Carbs Info/Tracker

[lizzieK]

As being very recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic although I have a good idea of the carbs that I have to cut down is there info on recommended daily amounts. Also, being new to this it would be useful to have a list of acceptable foods/veggies. Currently I am sticking to veggies that I know about…greens, salads etc…but wonder if I can eat things like butternut squash, beetroot etc. Am sure this will eventually fall into place, but meantime I need to feel confident in what I am doing.

 

[Leadinglights]

As being very recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic although I have a good idea of the carbs that I have to cut down is there info on recommended daily amounts. Also, being new to this it would be useful to have a list of acceptable foods/veggies. Currently I am sticking to veggies that I know about…greens, salads etc…but wonder if I can eat things like butternut squash, beetroot etc. Am sure this will eventually fall into place, but meantime I need to feel confident in what I am doing.

If prediabetic you may not need to be as strict with carb reduction as if in the diabetic zone. The book or app Carbs and Cals was my bible when first diagnosed as it gave good visual and quantities for various portions of a whole range of foods so with the aid of some scales I could immediately see that X g of butternut squash was a much better option than the same g of potatoes.
Having a list is tricky as everybody responds differently to carbs and some people are fine with the same amount of carbs if it is rice for example but not bread and for others it will be the other way round.
Testing is the only way you can tell of foods are OK for YOU. Testing before you eat and after 2 hours will indicate the meal is fine if the increase is no more than 2-3mmol/l or no more than 8-8.5 mmol/l.
I went with the principal of only having one carby veg in a meal, so wouldn't have broad beans and peas or parsnips and peas but would have a green veg instead. I found beetroot and carrots ok. That is why I found Carbs and Cals book so useful. My personal opinion is it is better to have the variety of veg than say a portion of potatoes, rice or pasta.
If people follow a low carb regime then it is suggested that no more than 130g per day total carbs is a good starting point.

 

[lizzieK]

If prediabetic you may not need to be as strict with carb reduction as if in the diabetic zone. The book or app Carbs and Cals was my bible when first diagnosed as it gave good visual and quantities for various portions of a whole range of foods so with the aid of some scales I could immediately see that X g of butternut squash was a much better option than the same g of potatoes.
Having a list is tricky as everybody responds differently to carbs and some people are fine with the same amount of carbs if it is rice for example but not bread and for others it will be the other way round.
Testing is the only way you can tell of foods are OK for YOU. Testing before you eat and after 2 hours will indicate the meal is fine if the increase is no more than 2-3mmol/l or no more than 8-8.5 mmol/l.
I went with the principal of only having one carby veg in a meal, so wouldn't have broad beans and peas or parsnips and peas but would have a green veg instead. I found beetroot and carrots ok. That is why I found Carbs and Cals book so useful. My personal opinion is it is better to have the variety of veg than say a portion of potatoes, rice or pasta.
If people follow a low carb regime then it is suggested that no more than 130g per day total carbs is a good starting point.

This is really useful….thank you so much…

 

[Inka]

As being very recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic although I have a good idea of the carbs that I have to cut down is there info on recommended daily amounts. Also, being new to this it would be useful to have a list of acceptable foods/veggies. Currently I am sticking to veggies that I know about…greens, salads etc…but wonder if I can eat things like butternut squash, beetroot etc. Am sure this will eventually fall into place, but meantime I need to feel confident in what I am doing.

@lizzieK Anything under 130g counts as low carb. If you have weight to lose that should help too. There are various meal plans here:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/meal-plans

You don’t have to follow one exactly, but it will give you some ideas as to what kind of meals you can eat. The recipes are also carb-counted:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/recipes

.

 

[lizzieK]

These links are really useful! Thank you so much. The first recipe that caught my eye was chocolate and banana mousse! Yum….but I promise to keep it for special occasions! 🙂

@lizzieK Anything under 130g counts as low carb. If you have weight to lose that should help too. There are various meal plans here:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/meal-plans

You don’t have to follow one exactly, but it will give you some ideas as to what kind of meals you can eat. The recipes are also carb-counted:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/recipes

.

