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Breakfast juice

D

Dwermer

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I have at present changed to Innocent breakfast juice brand and am adding half as much water to it, to take less sugar.
Has anyone got any recommendations
I shop in Morrisons
Thanks
 
Dwermer said:
I have at present changed to Innocent breakfast juice brand and am adding half as much water to it, to take less sugar.
Has anyone got any recommendations
I shop in Morrisons
Thanks
Click to expand...
Most Juices are quite high carbs and something which many who are Type 2 would avoid. Even diluted with water they could add up to quite a few carbs but it depends on how much you are drinking.
Look at the carbs but most are at least 8g carbs per 100ml.
I used to have pineapple juice but swapped to having flavoured sparkling water instead
 
I avoid all fruit juices and smoothies altogether. Haven't had any since diagnosis. Whole fruit is far better for you than juice because it contains fibre which slows down the release of the fructose from the fruit and you have to chew it which in itself helps to make you feel full/satisfied and the fibre is important to our digestive system. Most people could drink half a carton of orange juice without thinking but would be extremely unlikely to eat 2 oranges one after the other let alone 3 that half a carton of juice would likely contain. It is just too easy to over consume.

I have also drastically reduced my fruit intake and generally stick to a few berries each day which have more concentrated vitamins and micronutrients than the bigger sweeter fruit, plus more fibre and less carbs. At the moment however I am having an apricot a day from my tree and before that a few blackcurrants from the bush outside my back door and before that rhubarb from the garden with my yoghurt and mixed seeds and cinnamon for breakfast. These are all slightly more sour than sweet and you learn to appreciate that balance of sourness and sweetness instead of just sweet like bananas.

People have been conned into believing fruit juice and smoothies are a healthy choice but they really aren't and may be part of the reason why many people have become obese. As a child you couldn't buy fruit juice in shops, now there are whole supermarket aisles dedicated to it in all it's many varieties as well as in the chilled counters.
 
Dwermer said:
I have at present changed to Innocent breakfast juice brand and am adding half as much water to it, to take less sugar.
Has anyone got any recommendations
I shop in Morrisons
Thanks
Click to expand...

I’d swap it for a cup of coffee or, if you must, a glass of sugar-free squash. Juices and smoothies are high carb for the amount you drink and will put your blood sugar up quickly.
 
I only ever use fruit juice as a hypo treatment these days I’m afraid.
 
I like a small glass of tomato juice with my evening meal - about 8 - 10g of carbs, so much less than orange juice.
I did treat myself to a well-diluted glass on cruises occasionally from the dispensers at breakfast, but much weaker than 50/50.
 
I sometimes had a glass at Breakfast in hotels abroad - but thinking about that, I haven't had a hotel abroad holiday with this husband and as it as our silver wedding anniversary on Tuesday that means it's 25 years since I had a glass of fruit juice! Can't say I've actually missed it!
 
I don't drink juice at all, it's either sugar free squash, tea or coffee. For me it's not worth the stratospheric rise in BG.
I eat a little fruit every day, usually a few blueberries, raspberries or blackberries and occasionally a satsuma.
 
I used to have fruit juice, mainly orange juice, but after I was diagnosed I stopped - not just because of the sugar it contained, but as I removed sugar and other sweet items from my diet my taste changed and I found fruit juices were too sweet

However I do have tomato juice now & again, but very rarely; in fact I don't think I've bought any so far this year
When I do I allow for the sugar it contains
 
I wasn't going to comment but as everyone else seems to be a fruit juice avoider, I thought I should emphasise that we are a mixed bag because I do drink fruit juice.

OK, not often but if I am away, typically on holiday, and fancy a refreshing drink, I may chose a freshly squeezed fruit juice. I am "lucky" that I am able to take the necessary insulin to minimise the BG spike.
The last time I did this was sitting outside in the evening sun with colleagues and customers in Cairo after a full day of workshops and meetings. My flight had landed very late the night before so I didn't want too much alcohol when I was already very tired. Instead I had a lovely refreshing glass of freshly squeezed lemon juice with mint. I like my lemon juice sharp so had not added any sugar (unlike everyone else).

