Christmas and snacks/treats in general

[Natalie S]

Hi everyone

I'd first like to introduce myself as a parent of a newly diagnosed T1 son, he is 13 years old.
I probably have loads of questions to ask as I go along but for now I have one.
Visiting relatives where their teenage kids just go and raid the food cupboard whenever they want, even an hour just after lunch, but in general as kids normally do! I feel really really bad for my son who can't just do that. I feel for him so bad. How do you all deal with this kind of thing? first question of probably of many.
#broken hearted mum

 

[azure]

Welcome, Natalie Sorry about your son's diagnosis. Diabetes is hard and it must be difficult for him feeling different rom his friends.

I'm an adult withnType 1. I tend to snack on non-carb things eg an extra slice of turkey after lunch, or a chunk of nice cheese. A few nuts don't have too much of an effect on my blood sugar either.

Is the any particular Christmas treat your son likes? Or is it more just the fact he can't get up and eat what he wants when he wants?

What insulin regime is your son in? Have you talked to his DSN about snacking? How is his blood sugar control?

 

[Natalie S]

Welcome, Natalie Sorry about your son's diagnosis. Diabetes is hard and it must be difficult for him feeling different rom his friends.

I'm an adult withnType 1. I tend to snack on non-carb things eg an extra slice of turkey after lunch, or a chunk of nice cheese. A few nuts don't have too much of an effect on my blood sugar either.

Is the any particular Christmas treat your son likes? Or is it more just the fact he can't get up and eat what he wants when he wants?

What insulin regime is your son in? Have you talked to his DSN about snacking? How is his blood sugar control?

 

[Natalie S]

hya yes I have spoken to our team. they all seem to think hed be happy snacking on peppers and carrot sticks. NOT HAPPENING .. I mean we know he cant have like he used to have but he doesnt want to eat raw peppers and carrot sticks as a snack either I think hed rather not have ANYTHING than that. I just feel so bad for him and I find myself buying all sorts of snacks that he can eat EG a mix of garlic sausage and then it gets thrown in the bin cos he doesnt eat it. Maybe I'm over thinking the snack thing i DONT KNOW.

 

[azure]

No, raw carrots aren't much of a snack You could ask his DSN about taking insulin to cover carby snacks. I do that if I want a few crisps or similar.

Does he like cheese? There are some little snack cube cheeses he could have maybe. Or a lower carb cracker with a nice topping - beef slices, turkey and relish, cream cheese? If you eat the same as him he might not feel so deprived.

Has he given you any ideas of the kind of thing he'd like to snack on? Is there anything in particular you think he'll miss? I eat most Christmas things but some are smaller portions eg fruit cake as its high carb.

Yes, it'll be harder when he visits other people's houses over Christmas. Could you check in advance what kind of things they'll have there?

I feel sorry for him. Christmas can be a hard time when you're newly diagnosed because it makes you think about previous times when you could eat loads. Obviously, he has to think and plan a bit now, but there's no reason why he can't enjoy nice food too.

 

[Redsnapper]

Hi there I am type 2 and follow a low carb high fat regime.However low carb snacks may be useful as they effect blood sugar levels to a lesser degree.
I snack on cheese,try to have a wide variety.Nuts especially walnuts,almonds and cashew nuts,gotta be careful with cashews tho.Pate all types inc mushroom and fish pates,cold meats and salami,or different pepperami style sausages.Hard boiled eggs on hand are good,great for home made egg mayo, or just scoff em!
Pork scratchings and beef jerky are good too.
Pre made tubs of prawn cocktail or sandwich fillers like coronation chicken,tuna mayo can be good just check the carb content some are quite low per 100g get stuck in with a spoon or carrot/cucumber batons (cucumber batons surprisingly good with pate too).
There is a recipe here for a keto pizza,look for fat face pizza recipe.It is pretty good.It uses grated mozarella,cream cheese and almond flour to make a decent pizza base.Then you could customise any pizza to his tastes.
Incidentally I can tolerate KFC original chicken as the only carb involved is the flour on the coating.Maybe you could try 2-3 pieces obviously no bun,fries or sugar laden dips/sauces, and be very clear to get a diet drink.I don't know any teenagers who don't like a KFC.
Finally Lidl do a high protein roll which is a pretty low carb bread.It's filling,makes great toast ,and can be sliced up and baked for low carb crackers.
I know these are probably more suited to a diet controlled type 2 but I have two daughters around this age and every time I walk in the kitchen at least one of them seems to be looking in the fridge!!!
I hope this helps.

 

[Dave...]

Hi Natalie. Sorry to hear about your son's diagnosis. I was only diagnosed with Type 1 earlier this year, just before my 40th birthday. I don't write much on the forum, but this struck a chord with me as I've always loved snacking, but it doesn't go well with this condition. I've found that I can't raid the biscuit tin or cereal cupboard anymore without having to administer more insulin... As others have said, pistachio nuts are ok (subject to allergies etc..), but I don't get anything out of snacking on cheese or meat, and these can have other diet related issues depending on quantity. To keep blood sugars as stable as possible I don't really snack anymore, but I know I would find this impossible to convince my 13 year old self, who could easily have polished off a pack of milk chocolate digestives... The only option I've found is to massively reduce a snack portion to under 10g of carbs, as my background insulin can 'mop this up', so I don't require fast acting insulin - as you will be told everyone's condition is different and carb to insulin ratios vary accordingly. I also break food up into ridiculously small pieces, even out of a single block of dark chocolate - just so it lasts longer (but it is only about 5g of carbs in total). Sorry if this isn't much help, but I'm struggling to find a good solution myself. Hope your son gets on ok. All the best.