 

[Deb_l]

I use the 'My Fitness Pal' app on my phone as a food diary and this will tell you the amount of carbs in each food when you scan the barcode label. Funnily enough I've re-introduced beetroot into my diet today so I've just taken my BG level before lunch (5.8) but will take it again in 90 mins or so. All the other stuff on my plate I already know doesn't spike my BG so it will be interesting to see if the beetroot has had an effect. To be fair, I didn't have much of it.

All this stuff is trial and error and this is where I have found my monitor to be so handy. I was given one by my GP but I would buy the testing strips if they were no longer available on prescription. I have the Contour Plus Blue and I can definitely recommend it.

 

[lizzieK]

Am so grateful for all the great advice and info from you all. I have ordered my Carbs&Cals book…now I need to look at ‘My Fitness Pal’ and the cost of a monitor. I knew I needed a new dimension in my life but didn’t expect it to head in this direction! 🙂)

 

[Leadinglights]

Am so grateful for all the great advice and info from you all. I have ordered my Carbs&Cals book…now I need to look at ‘My Fitness Pal’ and the cost of a monitor. I knew I needed a new dimension in my life but didn’t expect it to head in this direction! 🙂)

It is worth shopping around for a monitor and strips as the prices seem to be changing almost by the day. It is the strips that are the consumable part so it is the cost of those which is the consideration more people. Usually the price on -line is cheaper than from the pharmacy. Strips are not interchangeable between monitors.
Lancets are pretty cheap and can be 'unofficially' reused, people joke about changing them once or twice a year (you get the drift).

 

[Drummer]

These links are really useful! Thank you so much. The first recipe that caught my eye was chocolate and banana mousse! Yum….but I promise to keep it for special occasions! 🙂

That is not a good idea at all - you need to be really careful with high carb desserts as it is so easy to overeat.
I don't eat bananas, and chocolate is all low carb and high in cocoa.
I can eat squash and beetroot, but I know what I can cope with after over 5 years of trials and testing, and getting down to normal numbers. A blood glucose meter is important when starting out, to get an idea of what you can cope with.

 

[Inka]

18g carbs is not a high carb dessert. We’re all individuals and many people could eat that fine. Per serving it contains 1/4 of a banana!!

@lizzieK Make it and see how you do. It’s far from the world’s most carby dessert!

 

[lizzieK]

That is not a good idea at all - you need to be really careful with high carb desserts as it is so easy to overeat.
I don't eat bananas, and chocolate is all low carb and high in cocoa.
I can eat squash and beetroot, but I know what I can cope with after over 5 years of trials and testing, and getting down to normal numbers. A blood glucose meter is important when starting out, to get an idea of what you can cope with.

I was sorry to read this. I found the recipe on the diabetic recipe link given in an earlier post. I had assumed that as my condition is pre-diabetic, at 18.7g carbs and 226 cals, I could include this on special occasions (birthday etc). I had thought this would be okay on a count of 130g carbs per day. As a newbie maybe I have to rethink all this.

 

[lizzieK]

18g carbs is not a high carb dessert. We’re all individuals and many people could eat that fine. Per serving it contains 1/4 of a banana!!

@lizzieK Make it and see how you do. It’s far from the world’s most carby dessert!

Thanks Inka. All this is taking a lot to get my head around. I was only diagnosed as pre-diabetic on Tuesday! I have a lot of research to do!

 

[Inka]

I was sorry to read this. I found the recipe on the diabetic recipe link given in an earlier post. I had assumed that as my condition is pre-diabetic, at 18.7g carbs and 226 cals, I could include this on special occasions (birthday etc). I had thought this would be okay on a count of 130g carbs per day. As a newbie maybe I have to rethink all this.

You more than likely can eat it @lizzieK Don’t worry. Focus on making changes and keep them up. A treat as part of a careful eating plan is fine. It’s the overall diet that you need to think about. Remember too that exercise can help eg a walk after your meal. You don’t have to walk miles, even a short, brisk walk can help.

 

[Drummer]

I was sorry to read this. I found the recipe on the diabetic recipe link given in an earlier post. I had assumed that as my condition is pre-diabetic, at 18.7g carbs and 226 cals, I could include this on special occasions (birthday etc). I had thought this would be okay on a count of 130g carbs per day. As a newbie maybe I have to rethink all this.