(I declined ice and checked it was made with bottled water to avoid any bacteria my stomach was unused to. But that's not a diabetes thing - it is a travel awareness thing.)
 
Thanks for all you replies
I am not surprised about the need to remove all juices, but just wondered about alternatives. I bought some Alpro oat milk (no suger), but am wondering if that is ok also?

I am basically drinking water with squeezed lemon in it and tea atm. May

Feeling a little desbodient with so many changes. No support from my GP surgery

Apprecate the help here though
 
Nowt wrong with tea, coffee, milk, water or anything else as long as you know how many grams of carb happen to be in it because if you need to restrict the amount of carb you consume, you obviously need to include those in your total. Or if like me you need to jab insulin to cover those carbs, you need to know in order to calculate how much insulin.

Years ago the medical profession assumed all and sundry would drink a third of a pint of milk a day in drinks, every day. This was also assumed to be pasteurised cow's milk, as other choices simply were not available.
 
Oat milk is usually the highest carb of the plant based milks because it is made from oats which are grains and therefore higher carb. Unsweetened coconut milk or soya milk should be lower carb or normal dairy if you consume dairy. Milk is OK for tea and coffee but don't assume you can drink it by the glassful without testing how your body responds because many are approx. 5g of carbs per 100mls and a large glass could be 3-400mls which is the equivalent of 4-5 teaspoons of sugar.

I mostly drink coffee with real double cream or tea with a little milk or low calorie drinks like cola or ginger ale but I drink them 1 part fizzy drink to 2 parts water or I drink water with a slice of lemon or cucumber is quite refreshing or a slice of apple.

It takes time to find the correct changes to make to help manage your diabetes well and we all made a few well meaning mistakes along the way, especially in the supermarket. Changing your diet slowly is best anyway, so don't throw out anything you have bought which might not be totally suitable but just have smaller portions of it less often until it is used up.

Maybe focus on one meal at a time and find a few foods that work well for you at that time of day. Breakfast is usually the easiest one to start with as many of us have the same or a similar breakfast every morning, so finding a breakfast choice which works for your taste buds and lifestyle and your diabetes is a simple starting point. Our bodies are often more insulin resistant in the morning so finding something which doesn't spike our levels too high in the morning can be one of the biggest and easiest changes to make. Added to which the common breakfast choices like cereal or toast are pretty high carb, so finding a lower carb option can be a quick win.

What do you currently have for breakfast? Perhaps we can suggest alternatives.
It doesn't have to be all "sack cloth and ashes" either. A full English fry up is a pretty low carb option although I would not recommend having processed meats like bacon and sausage every morning, but leave out the beans and hash browns and toast and it is very low carb.
Many of us have creamy Greek style natural yoghurt with a few berries and mixed nuts or mixed seeds or others make a batch of egg muffins with whatever meat and veg they need to use up in them. It is a bit like a crustless quiche or omelette and you can have them hot or cold and put some in the fridge or freezer to be consumed at a later date. We have one person on the forum who is quite happy to have steak or chop and mushrooms for breakfast although unless you are rich that probably isn't a regular option. I really love leftover curry for breakfast but I no longer have rice or naan with my curry, usually just a vegetable side dish with my main course and if it is a takeaway, I eat half in the evening and the remainder for breakfast.... I LOVE IT!! I have however started cooking my own Indian type food and trying to replicate some of the things I would get from the takeaway but again with plenty of curried veggies instead of naan and rice.
 
rebrascora said:
Oat milk is usually the highest carb of the plant based milks because it is made from oats which are grains and therefore higher carb. Unsweetened coconut milk or soya milk should be lower carb or normal dairy if you consume dairy. Milk is OK for tea and coffee but don't assume you can drink it by the glassful without testing how your body responds because many are approx. 5g of carbs per 100mls and a large glass could be 3-400mls which is the equivalent of 4-5 teaspoons of sugar.

I mostly drink coffee with real double cream or tea with a little milk or low calorie drinks like cola or ginger ale but I drink them 1 part fizzy drink to 2 parts water or I drink water with a slice of lemon or cucumber is quite refreshing or a slice of apple.

