Convenience food

[DCUKMod]

I’ll give it a whirl see if I can change my habits. I just set foot in a supermarket now and go into panic about what I should eat and often walk out empty handed...

I struggle with take aways, which my other half loves to get when he’s had a long day and insists on buying me something. Eating out too. I just never know what to do for the best and I really don’t like green leaves so restaurant salads are usually a no go and tend to leave me feeling hungry.

It’s a total nightmare.

If the supermarket thing stumps you, why not keep a list of options in notes or whatever you use, on your phone? That way, if you have a brain freeze, you have a list of options to look for?

There's often a hot cabinet in these places now, with chicken pieces and the like I need there. There's ready boiled eggs, prawn cocktail (probably!), crispy bacon slices (M&S are best, but most supermarkets do them), mini baby bel, antipasti, charcuterie, various folks speak of protein bars. Think tapas?

If you don't have anywhere to heat food at work, would a food flask work?

 

[zauberflote]

Hi @Nomi ! I am the original pack-your-own-meals gal. I used to do some extended traveling for work, and I was the one who brought the cooler with me. So I really haven’t had any trouble converting that to low-carb options. Others have suggested nuts and single portion cheese for staples in the bag. I’m very fond of a meal of celery sticks plus a low carb tortilla wrapped around almond or peanut butter. That all fits into one of my ancient Rubbermaid containers, 6x4x1.5, which goes into my large bag. No spoon or fork needed! The tortilla is by La Tortilla Factory, which I don’t know to be available in UK. 3 carbs/tortilla of “normal” size. The big ones are a few more.
I have some other more complicated meals which will keep in the car in the winter, but in summertime around here I have to go simpler.
It’s a habit: eat breakfast, prepare the day’s food if going out.
I have never enjoyed nor had the budget for constant meals out, so on that front I have it very easy! On vacation drives, the family meals came from the giant cooler, and only dessert treat came from whatever fuel stop we might be at. Now us parents fly, and I’m the one with my breakfast in a little container to puzzle TSA

 

[DCUKMod]

Oooooh, if you're going to make packed lunches, or dinners, then you could batch cook a load of chicken drummers, or thighs, maybe with different rubs or spices, then wrap individually in foil and lob into the freezer. Similarly with decent quality sausages or chipolatta, or belly pork slices, roasted or cooked in the air fryer. You can batch cook boiled eggs too.

Egg bites, or mini crustless quiches. Portioned frittata. Smoked slamon spread with cream cheese and rolled, like a Rollito.

For the frozen chicken pieces, wrapped in foil, you can even hold the foil whilst you eat, and provided they're frozen individually or in whatever you deem to be a portion size, you can get things out of the freezer in the morning and they'll be defrosted by the time you come to eat them.

 

[nasalu]

What protein bread do you use? I’ve tried looking for low carb bread but I can never find it in the supermarket so I just gave up on bread at home and only have it in instances like fast/convenience food.
My other problem is that a sandwich will leave me feeling hungry. And that’s when I’m more likely to eat something bad for me. I think I just need to get more organised!

This is the one I eat at the moment. Here in Germany we can buy this type of bread in almost all supermarkets.

 

[TriciaWs]

Some good suggestions here about lunches when you can plan ahead.
I' ve had two lunches in the past 2 weeks when they forgot to order my low carb option (just salad greens with ham and cheese). I took two sandwiches, scrapped the contents of one into the other and ate it as an open sandwich = half a slice of bread. I also took most of the salad garnish from one tray!
Usually I take eggy muffins with me if I don't expect them to have catered for me - beat eggs with herbs and black pepper and pour over grated cheese in bun tins, bake for about 12-15 mins.

Going somewhere I expect everyone to be eating cake I'd take a couple of squares of 85% choc or a 'no added sugar' biscuit.
And for dinner on days i don't want to cook I have a ready made indian curry (several are under 10g a portion) served with cauliflower rice (from freezer) with a ready made green salad or microwaved individual pack of green beans plus spinach.

