Open debate on Marmite

[Manny1964]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve just been diagnosed with type 1, so I’m doing lots of ‘can diabetics eat….?’ reading.

Just thought I’d re-open a past debate on Marmite, my best ever sandwich is, peanut butter, marmite and banana on toasted granary without butter. Is this ok?

 

[barrym]

Hmm, you might want to check out the banana. The granary is probably just as bad. The rest are fine, and I wouldn’t skip the butter!

 

[rebrascora]

Hi Manny and welcome to the forum.

As a Type 1 diabetic you can pretty much eat anything you like. The key thing is balancing your insulin doses with the food you eat to keep your levels in range.
So the bread and the banana will need insulin because they both contain carbs..... Probably about 15-20g carbs per slice of bread and maybe about 20g carbs for a whole banana.
Marmite's carb content will be negligible and generally you only have a tiny amount of it anyway, so nothing to worry about with that at all.
Butter is also pretty much carb free.
Peanut butter has a few carbs depending upon the brand.... Some have added sugar and peanuts contain a few carbs themselves, but unless you are using a lot of peanut butter in your sandwich I would not worry about counting it.

So really just the bread and banana to count to work out your insulin dose for that sandwich.

 

[Inka]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve just been diagnosed with type 1, so I’m doing lots of ‘can diabetics eat….?’ reading.

Just thought I’d re-open a past debate on Marmite, my best ever sandwich is, peanut butter, marmite and banana on toasted granary without butter. Is this ok?

Type 1s can eat a normal diet. The only thing I was told to avoid was sugary drinks - unless treating a hypo or having before exercise, etc.

So yes, you can eat your sandwich - and potatoes, pasta, rice, chocolate, fruit, and so on. However, you now have to think and plan a bit more because you’re doing the job of a pancreas. You’ll need to count the carbs and bolus the correct amount of insulin for you, taking into account your mealtime ratio, current blood sugar and what you’re about to do.

My favourite sandwiches are peanut butter, strawberry jam and chip shop chips (sounds strange but tastes yummy); Boursin, avocado and jalapeños; Brie and grape; smoked salmon and cream cheese; and good old cheese and tomato.

 

[Manny1964]

Type 1s can eat a normal diet. The only thing I was told to avoid was sugary drinks - unless treating a hypo or having before exercise, etc.

So yes, you can eat your sandwich - and potatoes, pasta, rice, chocolate, fruit, and so on. However, you now have to think and plan a bit more because you’re doing the job of a pancreas. You’ll need to count the carbs and bolus the correct amount of insulin for you, taking into account your mealtime ratio, current blood sugar and what you’re about to do.

My favourite sandwiches are peanut butter, strawberry jam and chip shop chips (sounds strange but tastes yummy); Boursin, avocado and jalapeños; Brie and grape; smoked salmon and cream cheese; and good old cheese and tomato.

Funnily enough, I quite like the low carb diet anyway, white carbs upset my stomach and bloat me. I never eat cakes and I’m not a lover of chocolate either. So I’m not finding it that hard, just didn’t realise how much sugar was in potato. Can you recommend a blood sugar tester? I haven’t even seen the nurse yet.

 

[Manny1964]

Type 1s can eat a normal diet. The only thing I was told to avoid was sugary drinks - unless treating a hypo or having before exercise, etc.

So yes, you can eat your sandwich - and potatoes, pasta, rice, chocolate, fruit, and so on. However, you now have to think and plan a bit more because you’re doing the job of a pancreas. You’ll need to count the carbs and bolus the correct amount of insulin for you, taking into account your mealtime ratio, current blood sugar and what you’re about to do.

My favourite sandwiches are peanut butter, strawberry jam and chip shop chips (sounds strange but tastes yummy); Boursin, avocado and jalapeños; Brie and grape; smoked salmon and cream cheese; and good old cheese and tomato.

I like all your sandwiches, not tried chips with peanut butter though (yet !)

 

[Inka]

There’s no sugar in potato - but there are carbs, of course. I prefer sweet potatoes but do eat white ones too. My pasta is whole meal and my rice is brown, as is my bread and my flour. You can eat a healthy diet and include whole grains, pulses, fruit, etc 🙂 Type 1 is controlled by insulin rather than diet. Type 2 is a very different condition and has different needs. Most of the ‘diabetic diet’ things you see are aimed at Type 2s, particularly those who are diet-only.

 

[Inka]

I like all your sandwiches, not tried chips with peanut butter though (yet !)

Try it - sounds mad but is really nice. I think it’s the salty chips and the soft chippy texture that makes it. I don’t remember where I saw/heard the idea, and I first made it only as a joke, but then realised how nice it was

 

[Leadinglights]

Funnily enough, I quite like the low carb diet anyway, white carbs upset my stomach and bloat me. I never eat cakes and I’m not a lover of chocolate either. So I’m not finding it that hard, just didn’t realise how much sugar was in potato. Can you recommend a blood sugar tester? I haven’t even seen the nurse yet.

A blood glucose monitor should be prescribed by your surgery or diabetic clinic, you should have been given one on diagnosis otherwise you are flying blind.
You need to think of things in terms of CARBOHYDRATE content not just sugar.