My response was a bit harsh, sorry - but I really don't understand why such things are suggested on that site - though knowing my ability to resist temptation is approaching zero I know exactly how it will end....
If you find that you can maintain normal numbers on the 'recommended' 130 gm of carbs a day then by all means try out a higher carb meal once in a while - but my own daily intake is just less than 100gm less than that if I am to stay in remission.

 

[Sharron1]

These links are really useful! Thank you so much. The first recipe that caught my eye was chocolate and banana mousse! Yum….but I promise to keep it for special occasions! 🙂

Hi,

The best way to find out is once you have your monitor and kit. Try the chocolate and banana mousse and test to see what damage it may or may not do. However, if the result is ok it would be an idea (as you say) to keep the chocolate and banana mousse for special occasions ! I managed to eat two medium size Easter eggs (don't ask) in one go. Later on tested myself and it returned 6.something A good result but I have to remember it was a one-off and not the green light to continue with a choc feast. Sigh
BTW I felt sick after the eggs but they were wonderful

 

[Leadinglights]

The various replies above highlight the advantage of testing your OWN tolerance to foods and what are worthwhile treats. The recipes are not specifically aimed at just people with dietary managed diabetes and so may well be too high carb to fit in with the regime people are following.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I was sorry to read this. I found the recipe on the diabetic recipe link given in an earlier post. I had assumed that as my condition is pre-diabetic, at 18.7g carbs and 226 cals, I could include this on special occasions (birthday etc). I had thought this would be okay on a count of 130g carbs per day. As a newbie maybe I have to rethink all this.

I think it’s worth remembering that each member will be commenting on the basis of their own experience. @Drummer has been a member here for several years, and has said many times how sensitive to carbs she has always been throughout her life.

For someone who finds it helps them to restrict their carb intake to very low levels a 20g dessert will feel like a lot, where for me it seems very modest (because I have the luxury of injectable insulin to dose for it).

What’s important is to find a balance that works for you and is flexible and workable enough for you to maintain long term including holidays, high days and celebrations 🙂

 

[lizzieK]

I think it’s worth remembering that each member will be commenting on the basis of their own experience. @Drummer has been a member here for several years, and has said many times how sensitive to carbs she has always been throughout her life.

For someone who finds it helps them to restrict their carb intake to very low levels a 20g dessert will feel like a lot, where for me it seems very modest (because I have the luxury of injectable insulin to dose for it).

What’s important is to find a balance that works for you and is flexible and workable enough for you to maintain long term including holidays, high days and celebrations 🙂

It is good to have a sensible discussion hearing other people’s views. In the couple of days that I have been here I have learned, and am learning a lot. The comforting thing to know is that we are all different and what one person can tolerate another is unable to. In an odd way it makes you feel normal - if you see what I mean….Anyway, I had a delicious chicken salad with Greek yogurt, grain mustard and lemon juice dressing for dinner this evening. I discovered my love of oranges for dessert, please tell me these are ok!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I discovered my love of oranges for dessert, please tell me these are ok!

If you would like to know for sure, you could always check your levels before and at 2hrs with a BG meter (there are suggestions of affordable meters in the 'useful links' thread).

It doesn't appeal to everyone, but many members over the years have found it helps take some of the guesswork out of these kinds of choices, and working out how frequently, or rarely, some of these choices might fit into your emerging way of eating.

You might get some happy surprises - some things which you might have thought off limits, which turn out to be very well tolerated as an occasional treat. Fresh cream eclairs were that for me!

 

[Drummer]

It is good to have a sensible discussion hearing other people’s views. In the couple of days that I have been here I have learned, and am learning a lot. The comforting thing to know is that we are all different and what one person can tolerate another is unable to. In an odd way it makes you feel normal - if you see what I mean….Anyway, I had a delicious chicken salad with Greek yogurt, grain mustard and lemon juice dressing for dinner this evening. I discovered my love of oranges for dessert, please tell me these are ok!

Sigh - not for me - oranges, that is, but if I make some orange jelly - the sugar free sort, and then slice an orange really thinly and put it into the jelly - juice and flesh, then I could stretch the jelly to maybe three days of dessert, with some yoghurt or cream, or even real custard. If you find something tends to cause spikes there is usually some way to reduce the impact.