Choices !

[Robert Barrett]

I should use the semi skimmed milk and ditch the skimmed milk.
The lowest carb cereals I have seen are about 45g carb per 100g, a couple are All Bran and Lizi's low sugar granola which is quite a fine crumb and not too hard but there are some own brand granolas which are about the same carb but can be quite hard.
Fruits that are good are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Some people do buy frozen mixed berries.
Soups are also good options, you can make a big pot of soup from a few veggies. courgette and brie, broccoli and stilton, butternut squash and red pepper, leek, celery and pea are some of my favourites, home made will be far less carbs than bought, either fresh or tinned.
You sound to have made a good start with some of your choices.

My Aunt bought me a soupmaker and it is about time it made an appearance
I shopped online via Co-op ,
I now need to change to a walkaround
That way I can look at labelling to inform my choices
On the diagnosis call I was asked to ditch sugars and move to skimmed milk
I would be more inclined to follow specialist advice as opposed to GP
Post-corona , you don't get enough time with them
That said ' I would say that self empowerment is key to managing this condition .
I will not let it define me
On my own meant that I had no-one to think about

 

[Felinia]

Hi there ,
Eggs and mushrooms------combined in an omelette
Greek yoghurt-----I am dentally challenged , therefore I would add a selection of berries

I am good with most green veg , with the exception of asparagus
Tuna from the oily fish range
Chicken fillets
I was told to move to skimmed milk , despite having nearly 3 litres of semi-skimmed in my fridge
Is there any cereal compatable with type 2 ?

Hi
I have semi skimmed milk for my coffee, skimmed milk for my tea. Unsweetened almond milk for the rare occasions when I have one Oatibix or 20gm rolled outs (the proper stuff not the power in the packages) or 20gm oatbran with 40gm blueberries.
Today's diet is fairly typical: Breakfast mushroom omelette; Lunch prawn and cottage cheese salad; Dinner home made casserole with chicken thighs and 5 veggies, in a tomato stock, served with steamed cabbage and leeks; Snack apricot yogurt
1300 cals and 90.1gm carbs
It is suggested to keep under 130gm carbs a day. I experimented between 50gm and 130gm settling on 90gm. I also got myself an app which measures cals and carbs

 

[Robert Barrett]

Hi
I have semi skimmed milk for my coffee, skimmed milk for my tea. Unsweetened almond milk for the rare occasions when I have one Oatibix or 20gm rolled outs (the proper stuff not the power in the packages) or 20gm oatbran with 40gm blueberries.
Today's diet is fairly typical: Breakfast mushroom omelette; Lunch prawn and cottage cheese salad; Dinner home made casserole with chicken thighs and 5 veggies, in a tomato stock, served with steamed cabbage and leeks; Snack apricot yogurt
1300 cals and 90.1gm carbs
It is suggested to keep under 130gm carbs a day. I experimented between 50gm and 130gm settling on 90gm. I also got myself an app which measures cals and carbs

Is your menu static or do you like to mix it up ?
I noted the piece on Posh Spice that said that she stuck more or less to grilled chicken and steamed veg !
I need to know about bread , pasta and potatoes
Are any of these acceptable or should they be avoided at all cost ?
I wouldn't do the lunch option , but everything else is workable

 

[Robert Barrett]

Hi Martin ,
What's your take on red meat ?
I am partial to sausage or bacon with scrambled egg
Is this a no no now
I am limiting bread to 2 slices a day
I was told that Brown pasta or brown rice was preferable
My weekly food shop came in 2 hours before I got my diagnosis
I am on benefit and could not justify the expense knowing that I would have to jettison most of what I bought
Is low carb your default position , or do you also look at sugar and fat content ?
No two metabolisms are the same and there is no one size fits all methodology .

