My first diabetic Christmas is approaching...

[Norman Quill]

Hi! I was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic just after last Christmas. I suspect that I had been diabetic for a little while (but without all the symptoms), but it was last Christmas probably that tipped the balance (who knew that going for a massive pee every hour was a symptom of diabetes? Well, I do now...)

Anyway, I am doing my best to plan my meals in advance, and as a result my sugar and cholesterol levels are at a good level, and I have lost a lot of weight.

Anyway, it is less than a month to Christmas, and I want to still enjoy it with as much of the usual trimmings, BUT... I am all to aware of how easy it is to slip up, go overboard and as a result have far too many trips to the toilet.

So I thought I would ask the question now about what I can and can't have for Christmas. For example, is it possible to have a diabetic friendly Christmas pud with custard or cream? Are there any in the shops I could buy? Or do I need to make one? And what about some nice sauces to go with the turkey? And would it matter if I put rashers of bacon on my turkey whilst it is cooking?

I should point out that I live alone, I can cook, but I'm not that great a cook.

Also, would a glass of wine be alright? I don't mind if I don't have any (I rarely drink), but I do like to have at least one glass of wine a year.

So please, could you suggest what I can do to ensure that my meal at least resembles in part a traditional turkey meal with all the trimmings?

Many thanks in advance,

Norman

 

[Sally W]

https://www.everydaysugarfree.co.uk/single-post/2017/12/12/Low-Carb-Christmas-Pudding---Slow-Cooker

Above is Christmas pudding recipe I make now. I make a few small puddings in individual pots and freeze them for just me. I also make her cranberry sauce recipe too. Buying in supermarkets is tricky & ive not seen suitable Christmas pudding or mince pie in the supermarkets. For Christmas Day itself I tend to eat whatever I fancy as it’s just one day. But after that I go to my recipes just to ensure old habits don’t slip back.

 

[SueEK]

Hi Norman, this will be my first Christmas too. We are going out for the very first time and funnily enough was discussing the menu with the restaurant this afternoon. I’m a very fussy eater at the best of times so I am quite limited but will simply enjoy the things I do like. I will definitely be having a few drinks,after all it is Christmas and I think we should all enjoy one day so I would say go ahead and have the Christmas pud but just don’t have a massive portion. As for the sausages and bacon they are absolutely fine to have at any time.
If I go a bit overboard one day I am just particularly careful the next few days. We have to live with this every day so the occasional treat should not, in my opinion, be a sin.
ENJOY xx

 

[Ljc]

Before I went onto insulin, on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, my birthday etc though I never went overboard I had a little of everything naughty that I wanted , then I went back to my low carbohydrate normal fat diet.

Cream is usually fine for us.
I go for high meat content sausages as they are low carb but all meat is fine and a wee drink or two depending on medications, is ok too .
I’ve just discovered a low calorie low carb lager that I really like, Michelob ultra which I will have ,I’m not keen in wine.

 

[Drummer]

I have had good results eating turkey with roasted veges and a side salad, plus yorkshire puddings made with cream, several eggs and bread flour, then later on a trifle with sugar free jelly, real custard, whipped cream with some berries, and as it is Christmas, a tin of mandarin segments and finely sliced glacé cherries.
I ate this twice on consecutive days and saw under 6mmol/l on the meter, so it would leave room for further excesses.
I was thinking of having blueberries, blackcurrant jelly and cream with grated chocolate this year.
As my son in law is American but had to work on Thanksgiving, I might do one of my cauliflower cheeses to see how he likes it.

 

[rebrascora]

It is my first Christmas since diagnosis too, but I have the luxury of injecting insulin to cover some of the naughties... I will still be being restrained though..

A glass or two of red wine would be a good choice or a dry white.... wine can even lower your BG!
No problem with bacon or sausages... good quality high meat content sausages are best (look for 80% meat or more) as they contain much less rusk (which is carbs) They can both be eaten any time of year. Just go easy on the spuds with your dinner or don't have any potatoes at all (if you are cooking for one, it seems a bit pointless cooking just one or two small pieces of potato) and just have a nice big plate of lovely meat and veg and save your carb allowance for the pudding.
Definitely have cream with your pudding rather than custard or white sauce as it is much lower in carbs. I would probably just buy a small individual pudding from a supermarket and only eat half with cream and maybe have the other half the next day.... I love Boxing Day leftovers better than Christmas Dinner! No Boxing Day chips for me this year though!

 

[zoombapup]

Here's a suggestion. Buy yourself a bloody great slab of meat or salmon. Cook it for xmas day, but stick whatever is left in the fridge for the following days. That way you can eat it until happy on xmas day. I'm thinking of having a whole bunch of my favourite prawns in various different ways. They do some vietnamese raw prawns (which are massive) in Asda, so likely go for some of those and a whole salmon. Roast some veggies in the oven along with the salmon, pan fry the prawns in some butter. Won't need a pud after all that. I might even make some cauliflower "mash" to go with it. Even get fancy and use a piping bag for a little extra posh-ness. Oh and maybe buy some chicken thighs and roast those the day before and use the bones for gravy making and have some turkey breast on boxing day.

I really don't know if its worth worrying about it for one day. I'm just using it as an excuse to go mad with the meat/fish budget.

 

[emmgeo]

This will be my first Christmas as a Diabetic, but to be honest I am going to eat what I like as I don't think one day is going to do much damage.

