Dx today vegetarian, on a low budget and don’t want to starve!

[LucysLostSister]

As per title dx today and dr said to get on the diet side of things.

Been reading here and recommended some other reading but everything I read on a low carb diet is frankly not suitable for me as a vegetarian (there’s a LOT of meat in the meal plans) on a low budget (benefits) who wants to eat real meals - and no crudités and a bit of a low fat dip is not a meal! it’s barely a snack! And no I can’t afford extortionately expensive carb alternatives either.

I eat free range eggs & dairy. Low fat not because of calories etc but because I don’t like taste of high fat items. I like most veggies apart from sprouts, radishes & onions and spicy food don’t agree with me and I have to limit nuts seeds and pulses (ibs)

The meal plans I’ve seen are also very repetitive and boring - even if I were willing to have a go I know it wouldn’t be sustainable.

I also live alone and have Mh issues that mean often I don’t have the will to cook from scratch, certainly not every day 3 times a day! Will batch cook sometimes but only have a small 3 drawer freezer and no money or space for additional.

What I normally eat -

Rarely have breakfast as suffer from insomnia and the thought of eating when I first wake makes me feel nauseous. On the rare occasions I do it will be cereal with skimmed milk, toast and marmite or scrambled eggs.

Lunch is usually sandwiches or crackers and cheese, need to be honest so yes normally a packet of crisps and a sweet something either a snack size choc or mini haribo bag or cereal bar, diet soda to drink.

Dinner is usually pasta with veg and a sauce usually pesto, stir fry with quorn and veg a ready made sachet sauce and rice or noodles or cous cous, or sausages/quorn fillet/escalope with veg and mash, or sometimes a roast with a nut cutlet instead of meat, or if I can’t manage to cook something tinned like macaroni cheese or ravioli or a pot noodle type thing. Dessert if I have one is microwave sponge pudding and low fat custard or a yogurt, or a soreen mini loaf.

Supper if I have it (depends what I’ve already had that day) is crackers with either cheese or veggie pate also crisps and choc then.

Drinks rest of day used to be flavoured water or very weak squash but I’ve now changed to herbal tea, I hate plain water makes me gag.

When I was losing weight a couple years ago I was having similar but much smaller portions and instead of crisps I’d have crudités and instead of cakes/biscuits/puds I’d have fruit or yogurt or a skinny bar.

Help!

 

[Thebearcametoo]

If you’re able then maybe try carb counting for a few days so you have an idea of what carbs are in the foods you usually eat and what your average daily carb intake is. That will then mean you can make choices. Eggs are great and can be used lots of ways. You can make a quick ‘pancake’ with almond flour, eggs and half a banana which might be a better option than some of your dessert options. You can get popcorn bars that are about 10g of carbs which is an easy snack and less than a mini bag of Haribo (15-18g). Popadoms are fewer carbs than crisps. Dark chocolate is fewer carbs than milk or chocolate bars. But yes it may be that you look at portion sizes for things like your pasta. BTW pasta that’s been cooled and reheated has slower release carbs than freshly cooked so whilst the carb count stays the same it will help your body cope with the carbs more. So yay leftovers. Sugar free squash is fine as are diet fizzy drinks.

Also if you can do a little more exercise - walking is perfect - that can also help.

 

[LucysLostSister]

Thank you for your kind and measured response I know I’m being a pain.

Ok how do I carb count?

Saw almond flour mentioned a lot but it’s not cheap or easy to find where I am and I’m really not one for cooking much.

Eggs are quick and easy I usually have scrambled but sometimes poached or omelette.

Small bags of salted popcorn were something I used to get and have as a snack when I was losing weight a couple years ago. But the brand I got then no longer available from having a quick look.

The popcorn bars are what brand and available where?

Popadoms - noted thanks, what I had before when dieting instead of crisps was crudités (carrot batons, celery, sliced peppers) seasoned and maybe with a little salsa.