 

[RirisR]

Hello Robert...I have 1 weetabix topped with yoghurt and chia seeds and raspberries for breakfast
I count the carbs in my meals and aim to be under 120 carbs per day, which I find workable, some go lower, perhaps
the book carbs and calorie counter may help you in deciding what to eat, for bread, when I fancy a slice
I have livlife bread which is around 3g of carbs per slice it is seeded, does fill you up, but not to everyones taste
and you can only get it from Waitrose I use two slices for lunch toasted and I top with butter and pate sometimes
other times I top with Tuna and a dash of garlic mayo..Like someone has mentioned test your bloods before and 2 hours after your meal to see how you are getting on, i use a T2 meter I have reduced my weight to the top end of normal using
the low carb method I decided not to stress over diabetis I eat normally really, I have small amounts of the not so good food like 2 small pieces of roast potato so I don't feel I am missing out on anything, although this year Xmas, was to put it mildly a bummer ! Hope you find something useful in this regards Iris

 

[RirisR]

If I have sausage I usually buy chipolatoe ones 95% meat, they are
about 1 gram of carbs each so 3 on my plate I find acceptable because the
egg, bacon, mushrooms dont count once you get used to reading the carbs on
labels you should find it settles down well...

 

[Robert Barrett]

Hello Robert...I have 1 weetabix topped with yoghurt and chia seeds and raspberries for breakfast
I count the carbs in my meals and aim to be under 120 carbs per day, which I find workable, some go lower, perhaps
the book carbs and calorie counter may help you in deciding what to eat, for bread, when I fancy a slice
I have livlife bread which is around 3g of carbs per slice it is seeded, does fill you up, but not to everyones taste
and you can only get it from Waitrose I use two slices for lunch toasted and I top with butter and pate sometimes
other times I top with Tuna and a dash of garlic mayo..Like someone has mentioned test your bloods before and 2 hours after your meal to see how you are getting on, i use a T2 meter I have reduced my weight to the top end of normal using
the low carb method I decided not to stress over diabetis I eat normally really, I have small amounts of the not so good food like 2 small pieces of roast potato so I don't feel I am missing out on anything, although this year Xmas, was to put it mildly a bummer ! Hope you find something useful in this regards Iris

Hi ,
Have you had good support from your GP

I say this , as health professionals have obsessed over Covid
I am beginning to understand that there is a lot more discipline needed to manage the condition
I was 13 stone in the early 90's
I am probably double that now
Probably thinking about weight loss as well as dietary adjustments

 

[RirisR]

Yes before this Covid trouble I had good support from my diabetic team
since then not so much I expect to receive a call from the nurse shortly
she did say everything had got behind with things. A good dose of will power
is required along with positivity and you will get through this x

 

[Leadinglights]

It is possible to eat diabetic healthily on a budget but probably needs more planning. But soups for example, a few veggies, a courgette, 2 sticks of celery, some onions and a chunk of stilton or brie will make 6 portions of soup. Make good use of your freezer and bulk cook a chilli or bolognaise and freeze portions. Adding plenty of veg to your meat will make things go further. You will get used to having things without a plateful of high carb rice, pasta or potatoes.
Some useful substitutions are butternut squash, celeriac, swede, all lower carb than potatoes and not expensive. You can use grated cauliflower in stir fries or instead of rice and edamame or black bean pasta which is lower carb than standard pasta.
Frozen veg are often not too expensive and a good alternative to fresh.
Don't be afraid of full fat products as they will make you less hungry so less likely to snack on high carb foods.
£15 invested in a stick blender /chopper will help you make soups and low carb sauces.

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

My Mum passed in April 2020
We both had a journey with coronavirus
I lost all focus and my relationship with food could be likened to a one night stand .
I have an account on just eat
I would order such things as chicken nuggets , kebab meat , burgers and on a couple of occasions pizza !
All with chips and washed down with fully sugared coke or fanta .
I withdrew into myself
My diagnosis has brought my health and wellbeing into sharp focus
Everyone finds their own path
I can take pointers from a lot of people on this forum
I owe it to my Mum to get a grip and make the most of life
I will need to audition some products that I have never had before
We are all on a journey
I took over cooking duty when giving up work in 2019 to look after Mum
For the most part she was happy with my efforts
I have a microwave and a twin job
I'm not as disciplined as Novak when it comes to what product I take in
I don't agree with his stance on vaccine , but this is not the place for that discussion !
I don't have a blender or bread machine
No longer working so finances are stretched
I am finding that this will turn out to be an expensive exercise , although you cannot put a price on good health

I am very sorry about your mum Robert.

Looks like you have some good skills in the kitchen and also (although you may not realise it) your natural tastes for food mean you will be probably be able to enjoy food as a diabetic while still keeping your blood sugars controlled.