What insulin have you been started on and what regime. Have you been given any guidance on amount of carbs you should have for the insulin you are taking and also on hypo treatment.
It sounds as if you have been left to your own devices if you have not yet seen your DSN, you need that asap to be safe.

 

[rebrascora]

Funnily enough, I quite like the low carb diet anyway, white carbs upset my stomach and bloat me. I never eat cakes and I’m not a lover of chocolate either. So I’m not finding it that hard, just didn’t realise how much sugar was in potato. Can you recommend a blood sugar tester? I haven’t even seen the nurse yet.

There is very little "sugar" in potato. It is mostly starch. Both sugars and starches are carbohydrates and are broken down into glucose by your digestive system. The glucose is what the cells of your body use for energy. Bread is also mostly starch like potatoes. Neither are bad foods but if you are Type 2 and trying to manage your diabetes through diet, then potatoes and bread and indeed bananas (which do in fact contain sugar) need to be restricted/rationed or mostly avoided. If you are Type 1 as your profile suggests, then these foods can be eaten whenever you like as part of a balanced diet and not restricted providing you inject the correct dose of insulin to cover them.

Can you tell us a bit about how your diabetes diagnosis came about and what if any medication you have been started on?

If you are Type 1 then you will be supplied with a BG meter and test strips on prescription and you should also get a sensor which is applied to your arm usually to be scanned.

 

[helli]

Funnily enough, I quite like the low carb diet anyway, white carbs upset my stomach and bloat me. I never eat cakes and I’m not a lover of chocolate either. So I’m not finding it that hard, just didn’t realise how much sugar was in potato. Can you recommend a blood sugar tester? I haven’t even seen the nurse yet.

Welcome to the forum @Manny1964
I am confused by your comment that you have not seen the nurse yet despite having a Type 1 diagnosis.
Untreated Type 1 diabetes can become fatal pretty quickly: you need insulin and blood glucose meter as soon as you have your diagnosis.
As other have mentioned, treating Type 1 is unrelated to managing your diet: it is about matching your insulin to the food you eat. Some people chose to eat a lower carb diet to minimise the insulin (and the errors they make with calculating their dose) but many of us eat a "normal" healthy diet.
I would not recommend a very low carb diet because this can make insulin dosage more complicated.
When reading all the "what diabetics can eat", remember Type 1 and type 2 are very different conditions that are treated differently and, as it is the most common, most of the articles you read are directed to people with type 2.

But I digress - if you have a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, please push very hard to see a nurse or doctor for treatment as soon as possible. This is not something you (or your surgery) should delay.

 

[nonethewiser]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve just been diagnosed with type 1, so I’m doing lots of ‘can diabetics eat….?’ reading.

Just thought I’d re-open a past debate on Marmite, my best ever sandwich is, peanut butter, marmite and banana on toasted granary without butter. Is this ok?

Looks good to me, personally I'd still spread it with fresh butter.

Love marmite, fav is marmite & cheese sandwich, at home prefer seeded bread toasted when making sarnie.

Got good deal in Greggs this morning, £2.10 for bacon butty but for £2.50 you could get any hot drink with it,not bad value at all & butty was good.

 

[Inka]

In all the chip butty excitement, I forgot to ask what insulins you’re on @Manny1964 Are you on fixed doses at the moment?

 

[Tdm]

Re meters, i have a finetest. But meter should be provided free. Best to stick to one type as if you are low and a bit confused you need something you can use without too much thought. You should be provided with one. And get a spare too. Asap, really.
You also need a way to test ketones.

 

[EmmaL76]

Just so I’ve got this right… you like peanut butter and marmite together and don’t like chocolate and cake ? You got a head start on us lot then

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Try it - sounds mad but is really nice.

Reminds me that I saw that Christmas cake and cheese suggestion again recently.

Not been tempted to try that yet! I like them too much on their own to risk the combination (even though I guess that means I’d probably like it!)

 

[Leadinglights]

Reminds me that I saw that Christmas cake and cheese suggestion again recently.

Not been tempted to try that yet! I like them too much on their own to risk the combination (even though I guess that means I’d probably like it!)

If you were from Lancashire then you had to have a chunk of crumbly Lancashire cheese with your Xmas cake, nectar of the Gods.

 

[Drummer]

Reminds me that I saw that Christmas cake and cheese suggestion again recently.

Not been tempted to try that yet! I like them too much on their own to risk the combination (even though I guess that means I’d probably like it!)

Christmas cake and a crumbly white cheese are a common combination in Yorkshire.

 

[gll]

I was expecting a full on marmite debate here. Am disappointed a fight hasn't broken out yet

Not much to say that hasn't been said already in relation to the main question. Jab and eat what you want (even if it all sounds plain weird and gross). if you find a nemesis food, ask on the forums how folks deal with it (mine is pasta).

 

[Leadinglights]

You can buy combined marmite and peanut butter but it just seems as easy to spread a bit of both onto whatever you choose to have it on.
I like marmite and tomato, it always has to be Marmite not Bovril.