 

[Sucre Bleu]

How about some popcorn, you can pop it yourself then you are in control of toppings etc, some salt, maybe parmesan cheese etc, most kids love it, and he wont feel out of place with a group of buddys watching a movie with a glass of diet coke or pepsimax

 

[Penfold_Dad]

This is a good thread. My daughter is in the same boat. We gave her some chocolate after her meal the other day and accommodate it in the carb counting and she was fine, the spike didn't seem to happen but I'm guessing that was the food slowing it down. It seems from my limited knowledge that the pump may be a good solution as snacking becomes easier to administer insulin for. We have just been offered an Omnipod which looks pretty cool, we seem to be getting it right with injections so I'm reluctant to change anything immediately

 

[ewelina]

its really difficult with snacking, especially at Christmas time when there are so many tasty things around. I can hardly resist, not sure if a child can! I would suggest to prepare a small hamper bag with various snacks of his choice, carb count the whole thing and let him have it. If the other children would have the same kind of bag, that would make it even easier.
If he wont be very keen on eating proper meals I would let him skip it and have his snacks instead. His blood readings wont be great I suppose, but once a year is not a big disaster.
if he likes cakes, bake something low carb from my blog (link below). it still needs some insulin but wont give him a massive spike. Test more often and correct when necessary or get the children out to play (works better than insulin!)
Happy Christmas

 

[Mrs Vimes]

Hi Natalie S, I'm a member of the TYPEONEGRIT Facebook page. They follow lchp diet for their type 1 kids.
They also post lots of lc snacks that they bake using alternatives to flour as they don't want them to miss out. (Strange that kids don't want to snack on peppers and stuff?)
Might be worth a look?

 

[Natalie S]

thanks alot everybody, been so helpful

 

[Kitkatdrake]

Hi Natalie, my daughter who's 13 was diagnosed on the 22nd January, so very new to us, I'm finding snacks a huge problem as she's hungry a lot of the time and as you say it breaks your heart when you know that they can't snack on what they used to quite so easily, I'm finding it so hard as a parent , she has gone back to school on half days but it just feels a constant worry to me until her levels are stabilised . Feeling tearful everyday with worry x

 

[Natalie S]

Hello there Kitkat
As time goes by you get used to everything and the food regime that you once had is kind of forgotten as the new one kicks in.
I was very teary and anxious when my son was diagnosed! I worried CONSTANTLY, like you I can imagine.
As time goes on you also get used to the blood levels and it doesn't seem to massive as it does at first.
The only advice I can give you at the moment (as I'm still pretty new to this myself too at the mo) is things get better with time and experience and things get more managable and more the norm. I believe me and my son are getting there and I'm sure you and your daughter will to

 

[1Sarah1]

Hi @Kitkatdrake just some morale support here- I was 2 when I was diagnosed type1 and my 2yr old daughter was diagnosed in December. I'm used to having a pretty non carbs spiking diet (ie don't eat sweets, have the odd plain chocolate bar from time to time) but it's really difficult with my 2yr old. Her sugars are constantly high and I am struggling to get them down. I hope you are having good support from your diabetic team. I think as well you have got hormones to deal with which can trigger the body to react in different ways and come through in sugars at 13. I'm still upset about my daughter and I've lived it for 35yrs and know what it's like to manage and count carbs etc. It will hopefully get better in time for us!
Have you looked at what she normally eats and try swapping to something less high in carbs or will she snack on raw carrots/celery maybe?

 

[Kitkatdrake]

Hi everyone, it's so confusing with all the different names for things I don't know what they all are! Haven't got a clue what a omipod is?? Darcey likes cheese so lucky she doesn't mind snacking on that and sugar free jellys but they don't quite fill the hunger gap and I don't want her to have a cholesterol problem as I have high cholesterol myself. She had a small amount of chocolate after dinner and even had pancakes the other day. I think her age with the hormone element makes her levels worse ,

 

[azure]

Hi everyone, it's so confusing with all the different names for things I don't know what they all are! Haven't got a clue what a omipod is?? Darcey likes cheese so lucky she doesn't mind snacking on that and sugar free jellys but they don't quite fill the hunger gap and I don't want her to have a cholesterol problem as I have high cholesterol myself. She had a small amount of chocolate after dinner and even had pancakes the other day. I think her age with the hormone element makes her levels worse ,

An Omnipod is just a kind of insulin pump There's a Pump section here if you want to have a look.

It does get easier. I understand how worried you must be. Personally, I think your child having Type 1 is worse than having it yourself. But month by month you and her will learn more and that knowledge will make things a little easier

 

[SunnyB]

Hello .. Have you discussed a pump with your team? Our little boy is 2 and has been pumping for a few months now and it's made snacking so much easier as you can just bolus for the food as you go .. He is such a foodie so has been a god send as we were finding the injections quite restrictive X