Diabetes Diet?
Asked by
Skippy (
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March 5th, 2009
Hubby is pre-Type II Diabetic, and I need to learn to buy groceries and cook healthier.
He is a construction worker, so he packs his lunch daily. For the past couple of weeks, I have been providing him crap meat with a small amount of Cocktail sauce and lemon for his main lunch…
Can you share what you have found that works.
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13 Answers
Crap meat? I’m hoping you mean crab meat!
You could also go to a nutritionist. I found that extremely helpful when I had Gestational Diabetes. They will work with you to plan meals and snacks around the foods you like, and the way you eat.
Thanx 30 years of cooking one way, now I have to change.
Oh my, it’s going to be an eye opener
I’m type 2 diabetic and the South Beach Diet was a godsend. I lost weight and my blood sugars went back to normal. All medications stopped.
There is no longer a “Diabetic Diet” If you can afford it or if your insurance covers it see about taking a Diabetes Education Course. It will also include sessions with a nutritionist too. Also to be honest with you things like Cocktail Sauce and Ketchup are not good for the diabetic diet. The store brands all contain High Fructose Corn Syrup. Baaad for the blood sugar, and contributes to insulin resistance. That is basically what your husband has. Try to stick to whole grains for breads, and cereals. Try using a good fresh salsa to replace things like ketchup, and dressings. At one time I was able to get a book called the Diabetic Bible. It contained everything that I learned from my $250 Diabetic education class. If you can find that book it is well worth it, and it even has recipes.
He needs to watch his carbs. If you and he have not done so, you should go together for a consultation with a dietitian.
It is not just what he eats, but how he eats that matters to maintaining a level blood sugar (which is his goal).
For example, if he is OK with it, five small meals are better than three large ones (that is a hard adjustment.)
Snacks need to include protein. So, for example, if he would normally snack on a handful of crackers, he should add a few slices of cheese or a couple of Tablespoons of peanut butter. When you buy the crackers, look at the carb count. Mini Stone Wheat and Original Wheat Thins are two that come a little less than one gram of carb a cracker.
Another great snack is a handful of nuts. Best? walnuts, almonds, peanuts.
Fruits and desserts should be eaten with meals. That way, they have less impact on blood sugar.
If possible, he should avoid eating after dinner.
Look for a lower carb count bread. If you look at all-natural breads with whole grains and no high fructose corn syrup, you can get fairly low. Ours is 8 grams a slice.
Your new best friend as a cook is Dreamfields Pasta. It has five grams of digestible carbs per serving and is absolutely indistinguishable from other pastas in taste. You can find it at grocery stores or Walmart.
PM me if you have other questions or want to talk more.
@Skippy I find the hardest thing is portion control. If you would normally eat a sandwich for lunch, it is better to have half at noon and the other half at 3. The thing is to avoid the glucose spikes from larger meals. A benefit of the smaller more frequent meals will encourage you to skip second helpings.
You’ll be surprised how little your cooking habits will change. Do you like pasta? The low carb, high fiber pastas taste just the same as regular. It is a matter of becoming a label reader. When cooking with cheese, use lower fat options. Also look at salt substitutes and generally use less sodium.
If you are both eating the appropriate number of calories, with these little tweaks ‘diabetic’ cooking will soon become second nature.
Thanx so much everyone for your insite. We see the Endro again on April 1 after a Thyroid biopsy on the 16th to rule out a different problem there.
I look forward to trying Dreamfields pasta, and picking up on some lower fat cheeses and salt sub’s. Good advise on the crackers. He loves to have crackers in his lunchbox, and the wheat thins are a great option!
I’ll keep you all posted!
K
I am there, myself. My best experience was with a dietitian referred by my doctor. She asked me what I liked, and what I currently eat, then supplied me with a list of suggestions based on my own likes and preferences. I suggest you ask his doctor to refer you to a diabetic dietitian and work from there.
Try to pack him vegetable stuff (salad or other dishes prepared with olive oil); whole grain pasta with sauce and olive oil; or any boiled lean meat (best breast chicken); provide to him fruits to eat as snacks (or almonds or other nuts). By the way, water is the best drinking option. Hope the following link can help:
http://www.all-about-beating-diabetes.com/diabetic-meal-plan.html
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