I prefer dark choc but at the moment I’m thinking I may be better not having choc, sweets, biscuits, cakes & similar to hand. Initial instinct was to throw it all out but frankly I can’t afford to do that! So for now sticking it all high up in cupboard so harder to reach.

Noted re pasta I don’t mind that reheated at all. Happy to have wholemeal pasta and rice. But apparently that makes little difference?

Sugar free squash I have been told in the last week by dentist, dr and nurse is not ok to have if diabetic. That there’s still sugar in it. Drinks I am really struggling with as I hate plain water. Can’t drink fizzy water due to ibs, so at the moment I’m stuck with one diet soda a day (ginger beer, I don’t take lots of caffeinated drinks cos of the insomnia) and herbal tea with sweetener.

It’s really dinners I’m struggling with. I looked at the 1500 cal meal plan on here and it’s woefully bad! Little understanding of vegetarian nutritional needs, and eg couple of times says “have this recipe with cous cous” but doesn’t say how much cous cous which is pretty crucial I’d have thought.

Exercise is tricky as I am disabled. I can’t run or do aerobics or basically anything on land where I’m standing on one foot without support. I have a physio schedule that needs reviewed soon, physio also has me doing seated/lying yoga, walking & swimming I can manage on best days, worst days can barely move.

 

[Leadinglights]

Some of these recipes may appeal to you.

22 Vegetarian Diabetes-Friendly Dinners to Make on Weeknights

Make a mouth-watering vegetarian dinner that's appropriate for those with diabetes. These healthy recipes are low in sodium, saturated fat and calories, which makes it easy (and delicious) to follow a healthy eating pattern. Recipes like Spinach Alfredo Lasagna and Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry are...

www.eatingwell.com

 

[LucysLostSister]

I appreciate the thought but not really what I am looking for. I need cheap, easy (20 mins or less cooking unless it’s in oven - although I’m avoiding using oven as it’s expensive - as I often can’t stand for longer than that due to disability) meals I can make for one person, no or rarely leftovers although I don’t mind reheating pasta.

Normally I eat :

Pasta with veg and a sauce, usually pesto but I can also make a basic tomato & herb sauce fairly easily but not sure how it is carb/sugar wise, sometimes have a little low fat grated cheese on it.

Stir fry with veg and quorn served with microwave rice (can’t cook rice to save my life otherwise) or wok noodles or cous cous, thinking can maybe have beansprouts & much smaller portion of rice etc

Jacket potato with cottage cheese or beans or ratatouille (home made)

Cous cous with quorn and veg and some kind of sauce, sometimes just soy sometimes will make a sauce

Soup - ok making home made but storage an issue - with a bread roll or 2 slices buttered bread

Mushroom stroganoff with noodles

Veggie sausages or quorn something with veg and mash

Pizza - rarely as I do find it bloats me and loosens me up

Casseroles done in slow cooker sometimes with quorn, veg, stock, herbs, marmite etc served with bread or mash or jacket spud

If I’m really struggling though it can be a tin of Mac cheese, tin of soup, pot noodle, crackers and cheese & pickles

 

[Ducks at Sea]

Hi @LucysLostSister
It's really hard when first diagnosed. If you want to follow a low carb vegetarian diet it can be done. Your local library may have cook books available and some have the carbs listed. Or websites such as diet doctor, vegetarian society or Tesco have recipes that also list the carbs.

Eggs, cheese, vegetables that grow above ground all make a great basis for a cheap low carb veggie diet.
I typically eat lots of stir fry veg, omelette and scrambled eggs. I make stews or veg casserole and then the leftovers become soup
I use frozen cauliflower as a substitute for rice or cous cous. Courgette cut in fine strips using a peeler in place of pasta, mashed cauliflower makes a great substitute for mashed potatoes.