 

[Drummer]

I have half a salmon in the freezer, plus all sorts of meat - my daughter will probably have a turkey crown and my son a turkey so I'll probably be in want of something different after the first two days of Christmas.
We used to have beef for Boxing day, and cook a pork joint for Christmas Eve the day before when I was at home.
With real custard and low carb trifle, roasted veges, Yorkshire puddings made with cream, I have not found my choices for Christmas all that restricted even with lower carb options. There was a Christmas pudding one year - but I suspect it was not eaten until around Valentines Day

 

[zoombapup]

Yorkshire puds made with cream? do tell.. still using wheat flour?

 

[Drummer]

Yes - I was going to experiment with other flours but got a reading of 5.6mmol/l after having two Christmas dinners on consecutive days so I thought - good enough...
unfortunately I do not have the recipe I use written down - it is one of those recipes which have developed over time.
I pour half a pint of cold water into a blender and add 4 half cups (American) of bread flour one at a time and mix until smooth. If too thick to mix in the 4th lot, add a little extra cold water, just enough to get the flour to mix. Scrape down the sides of the goblet to ensure all the flour is mixed in. Add two large or three smaller eggs and pulse to mix, then a splodge of cream - pulse to mix. If you put salt in your cooking, add a small pinch now. This should make about a pint of batter.
Leave it to stand whilst the oven is heating up to its highest temperature - about 220 or 230 degrees C. Take a tin with 6 muffin sized or 12 cupcake or 18 small cups - able to take one pint easily, and add a little lard or tallow to each one, larger or smaller according to its size. Leave in the oven to attain temperature - the fat should be 'plinking'. The tin should be on a shelf about half way up the oven.

Pulse the blender a few times so there are bubbles in the thick creamy batter. Turn off the oven, open the door with the blender ready in one hand, then support the shelf as you draw it out using an oven glove or multiple folds of a dry tea towel. Pour the batter into each cup in one go, about 90 percent full, including the molten fat. Work quickly. Slide the shelf and the full tray into the oven smoothly, close the door gently, turn on the oven and reduce the temperature to 200 degrees C. Cook until a mid to deep golden brown - this depends on the size of the tins, but to check, do not open the oven door more than a tiny crack and not at all for ten minutes. When done turn off the oven, draw out the tray and lift each pudding, turn it over and replace in the warm oven for about five minutes then serve them forth, or you can make them beforehand and keep them in a closed container overnight, so they don't dry out then replace in the oven to warm up just before serving.

 

[zoombapup]

Thanks for that, I'll give it a try. I'm getting a few different types of flour for christmas anyway (almond, coconut etc). Interestingly I found coconut flour in the local asda for £3.50, so might get some more of that.

Might try toad in the hole 🙂

 

[bakebeans]

I’m going to say that I’m going to whatever i want as it’s one day but I know I won’t. I’ll just pick at little bits, maybe a road potato. I’m looking forward to Christmas tea now I was dreading it but I’m going to have lots of salad and cold meats and maybe even a sausage roll or 2

 

[zoombapup]

Not sure I like the sound of a road potato 😛 But I reckon I'll just have a ton of different meats on hand and roast some various veg and have meat and 3 veg or something. Maybe stuff one meat inside another for fun. Also that Yorkshire pud recipe sounds nice.

 

[bakebeans]

Not sure I like the sound of a road potato 😛 But I reckon I'll just have a ton of different meats on hand and roast some various veg and have meat and 3 veg or something. Maybe stuff one meat inside another for fun. Also that Yorkshire pud recipe sounds nice.

Road potato is the new in thing! Lol

 

[Laconic]

I’d really like a tub of quality street, but I suppose there out of bounds for me

 

[zoombapup]

I’d really like a tub of quality street, but I suppose there out of bounds for me

I should hope so 🙂

 

[Browser]

Yes - I was going to experiment with other flours but got a reading of 5.6mmol/l after having two Christmas dinners on consecutive days so I thought - good enough...
unfortunately I do not have the recipe I use written down - it is one of those recipes which have developed over time.
I pour half a pint of cold water into a blender and add 4 half cups (American) of bread flour one at a time and mix until smooth. If too thick to mix in the 4th lot, add a little extra cold water, just enough to get the flour to mix. Scrape down the sides of the goblet to ensure all the flour is mixed in. Add two large or three smaller eggs and pulse to mix, then a splodge of cream - pulse to mix. If you put salt in your cooking, add a small pinch now. This should make about a pint of batter.
Leave it to stand whilst the oven is heating up to its highest temperature - about 220 or 230 degrees C. Take a tin with 6 muffin sized or 12 cupcake or 18 small cups - able to take one pint easily, and add a little lard or tallow to each one, larger or smaller according to its size. Leave in the oven to attain temperature - the fat should be 'plinking'. The tin should be on a shelf about half way up the oven.

Pulse the blender a few times so there are bubbles in the thick creamy batter. Turn off the oven, open the door with the blender ready in one hand, then support the shelf as you draw it out using an oven glove or multiple folds of a dry tea towel. Pour the batter into each cup in one go, about 90 percent full, including the molten fat. Work quickly. Slide the shelf and the full tray into the oven smoothly, close the door gently, turn on the oven and reduce the temperature to 200 degrees C. Cook until a mid to deep golden brown - this depends on the size of the tins, but to check, do not open the oven door more than a tiny crack and not at all for ten minutes. When done turn off the oven, draw out the tray and lift each pudding, turn it over and replace in the warm oven for about five minutes then serve them forth, or you can make them beforehand and keep them in a closed container overnight, so they don't dry out then replace in the oven to warm up just before serving.

I haven’t tried this yet but must congratulate you, Drummer, on your fantastically detailed instructions. They deserve success. ;-)