It takes time to find the correct changes to make to help manage your diabetes well and we all made a few well meaning mistakes along the way, especially in the supermarket. Changing your diet slowly is best anyway, so don't throw out anything you have bought which might not be totally suitable but just have smaller portions of it less often until it is used up.

Maybe focus on one meal at a time and find a few foods that work well for you at that time of day. Breakfast is usually the easiest one to start with as many of us have the same or a similar breakfast every morning, so finding a breakfast choice which works for your taste buds and lifestyle and your diabetes is a simple starting point. Our bodies are often more insulin resistant in the morning so finding something which doesn't spike our levels too high in the morning can be one of the biggest and easiest changes to make. Added to which the common breakfast choices like cereal or toast are pretty high carb, so finding a lower carb option can be a quick win.

What do you currently have for breakfast? Perhaps we can suggest alternatives.
It doesn't have to be all "sack cloth and ashes" either. A full English fry up is a pretty low carb option although I would not recommend having processed meats like bacon and sausage every morning, but leave out the beans and hash browns and toast and it is very low carb.
Many of us have creamy Greek style natural yoghurt with a few berries and mixed nuts or mixed seeds or others make a batch of egg muffins with whatever meat and veg they need to use up in them. It is a bit like a crustless quiche or omelette and you can have them hot or cold and put some in the fridge or freezer to be consumed at a later date. We have one person on the forum who is quite happy to have steak or chop and mushrooms for breakfast although unless you are rich that probably isn't a regular option. I really love leftover curry for breakfast but I no longer have rice or naan with my curry, usually just a vegetable side dish with my main course and if it is a takeaway, I eat half in the evening and the remainder for breakfast.... I LOVE IT!! I have however started cooking my own Indian type food and trying to replicate some of the things I would get from the takeaway but again with plenty of curried veggies instead of naan and rice.
Click to expand...
Loved your reply ty
I usually have porage with blue berries; I used to have sugar but dumped that lol

I have dumped potates, except sweet pots, once ot twice a week and am usuing cauilifower rice....I put flowerings in it to make it more enjoyable. Also have cut down on sauces ie for chicken etc

I have an added complication is that I am disabled and a carer cooks and have to plan meals that they can do.. adds to the thought process lol

This is a journey I am feeling and I will be discovering what I can adapt to in my meals

thanks again
 
Porridge can be a good choice for some people and a poor choice for others. I know it is recommended by doctors and dieticians but oats are grains and all grains are about 65% carbohydrate, so it is quite a high carb food. It was in fact the last high carb food I cut from my regular menu to get my levels down, but some testing before and after eating it showed that it was like rocket fuel for my BG levels and sent them into orbit nearly as quickly as plain sugar and that was whole jumbo oats. Some of the sachets are more highly processed and can release their glucose even faster, plus they are sometimes flavoured and sweetened. There are however other people who find that their body responds to porridge as it is supposed to and they get a very slow release response from it. The only way to tell if it is a good choice for you is to do some testing before and 2 hours after eating it, to see how your body responds.

Sweet potatoes are just as high carb as regular potatoes, so you do need to reduce portion size and frequency of those too and fill your plate up with more of the low carb veggies and some protein and natural fats. If I am having a steak, I will have it with fried mushrooms and a large salad and a big dollop of coleslaw. In fact coleslaw is a staple on my shopping list, often cheese coleslaw but regular (not low fat) is my fall back. It is an easy way of adding more cabbage to a meal and I have it with chilli and curry. I also have pickled beetroot and gherkins in the cupboard as they are also an easy way of adding extra veg to my plate and extra flavour simply by opening a jar. Pickled onions too. I don't really feel like I need or miss chips anymore although I do share a standard portion of fish and chips with my partner roughly once a month. Hopefully that gives you some ideas. Those ready prepared microwave veg pouches are really quick and easy. I also buy sour cream and chive dip from the delicatessen counter and have that on my veggies like a dressing or sauce. It works really well with cooked broccoli and makes it so much more interesting. Sometimes I just have a whole head of broccoli which can be cooked in the microwave in under 4 mins and eat that with the dip. Last night I fried some slices of halloumi and had that with a whole head of microwaved broccoli and some sweetcorn relish. Yes, there are a few carbs in the relish (mostly sugar of course) but it was still a low carb meal because there were no other significant carbs on the plate. It was dead quick and easy to cook and filling. I would have had pickled beetroot with it too but I have run out.