Most important of all, be kind to yourself. There are so many helpful people on this forum so keep asking questions and use their experience

 

[LucysLostSister]

Already looked at diet dr (hated it) veg society (nothing really re diabetes) I’m really not wanting to spend hours/days/weeks researching new recipes and meals I just want to adjust what I already eat.

I don’t consider it a meal if there are zero carbs. Smaller, much smaller portions I get but none at all?!

Happy to cut out/right down all the snacky stuff, puds but meals need to stay meals. At one point today in a meal plan (I forget where) crudités and a small amount of dip was suggested as a meal that’s not a meal
It’s barely a snack.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @LucysLostSister

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and how tricky some of the other things your are facing makes meal prep for you.

Thanks for providing a list of things you generally eat. Hopefully some of our helpful amd experiences T2s can give you their suggestions. I’m no expert and don’t eat low carb myself as I have insulin to help, but here are some thoughts…

Normally I eat :

Pasta with veg and a sauce, usually pesto but I can also make a basic tomato & herb sauce fairly easily but not sure how it is carb/sugar wise, sometimes have a little low fat grated cheese on it.

It’s probably going to be the pasta rather than the sauce that makes this tricky. I think there’s a trick where you can part-cook the pasta and then reheat it which turns the starch into ‘resistant start’ which can make it easier. Also pasta and cheese is notorious among insulin users for being slowly absorbed. The only way you’d know what portion size worked for you would be to check before and after with a BG meter I think?

Stir fry with veg and quorn served with microwave rice (can’t cook rice to save my life otherwise) or wok noodles or cous cous, thinking can maybe have beansprouts & much smaller portion of rice etc

Loads of forum members use stir fries as a mainstay. Your ideas are great. There’s also a way of grating and barely cooking fresh cauluflower so that it becomes ‘cauli rice’ which you may be able to try? I think some supermarkets have it ready done in the freezer section?

Veggie sausages or quorn something with veg and mash

Casseroles done in slow cooker sometimes with quorn, veg, stock, herbs, marmite etc served with bread or mash or jacket spud

Celeriac or swede are popular for mash (you can also make celeriac into chips I think?

Hope you find a wat of eating that meets your needs, which you have the ‘spoons’ for, and which helps you manage your BG levels 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I don’t consider it a meal if there are zero carbs. Smaller, much smaller portions I get but none at all?!

Not necessarily! Different people have found they can do really well with modest reductions (porridge in the morning… smaller portion of potatoes with evening meal.

Some find they are fine with bread, but not with rice… for others it’s the reverse. That’s why “you must eat…” or “never eat…” lists aren’t helpful - because different people react differently. And if you try to avoid everything that other people say they struggle with there’s be literally nothing left!

You might find it helpful to get hold of a BG meter so you can check your own responses to things?

 

[Ducks at Sea]

I don’t consider it a meal if there are zero carbs. Smaller, much smaller portions I get but none at all?!

Hi, meals don't have to be zero carb, we are all different as to how many carbs a day we can tolerate. it's hard dealing with diabetes as well as all the other life stuff we have to deal with.

When I was first diagnosed, over 12 years ago, I swapped to a lower carb vegetarian diet (was veggie anyway). I cut out the higher carb stuff or reduced the portion that I had. Less pasta/rice/bread and more of the vegetables and eggs and cheese.

Thankfully I didn't even need to cut out the puds, just swapped for lower carb. I have berries or a small piece of high Coco % chocolate.

Would you be able to ask GP to refer you to a dietician?

 

[LucysLostSister]

Thank you.

I think someone also said to me about re-heating pasta which I would be fine with, could cook pasta up on a night I’m not eating it, fridge it and have it next day.

Pasta and cheese I’m not a big fan of.

Tried cauliflower rice, I like cauli ok but that was gross!

Problem with celeriac and swede is peeling and chopping, when I say mash I mean instant mash. I don’t have the strength to mash root veggies manually. Same would apply for “chips” although I’m not really a chips person anyway. Not a fan of that kind of fried food or high fat food generally don’t like the taste and it can upset my stomach.

