallon 🙂 A sachet of Options Mint Madness I have in my cupboard has only 5.4 grams of carbohydrate in it, so certainly not a lot. Many people find high cocoa content (70% or more) dark chocolate OK too, as a small piece doesn't have much carbs and digests slowly due to the fat content. 🙂

 

[Lilies]

Hi Northerner, thanks for the reply
What is an acceptable amount of carb for something to have?
have just looked on the back of the muller light and horrified to see 14g of carbs as sugars in a pot...
i understand from dipping into this and other forums that i need to get a prick test/monitor thing to see what different foods do?

 

[Copepod]

Just now, strawberries are so cheap, supermarkets, greengrocers and market stalls are virtually giving them away - only about 12g carbohydrate in 150g portion, which is a decent sized bowl. We grow them in our garden, so haven't had a meal or snack without strawberries for days 🙂

"Light" yogurts usually named on basis of being lower fat, and are often higher in sugar / carbohydrate than "normal" yogurts - worth comparing nutrition tables on labels or internet before buying.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Northerner, thanks for the reply
What is an acceptable amount of carb for something to have?
have just looked on the back of the muller light and horrified to see 14g of carbs as sugars in a pot...
i understand from dipping into this and other forums that i need to get a prick test/monitor thing to see what different foods do?

Generally 10g or below for a snack I would say, but people do react differently so it is important to know how you are personally affected. Natural Greek yoghurt with low GI fruit added is a nice alternative to some of the commercial yoghurts, or you might try making your own 🙂

You can get a free meter here: http://www.abbottdiabetescare.co.uk/free-meter-signup, but the strips are expensive (around ?25 retail for 50). Testing is the only way you are going to be able to assess your own particular tolerances. If you look in our Useful links thread thread, you will find some good links to testing strategies there. 🙂