You can make pizza, chips, burgers and other such meals at home using alternative ingredients and they won't be bad for your condition and in fact will be good for you.

I have a microwave bread recipe that makes a single serving in 90 seconds and is ideal for using with home made burgers. I find I am spending less on food since changing to very low carb than I was before because I am full more easily - the ingredients go a long way and store in a cupboard or fridge for ages - and I don't buy take away meals any more because I can make nicer versions at home quicker and easier.

I buy most of the ingredients I need from Tesco and they are bringing more and more ingredients into their range that suit us and are now starting to sell them in larger quantities at very affordable prices.

For example Tesco now sell - ground almonds 500g for £5.75 and Natvia (erythritol and stevia blend) 300g for £5.00 and you can get 100g of blond psyllium husk powder on Amazon for £4.35 - I expect you already have baking powder at home.

If you get those ingredients you will be set up to make very low carb bread and pastry and pizza and all manner of other things that can be made quickly and easily using your microwave and the ingredients will last you for a month or maybe more.

You can buy psyllium husk in bigger amounts for less cost per gram but I started out with smaller amounts to begin with as it was a smaller initial outlay. You will need lots of eggs - I buy 15 a week at least and I get the 15 mixed size free range pack for £2.00

If you buy bacon, tomatoes, cheddar, cream cheese (I get the Creamfields Soft cheese which is 49p for 200g) and grated mozarella - you have all the ingredients to make a fantastic quick delicious pizza that won't have a bad effect on your blood sugars. You also have the ingredients for a good breakfast and you can make an egg and bacon pie or a quiche.

I like celery so I buy celery and have that with dips made with corned beef and mayo and a splash of hot sauce (Franks Red Hot Sauce or Buffalo Wings sauce - £1.50 a bottle and very very low carb) and you can buy frozen chicken wings 1.5kg for £3.00 and make buffalo wings by melting butter and mixing with hot sauce and then cooking them in the oven until they go crispy and then have them with a green salad and a tomato and that is nearly zero carbs.

I also like crisps so I buy a celeriac (if you cut a chunk to use and then wrap the rest of it up tightly in cling film it keeps for months in the fridge so it is economical) and use a peeler to make very thin slices and then shallow fry them in either ghee or extra virgin olive oil until they crisp up. Again you can re-use the oil afterwards for a few times and you don't need to use a lot if you use a small saucepan. Sometimes I cut it into strips and make french fries instead. There are only 2.3g of carb per 100g of celeriac so you can have celeriac crisps and chips and still be staying well within safe limits for carbs. You can have buffalo wings and chips or crisps and it is still a very low carb meal.

Just some ideas for you to think about. It doesn't need to be expensive and it doesn't need to be time consuming. You will get into the swing of things and then it will get easier.

I hope I haven't bombarded you with too much. Sorry if I have.

 

[helli]

@Robert Barrett welcome to the forum
Sorry to read about your recent diagnosis and your mother.

There is some great advice above but a lot of it is "do eat that" ,"don't eat this".
In the years that I have had diabetes (yes it's Type 1 rather than type 2 but the same is true for both), I have learnt that we are all different. Some people struggle to tolerate any carbs, some can manage potatoes, some can manage whole meal. I find the important thing to learn is what can your body tolerate. Carbs are the thing we all need to be aware of but different levels and different carbs affect us differently.
If you can convince your GP to provide a blood glucose meter and prescribe testing strips (the strips are how the manufacturers make money so a meter without a repeat prescription for strips is not much use), that would really help you see what affect your body can tolerate.
Whilst waiting to see your GP, you could sign up for the Libre free trial. It is not cheap if you have to fund it but with the trial you can try out different types of food over the 2 weeks of the free trial and see what makes your blood sugars go high ... and avoid them in the future.
If your GP is not willing to prescribe test strips, there are a couple of cheaper meters which can be recommended.

Good luck with your diabetes journey - don't expect to solve all your problems immediately but, the good news is, you can quickly make changes and start to see improvements.

 

[nonethewiser]

@Robert Barrett welcome to the forum
Sorry to read about your recent diagnosis and your mother.