Thanks for understanding about “spoons”
I already have a lot going on health wise I really didn’t need this too and I feel like nobody except my mum “gets” that at all. I was barely hanging on as it was!

To be quite honest I think delivering the diagnosis was handled very poorly too. Basically just phoned told me I was diabetic, the result of Hba1c with little context, said I need to sort my diet but gave NO advice on how except to say we would discuss at appointment next week. Diabetic nurse rang to arrange that appointment which is not for 2 weeks.

I have no idea what I’m doing I’m worried sick, scared, skint, cold with no professional support.

 

[Leadinglights]

Your blood glucose is very high and that must be making you feel rubbish as high blood glucose affect your whole body. So anything you can do to get it down whether that be a combination of medication and diet will help give you the motivation to try different things.
You do seem to be dismissing all the suggestions people are making but they are making suggestions of things that have worked for them.
As @everydayupsanddowns says people are different in how their body copes with carbs so trying to give a 'diet sheet ' which would suit everybody is impossible when peoples tastes in food varies so much.

 

[Lucyr]

Celeriac or swede are popular for mash

Carrot mash is less carbs and calories than potato too, and you can buy it frozen so it just needs microwaving

 

[Lucyr]

Pasta with veg and a sauce, usually pesto but I can also make a basic tomato & herb sauce fairly easily but not sure how it is carb/sugar wise, sometimes have a little low fat grated cheese on it.

You seem to be dismissing all the suggestions…. You just need to think a bit wider. Eg to halve the carbs in your pasta dish just make half the pasta you’d normally make and add salad on the side (get it prechopped as prep time is an issue). Or add some veg into that pasta like frozen chopped peppers, or frozen Mediterranean veg mix etc.

Veggie sausages or quorn something with veg and mash

have the veggie sausages and get carrot mash instead of potato - can get it frozen or in the fridge. Or have it with cauliflower/broccoli cheese (also available in fridge or freezer premade) and veg.

Jacket potato with cottage cheese or beans or ratatouille (home made)

Choose a smaller size potato and have with the cottage cheese and then add a side salad or veg

 

[LucysLostSister]

Not necessarily! Different people have found they can do really well with modest reductions (porridge in the morning… smaller portion of potatoes with evening meal.

Some find they are fine with bread, but not with rice… for others it’s the reverse. That’s why “you must eat…” or “never eat…” lists aren’t helpful - because different people react differently. And if you try to avoid everything that other people say they struggle with there’s be literally nothing left!

You might find it helpful to get hold of a BG meter so you can check your own responses to things?

Yes when I was losing weight in 2021 I was sceptical about “not all calories are the same” but did note that if I had wheat (pasta, bread, especially pizza) I would feel bloated and be less likely to lose or not lose as much. That’s when I switched away from bread, pasta noodles most days and instead have rice, quinoa, rice cakes, crisp breads not made from wheat but rye etc and I did notice a difference

 

[LucysLostSister]

Your blood glucose is very high and that must be making you feel rubbish as high blood glucose affect your whole body. So anything you can do to get it down whether that be a combination of medication and diet will help give you the motivation to try different things.
You do seem to be dismissing all the suggestions people are making but they are making suggestions of things that have worked for them.
As @everydayupsanddowns says people are different in how their body copes with carbs so trying to give a 'diet sheet ' which would suit everybody is impossible when peoples tastes in food varies so much.

That’s just it - physically I feel fine better than I have in ages!

I get people are trying to help and being kind, and that what they are suggesting worked for them, but that doesn’t mean it would work for me. As you say peoples tastes, and lifestyles vary greatly. I don’t have a set routine daily or weekly and I like it like that, it suits my Mh. I’m also vegetarian and a lot of the dietary advice both on forums and on the site generally seem to understand that quite poorly. I don’t expect forumites to be experts in that way but I had hoped the advice for veggies on this site and certain others would be less than 20 years outdated in understanding vegetarian nurtrition.

