would doing a vegan/vegetarian meal once in a while be good for helping lower the blood sugar levels ? my boyfriend is type 2 and hasn't really been taking care of things and I must admit I haven't been very helpful either, so for the new year I am putting my foot down and making some changes as I do most of the cooking & shopping.
-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
vegan/vegetarian meals
- Thread starter lynze
- Start date
- Status
Matt Cycle
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi Lynze
It's all carbs you, or rather he, needs to be watching. So as well as 'typical' sugary things such as cakes, biscuits etc the starchy carbs such as potatoes, pasta, rice also have to be controlled. Although veggie and vegan diets are typically considered healthier (I would say that I guess because I am one 😉 ) they can feature as many carbs as a meat eaters diet.
It's all carbs you, or rather he, needs to be watching. So as well as 'typical' sugary things such as cakes, biscuits etc the starchy carbs such as potatoes, pasta, rice also have to be controlled. Although veggie and vegan diets are typically considered healthier (I would say that I guess because I am one 😉 ) they can feature as many carbs as a meat eaters diet.
Mini-Vicki
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
I'm a veggie, and I think it can sometimes be more difficult to keep the carbs low as there is a temptation to overload on carbs to compensate for the lack of filling meat!
Meat has no carbs in, so that aspect won't have any real affect on your boyfriend's blood glucose. You need be looking at the amount and type of carbohydrates he is eating.
Northener has a good list of books that explain how to follow a low GI diet, I'm sure he'll be along soon!
Good on you for helping him get on track! Has he been on an education course about type 2? If not, ask the doctor to send him on one. My husband came with me to one, and it helped him understand it too 🙂
Meat has no carbs in, so that aspect won't have any real affect on your boyfriend's blood glucose. You need be looking at the amount and type of carbohydrates he is eating.
Northener has a good list of books that explain how to follow a low GI diet, I'm sure he'll be along soon!
Good on you for helping him get on track! Has he been on an education course about type 2? If not, ask the doctor to send him on one. My husband came with me to one, and it helped him understand it too 🙂
DeusXM
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
As others have alluded to, meat isn't really the deal breaker.
It's about making consistently good choices at every meal. Good choices mean cutting down or eliminating foods that directly affect blood sugar. There's really only one food group that affects blood sugar and that's carbohydrates.
So rather than looking at cutting down on meat, look at how you can cut carbs. Instead of steak with chips or mash, do steak with a big green salad. Instead of rice with your curry or chilli, blend up a head of cauliflower and fry that. Instead of mashed potato, have mashed cauliflower. Have omelettes or boiled eggs for breakfast instead of toast or cereal. Instead of crisps as snacks, try jerky, biltong, nuts, seeds, pork scratching or kale chips.
Avoid low fat foods - they're almost always higher in carbohydrates than the 'real' versions and so are actually a less healthy choice.
Google for low-carb recipes. You don't necessarily need to go the whole hog and start stocking on xanthan gum or almond flour or erythritol or the other weirder and more expensive ingredients but there are plenty or recipes out there that use simple ingredients.
Above all, go for a 'low-CARD' diet i.e. Avoid foods that come in packets or are prepared. Make as much as possible from raw ingredients from scratch.
It's about making consistently good choices at every meal. Good choices mean cutting down or eliminating foods that directly affect blood sugar. There's really only one food group that affects blood sugar and that's carbohydrates.
So rather than looking at cutting down on meat, look at how you can cut carbs. Instead of steak with chips or mash, do steak with a big green salad. Instead of rice with your curry or chilli, blend up a head of cauliflower and fry that. Instead of mashed potato, have mashed cauliflower. Have omelettes or boiled eggs for breakfast instead of toast or cereal. Instead of crisps as snacks, try jerky, biltong, nuts, seeds, pork scratching or kale chips.
Avoid low fat foods - they're almost always higher in carbohydrates than the 'real' versions and so are actually a less healthy choice.
Google for low-carb recipes. You don't necessarily need to go the whole hog and start stocking on xanthan gum or almond flour or erythritol or the other weirder and more expensive ingredients but there are plenty or recipes out there that use simple ingredients.
Above all, go for a 'low-CARD' diet i.e. Avoid foods that come in packets or are prepared. Make as much as possible from raw ingredients from scratch.
Lynn Davies
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Oh DeusXM! You are a God! I had forgotten about cauliflower rice - fried in a bit of oil and butter - yummmmmmmmm
DeusXM
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Also, if you're lazy or don't own a food processor, Tesco now sell 'cauliflower cous-cous' in the prepped veg section, which is exactly the same thing. It's usually on a 3 for 2 offer along with the courgetti and butternut squashetti - I've tried both and the courgette spaghetti is probably the best of the two as a carb-free alternative to pasta or noodles.
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Courgette tagliatelli is better than courgette spag IMHO - pare the courgettes with a normal potato peeler to get thin strips and then virtually dry fry, similar to doing cauliflower 'rice'.
There is a lot to learn about diabetes and all of us are still learning here.
A couple of suggestions, although you do need to include some carbs in the diet you can cut them down. When doing the Sunday roast cut down on potatoes and Yorkshire pudding and have more veg. When making sauce try soya milk to make sauces and custard if everyone is able to tolerate it. It has less carbs than milk and only slightly more fat than skimmed milk. When making custard because we have it with something sweet any way I leave the sugar out of it. No one has ever noticed the lack of sugar.
Whole grains and whole meal things also tend to be lower in carbs too. It is a question of experimenting and working out what you like and what will work.
One of my favourite veggie meals is cauliflower cheese, I make the cheese sauce with soya milk and nearly every one seems to like it.
A couple of suggestions, although you do need to include some carbs in the diet you can cut them down. When doing the Sunday roast cut down on potatoes and Yorkshire pudding and have more veg. When making sauce try soya milk to make sauces and custard if everyone is able to tolerate it. It has less carbs than milk and only slightly more fat than skimmed milk. When making custard because we have it with something sweet any way I leave the sugar out of it. No one has ever noticed the lack of sugar.
Whole grains and whole meal things also tend to be lower in carbs too. It is a question of experimenting and working out what you like and what will work.
One of my favourite veggie meals is cauliflower cheese, I make the cheese sauce with soya milk and nearly every one seems to like it.
- Status