There is some great advice above but a lot of it is "do eat that" ,"don't eat this".
In the years that I have had diabetes (yes it's Type 1 rather than type 2 but the same is true for both) is that we are all different. Some people struggle to tolerate any carbs, some can manage potatoes, some can manage whole meal. I find the important thing to learn is what can your body tolerate. Carbs are the thing we all need to be aware of but different levels and different carbs affect us differently.
If you can convince your GP to provide a blood glucose meter and prescribe testing strips (the strips are how the manufacturers make money so a meter without a repeat prescription for strips is not much use), that would really help you see what affect your body can tolerate.
Whilst waiting to see your GP, you could sign up for the Libre free trial. It is not cheap if you have to fund it but with the trial you can try out different types of food over the 2 weeks of the free trial and see what makes your blood sugars go high ... and avoid them in the future.
If your GP is not willing to prescribe test strips, there are a couple of cheaper meters which can be recommended.

Good luck with your diabetes journey - don't expect to solve all your problems immediately but, the good news is, you can quickly make changes and start to see improvements.

Excellent reply, food can effect us all differently, so never rule anything out on others say so.

 

[Drummer]

Your comment about fruit seems rather extreme. Why does anyone have to wait until they're getting normal numbers before trying a few berries a couple of times a week?

Just asking.

Because there is so much going on - usually - in the first month after diagnosis that even a plain and simple type 2 would have enough to contend with.
Making all the swaps to exclude high carb foods is probably best done in stages, getting breakfasts and main meals sorted, seeing blood glucose falling and getting settled into a new routine, and only then testing desserts - far less likely to cause an overload of information.

 

[Felinia]

Is your menu static or do you like to mix it up ?
I noted the piece on Posh Spice that said that she stuck more or less to grilled chicken and steamed veg !
I need to know about bread , pasta and potatoes
Are any of these acceptable or should they be avoided at all cost ?
I wouldn't do the lunch option , but everything else is workable

I mix things up a bit. When I have an exercise class I don't have food before, just a protein shake. But breakfast is usually cooked - omelette, poached or scrambled egg with mushrooms and tomatoes. Sometimes I have the small cereal with berries. Lunch is usually a salad or home made soup. I make several different ones, and vary the protein in the salad. Dinner is usually 2/3 plate of a variety of vegetables and 1/3 plate protein. That could be cod, haddock, salmon, trout, chicken, pork loin, roast lamb, home made turkey burgers, venison burgers, the very occasional steak, casseroles (liver or kidney or beef or chicken) with a variety of veg. I have a lot of cauliflower as it is good as mash or rice. I also have carrot/swede puree instead of mash, and squash wedges roasted, instead of chips.
I have some snacks - it could be Greek yogurt with fruit, a lime and soda drink, a piece of melon
If you choose to have bread, potato, pasta or rice, they should be very small portions and whole grain is better as it is more slow release. My diabetic nurse told me 2 small new potatoes is a portion, or 1 slice of low carb bread. I chose to have 1 slice of Warburtons wholemeal from a medium cut 400gm loaf at 9gm carb per slice. But not every day. I've read somewhere that a portion size of cooked rice or pasta is 2 tablespoons. But the bottom line is that it depends on what your body can tolerate. Some people are very carb sensitive and some not so much.

 

[CharliePBC]

I am new to all this, everyone here is talking carbs, very little mention of sugar.
I am just watching carbs, do I need to be considering sugar equally to carbs?
( I know some orange juice is suggested for a hypo) I presume it’s the sugar that helps, they don’t suggest a round of toast for a hypo do they? K
I guess OJ is quick being one of its hypo benefits, but does OJ have lots OJ carbs?
I just looked it up and it has both!

 

[Robin]

I am new to all this, everyone here is talking carbs, very little mention of sugar.
I am just watching carbs, do I need to be considering sugar equally to carbs?
( I know some orange juice is suggested for a hypo) I presume it’s the sugar that helps, they don’t suggest a round of toast for a hypo do they? K
I guess OJ is quick being one of its hypo benefits, but does OJ have lots OJ carbs?
I just looked it up and it has both!

