my 1st Christmas

[Georgiesgirl]

Hi All,
this will be my 1st Christmas as recently diagnosed with Diabetes 2. I would love some tips /ideas/recommendations on what I can eat. I usually online shop at Tesco and Asda. Look forward to hearing from you 🙂

 

[Vonny]

Hi @Georgiesgirl, it will be the same for me. Christmas dins is ok as I'll just have everything bar the stuffing and the taters, but Christmas Eve (when we go to my dad's) will be a massive problem as it's all buffet food: butties, pizza, sausage rolls, pork pie, crisps etc. My sister will get me some nice cheeses, low carb crackers and celery sticks to nosh on, but it will be hard resisting the other stuff which I've avoided since April.

You'll need to check the carb content of anything you order. I imagine christmas pud is out of bounds, so maybe you could have something like berries and double cream (zero carbs for the cream) as your dessert. You can google the carb content of everything you fancy ordering...you may be surprised at how much you can get away with.

My biggest disappointment will be on Boxing Day. No bubble & squeak for me this year though I may try doing a non potato version with the left-over veg. Also, it's the only day of the year I normally eat sweet things. Lying on the sofa in front of a roaring fire drinking coffee and stuffing quality street down my throat. Sigh, happy days.

Will you be cooking for non-diabetics as well? I think that's probably the hardest bit, which is where Mr Google comes in so handy for what you can share with the non-diabetics and what you have to forego.

 

[Georgiesgirl]

Hi @Georgiesgirl, it will be the same for me. Christmas dins is ok as I'll just have everything bar the stuffing and the taters, but Christmas Eve (when we go to my dad's) will be a massive problem as it's all buffet food: butties, pizza, sausage rolls, pork pie, crisps etc. My sister will get me some nice cheeses, low carb crackers and celery sticks to nosh on, but it will be hard resisting the other stuff which I've avoided since April.

You'll need to check the carb content of anything you order. I imagine christmas pud is out of bounds, so maybe you could have something like berries and double cream (zero carbs for the cream) as your dessert. You can google the carb content of everything you fancy ordering...you may be surprised at how much you can get away with.

My biggest disappointment will be on Boxing Day. No bubble & squeak for me this year though I may try doing a non potato version with the left-over veg. Also, it's the only day of the year I normally eat sweet things. Lying on the sofa in front of a roaring fire drinking coffee and stuffing quality street down my throat. Sigh, happy days.

Will you be cooking for non-diabetics as well? I think that's probably the hardest bit, which is where Mr Google comes in so handy for what you can share with the non-diabetics and what you have to forego.

Hi @Georgiesgirl, it will be the same for me. Christmas dins is ok as I'll just have everything bar the stuffing and the taters, but Christmas Eve (when we go to my dad's) will be a massive problem as it's all buffet food: butties, pizza, sausage rolls, pork pie, crisps etc. My sister will get me some nice cheeses, low carb crackers and celery sticks to nosh on, but it will be hard resisting the other stuff which I've avoided since April.

You'll need to check the carb content of anything you order. I imagine christmas pud is out of bounds, so maybe you could have something like berries and double cream (zero carbs for the cream) as your dessert. You can google the carb content of everything you fancy ordering...you may be surprised at how much you can get away with.

My biggest disappointment will be on Boxing Day. No bubble & squeak for me this year though I may try doing a non potato version with the left-over veg. Also, it's the only day of the year I normally eat sweet things. Lying on the sofa in front of a roaring fire drinking coffee and stuffing quality street down my throat. Sigh, happy days.

Will you be cooking for non-diabetics as well? I think that's probably the hardest bit, which is where Mr Google comes in so handy for what you can share with the non-diabetics and what you have to forego.

hiya Vonny,
thanks for your reply. Yes, it is different this year, however, not as bad as I thought! I checked out the carb contents on the supermarket websites and with some awareness I think the festive food won't be as boring as I expected ! All the best 🙂

 

[Kaylz]

I know I'm Type 1 but Christmas day and New Years day are the 2 days of the year I allow myself a little extra carbs (recovering from an eating disorder) but for dinner I'll have loads of turkey and bacon that's been covering it, a thick wadge of Tesco Finest Sausage Meat (basically 0 carb) with some roasted brussel sprouts, boiled baby potatoes and some gravy, I then have pudding (only time I do pudding) which will be a nice thick chunk of Tesco Double Chocolate Yule Log (frozen) which if I remember correctly is around 23g carbs so my total for the meal is usually about 50g carbs xx

 

[Drummer]

I find that I can eat cauliflower, celeriac, swede or turnip, courgette and aubergine to replace potatoes in various ways - even bubble and squeak with boiled until soft swede, mashed - though I find that when mashed with cream and served up after sitting in a dish in a warm oven there just aren't any leftovers - the same with cauliflower, though made into cauliflower cheese with cheese cheese and more cheese rather than messing around with making a flour roux it is worthy of an entire meal rather than being just another vege.

 

[Drummer]

Why not make your own Turkish Delight?
The sort which is gelatine, flavoured with rose water or lemon juice and coloured pink or yellow is easy - though I do mint, and colour it green - you just need a bag of gelatine to experiment with getting the right consistency and some sweetener. You can cheat with a pack of sugar free jelly and a big spoonful of gelatine mixed in, keeping the bowl warm over a pan of water to ensure it dissolves. I use an old Army mess tin for setting it, just dip into warm water to get it to loosen its grip, then a sharp knife to slice it into cubes or what my grandmother used to call 'slips' - if you remember victory V lozenges, those are small slips.

 

[Browser]

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Boxing Day was always turkey & chips, so although I don't eat chips anymore I might take the opportunity to make some celeriac chips for the first time. We have a recipe somewhere.
Martin

I recently mentioned in another post, a really tasty savoury accompaniment. Cauliflower or celeriac steaks or chunks or chips. Lightly coat with olive oil, sprinkle with a few crushed walnuts, caraway and/or fennel seeds, a few crushed chillis and a final drizzle of sesame oil. Bake in a hot oven for about half an hour. I think this would go well with turkey.

 

[Browser]

We're having gammon steaks for tea tonight and everyone else will be having chips or fries, so this lunchtime I had a trial run making celeriac chips. The recipes I found said to boil them for 2 or 3 minutes and then coat them with paprika or curry powder but I just tossed them in a bowl of olive oil, sea salt and black pepper before popping them in the oven. They came out fine but could probably have done with a bit longer to crisp them up a bit, but at least I can look forward to having some with my gammon steak later. Normally I would have had cauli mash so it will make a nice change.

Martin

The only downside I’ve found with roasting celeriac is getting a really good outer ‘crisp’. I’ve never tried frying them in deep oil.