@Ducks at Sea Yes I think a referral to a dietician is indeed a necessity.

 

[LucysLostSister]

Carrot mash is less carbs and calories than potato too, and you can buy it frozen so it just needs microwaving

Thank you, I’ve an Asda order in place for Sunday and I’ve just checked and they do a frozen carrot and swede mash I’ll give that a try I like both of those. Do I really need to massively reduce my salt too? I don’t cook with salt just add a little on the plate to this kind of thing & it’s low sodium stuff too and some black pepper love my black pepper

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you, I’ve an Asda order in place for Sunday and I’ve just checked and they do a frozen carrot and swede mash I’ll give that a try I like both of those. Do I really need to massively reduce my salt too? I don’t cook with salt just add a little on the plate to this kind of thing & it’s low sodium stuff too and some black pepper love my black pepper

Unless you need to reduce salt for other health reasons then what you have is most likely fine. Often people find when they reduce the amount of pre-prepared sauces or ready meals which can have high salt they need to add a bit of salt otherwise their electrolyte balance goes awry.
It does not sound as if you are having an excessive amount of salt.
I was quite surprised when I looked at what the recommended amount per day was and weighted out that amount and was using from that for a few days and found I was not using a fraction of it.

 

[LucysLostSister]

You seem to be dismissing all the suggestions…. You just need to think a bit wider. Eg to halve the carbs in your pasta dish just make half the pasta you’d normally make and add salad on the side (get it prechopped as prep time is an issue). Or add some veg into that pasta like frozen chopped peppers, or frozen Mediterranean veg mix etc.

have the veggie sausages and get carrot mash instead of potato - can get it frozen or in the fridge. Or have it with cauliflower/broccoli cheese (also available in fridge or freezer premade) and veg.

Choose a smaller size potato and have with the cottage cheese and then add a side salad or veg

Not dismissing all of them just I know which ones are realistic for me and which aren’t. It’s self awareness as much as anything, I found the same when I was dieting to lose weight (and yes I wish I’d kept that up but I had to move house and life got chaotic). I know what I will cook/eat and what would be a waste of time and more importantly money for me to buy.

I’m already halving current carb portions I started that yesterday. I’m lucky that I do love my veggies so more than happy to increase consumption there from a taste/appetite perspective it’s the cost I will struggle with. Already sinking into debt with cost of living crisis. I already have a lot of veg in my pasta and stir fries, sometimes the stir fries I only have veg no quorn depending what I have in that’s needing used.

Limited freezer space & have preferences regarding frozen food and fresh.

Frozen veg I like inc diced onion, green beans, spinach, cabbage, kale, mixed veg (peas, sweetcorn, carrot onion etc), butternut squash, I think I’ll like the carrot and swede mash too.

Fresh - cucumber, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms (I LOVE mushrooms), sweet peppers, carrot batons, celery, spring onions sometimes, baby corn, mange tout, asparagus

Tinned - tomatoes, carrots, sweetcorn, green beans, new potatoes (tinned are great for certain recipes)

Broccoli & cauli I’ll happily have frozen or fresh I thought I’d love cauli rice as I like cauli but it was awful!

Not keen on lettuce and only really enjoy salads when it’s hot, instead of lettuce I might have rocket or fresh spinach.

Jacket potatoes are McCain frozen as I prefer those and also as I live alone if I get fresh potatoes I’m not a big potato eater so they end up going off before I use them.

I’m sure there’s more I’ve forgotten to say

 

[Leadinglights]

You have a good variety of vegetables there to choose from and they will certainly be cheaper when in season.
I was not keen on the cauliflower rice but added to a stirfry with plenty of seasoning and not overcooked it was OK.
You need to be sure to add enough protein and healthy fats otherwise you will be hungry.
Try shreaded cabbage in your salads instead of lettuce.