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate. It’s just the one that’s most easily broken down by the body. So yes, it’s good for hypos, (but pure glucose is even faster acting).
Sugar is included in the total carbohydrate count in the nutritional information box, but then given as a separate figure,(eg 'of which sugars…,') because of its ability to be broken down so quickly, and also for its ability to rot your teeth, and for it’s addictive qualities, so people want to know how much of the carb is sugar so they can avoid too much of it.
Other carbohydrates (eg, what we know as 'starch') contain the same chemical elements as sugar, but they are arranged in a more complicated pattern, and the body takes a bit longer to break them down. Many diabetics find that their body can still break it down quite quickly, though, and it still needs insulin production to deal with it, hence people with diabetes counting their carbs, either to match their insulin dose, or to reduce the amount they are having if they are controlling their diabetes with diet.
Fibre is also a form of carbohydrate, but one that the body cannot readily digest at all, so in the U.K., it is already deducted from the Carbohydrate total. In the US, however, it is included and you normally deduct it to arrive at the carb count of a particular food.

 

[Mrs Mimoo]

Hi there ,
Eggs and mushrooms------combined in an omelette
Greek yoghurt-----I am dentally challenged , therefore I would add a selection of berries

I am good with most green veg , with the exception of asparagus
Tuna from the oily fish range
Chicken fillets
I was told to move to skimmed milk , despite having nearly 3 litres of semi-skimmed in my fridge
Is there any cereal compatable with type 2 ?

PERSONALLY I would avoid cereal as it is lots of carbs. Could you sprinkle low sugar granola on the yogurt? or sprinkle all bran on the yoghurt? I have done finger prick testing with all cereals and starch carbs and they cause my blood sugars to run away so I am avoiding them. Why not try a small helping of low sugar cereal and test your blood sugar morning just before breakfast and then 2 hours after to see what appens?

 

[Mrs Mimoo]

I've haven't, so far anyway, been able to find anything to back up your 'no fruit is good' advice for newbies. That's quite a bold statement and it would be interesting to know what others think.

Maybe we should start a thread?

Martin

I heard that only berry fruits were ok - blueberries raspberries and strawberries. Maybe a single apple? the rest are too sugary. Defo no to banana and tropical fruit. I am being very tight on carbs - 50g a day and no more. I'd rather have cheese than pudding anyway


Pasta was my crime before diagnosis. I now eat 'slimpasta' which is made of konjak roots. It's a bit slimey so needs a blott with kitchen roll before eating but is ok to be honest. Mix with normal mince bolognese and some cheese and you've got only 18 calories for the pasta!

 

[Perfect10]

Hi Robert,
Some things I have found helpful in reducing my carbs instead of potato pasta and rice:-
Cauliflower rice - grate the cauli and gently fry in a little oil, add an egg if you want egg fried rice
Cauliflower or celeriac mash even nicer with some double cream added
Celeriac chips
Homemade granola - if I buy granola it’s m&s no added sugar or paleo but these are expensive if you are on a budget. I have almond milk or full fat natural yoghurt on this
Low carb bread - such as Livlife or Hi-Lo, I currently have Waitrose organic at 13g per slice
Edamame, mung bean, black bean pasta - Holland and Barrett sell some also have bought in TKMax before now!
I usually buy full fat yoghurt and use double cream in cooking as it fills you up more and stops the cravings for snacks, so although higher in cals, I eat less through the day so less cals overall!
I found an app really helpful at counting carbs and calories and may help you to see how many carbs you are eating now so you can slowly reduce them?
I have enjoyed learning to cook new foods and so seen it as more of a new adventure. I no longer crave sweet things and can easily decline cakes, biscuits etc. it’s amazing how your taste changes.

 

[Drummer]

Yes, Newbies are always advised to steer clear of tropical and dried fruit, and instead stick to low-carb fruits like berries. That's good advice, but they're not generally advised to steer clear of fruit altogether until their numbers come down a bit. I've not heard that before and that's the bit I don't get, hence my interest in what others think.

50g a day - well done if you're able to stick to that. Not sure I could.

Martin

I got down to Hba1c of 42 on a maximum of 50 gm of carbs a day, but wanted to go lower. For the next year I ate no more than 40 gm of carbs a day and got - 42.
I do eat fruit - no more than twice a week but I have lots of fresh vegetables - some of which are actually, botanically, fruits, so it isn't really an accurate count.