Anyway, just a few more thoughts and ideas.
 
rebrascora said:
Oat milk is usually the highest carb of the plant based milks because it is made from oats which are grains and therefore higher carb. Unsweetened coconut milk or soya milk should be lower carb or normal dairy if you consume dairy.
Click to expand...

Alpro unsweetened Oat milk at 5.5g/100ml is about the same as semi skimmed at 5g/100ml

There are carbier oat milks I think. But dairy milk has lactose which gives it some carbs.

Back in the old days I was told to have a ‘spare’ 10g of carbs in a day as far as my insulin doses were concerned to allow for milk in tea/coffee.
 
rebrascora said:
Porridge can be a good choice for some people and a poor choice for others. I know it is recommended by doctors and dieticians but oats are grains and all grains are about 65% carbohydrate, so it is quite a high carb food. It was in fact the last high carb food I cut from my regular menu to get my levels down, but some testing before and after eating it showed that it was like rocket fuel for my BG levels and sent them into orbit nearly as quickly as plain sugar and that was whole jumbo oats. Some of the sachets are more highly processed and can release their glucose even faster, plus they are sometimes flavoured and sweetened. There are however other people who find that their body responds to porridge as it is supposed to and they get a very slow release response from it. The only way to tell if it is a good choice for you is to do some testing before and 2 hours after eating it, to see how your body responds.

Sweet potatoes are just as high carb as regular potatoes, so you do need to reduce portion size and frequency of those too and fill your plate up with more of the low carb veggies and some protein and natural fats. If I am having a steak, I will have it with fried mushrooms and a large salad and a big dollop of coleslaw. In fact coleslaw is a staple on my shopping list, often cheese coleslaw but regular (not low fat) is my fall back. It is an easy way of adding more cabbage to a meal and I have it with chilli and curry. I also have pickled beetroot and gherkins in the cupboard as they are also an easy way of adding extra veg to my plate and extra flavour simply by opening a jar. Pickled onions too. I don't really feel like I need or miss chips anymore although I do share a standard portion of fish and chips with my partner roughly once a month. Hopefully that gives you some ideas. Those ready prepared microwave veg pouches are really quick and easy. I also buy sour cream and chive dip from the delicatessen counter and have that on my veggies like a dressing or sauce. It works really well with cooked broccoli and makes it so much more interesting. Sometimes I just have a whole head of broccoli which can be cooked in the microwave in under 4 mins and eat that with the dip. Last night I fried some slices of halloumi and had that with a whole head of microwaved broccoli and some sweetcorn relish. Yes, there are a few carbs in the relish (mostly sugar of course) but it was still a low carb meal because there were no other significant carbs on the plate. It was dead quick and easy to cook and filling. I would have had pickled beetroot with it too but I have run out.

Anyway, just a few more thoughts and ideas.
Click to expand...
I have no way of testing atm.. they have not given me anything to do this

Looks like I will need ot dump porrage also, so not to take any chances. What do ppl take for breakfast Yogart and fruit?

I rarely have pots now.. maybe once or twice a week, but will look at alternative ot this
 
Dwermer said:
I have no way of testing atm.. they have not given me anything to do this

Looks like I will need ot dump porrage also, so not to take any chances. What do ppl take for breakfast Yogart and fruit?

I rarely have pots now.. maybe once or twice a week, but will look at alternative ot this
Click to expand...
would greek yogart be a good one to use, as like that one?
 
Yes many of us buy big 1kg pots of creamy (not low fat) Greek or Greek style natural yoghurt to use for our breakfast and have it with a few berries and mixed seeds or mixed chopped nuts. I have 3 big dollops of it each morning and I love it.
 
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