 

[PenguinMum]

@Nomi it can be a bit bewildering until you get used to it. As mentioned M&S has a great deli section as already mentioned. I always buy packs of cooked chicken thighs in Sainsburys or Waitrose as freeze them individually so if I always have something to grab if I am going out for the day. Then you just need a single pot of any salad, coleslaw when out. A small tub of egg mayo and a small tub of salad is a nice meal. You could cook up a batch of high meat sausages and do the same. On days that are hectic or unexpected events occur it great to have something to just grab. Throw a few napkins and plastic cutlery in your car, desk drawer and handbag and it might be useful.

 

[Brunneria]

Back when I worked in the office and had my drawer to store my stash, I had the following in there permanently:

Large jar of 100% peanut peanutbutter
several bars of 70% lindt choc
(you can put a teasp of peanutbutter onto a square of lindt and then eat it like a nibbly biscuit with your coffee)

In my handbag (always available because of my tendency to hypo) I had
baby bels
Peanut 9bars
Kind bars
Green and Blacks mini choc bars

For packed lunches I would eat
hummus (with a spoon)
homemade crustless quiches (very easy!)
(you can buy quiche of course and then eat the filling and leave the pastry
cheese, cold meat,
Greek yog

The office policy on Non-Stinky food always rather cramped my style, since I would happily have chowed down on various fish pate's and strong cheeses, leftover curries and a LOT of garlic. Spoilsports.

Now I work from home, lunches are often absent altogether.

 

[SGR1806-20]

What protein bread do you use? I’ve tried looking for low carb bread but I can never find it in the supermarket so I just gave up on bread at home and only have it in instances like fast/convenience food.
My other problem is that a sandwich will leave me feeling hungry. And that’s when I’m more likely to eat something bad for me. I think I just need to get more organised!

Sainsburys sells Hovis Low Carb (9.8g per slice) and Hi-Lo Seeded (5.0g per slice).

Unfortunately, my local one just stocks the Hovis so I have only tried that. In moderation it doesn't seem to spike my glucose (I know everyone is different, however).

I panicked when I was diagnosed because I also have a sweet tooth. I tried to be pragmatic and realise at some point I would fall off the wagon and crave something sweet. So now I tend to keep a Grenade carb-killa protein bar in my bag. It isn't perfect, but its better than launching myself face-first at the dairy milk and doughnuts.

If I am working a long shift, or I am out for a particularly long dog walk, I also keep a bag or two of beef jerky stashed away. Got to be careful though, as some flavours like BBQ have way more carbs than others.

I also found that a bar of Sainsburys 86% dark chocolate comes as 5 individually wrapped portions of 4.2g carbs each, just big enough to take the edge off.

 

[Emma_369]

I love most lunch times at the hot counter in the supermarket near my work. Chicken wings, chicken legs, chicken quarters, ribs. I’m not the best planner - I’m improving slightly but find the hot counter such a quick and easy option

 

[Mr_Pot]

Sainsburys sells Hovis Low Carb (9.8g per slice) and Hi-Lo Seeded (5.0g per slice).

Unfortunately, my local one just stocks the Hovis so I have only tried that. In moderation it doesn't seem to spike my glucose (I know everyone is different, however).

I panicked when I was diagnosed because I also have a sweet tooth. I tried to be pragmatic and realise at some point I would fall off the wagon and crave something sweet. So now I tend to keep a Grenade carb-killa protein bar in my bag. It isn't perfect, but its better than launching myself face-first at the dairy milk and doughnuts.

If I am working a long shift, or I am out for a particularly long dog walk, I also keep a bag or two of beef jerky stashed away. Got to be careful though, as some flavours like BBQ have way more carbs than others.

I also found that a bar of Sainsburys 86% dark chocolate comes as 5 individually wrapped portions of 4.2g carbs each, just big enough to take the edge off.

When comparing low carb bread make sure you take the size of the slices into account, some are tiny.

 

[SGR1806-20]

When comparing low carb bread make sure you take the size of the slices into account, some are tiny.

Very good point.

I can't speak for the Hi-Lo, but the Hovis slices are only slightly smaller than what I would call regular.

 

[Listlad]

When comparing low carb bread make sure you take the size of the slices into account, some are tiny.

Agreed. I look at carbs per slice.

 

[Listlad]

Livlife bread is 14.6 g carbs per 100 or 3.8g carbs per slice. It does come across a bit rubbery though.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I like the size of the Herman Brot bread, you can get a goodly amount of filling into the sandwiches, with only 5.4 grams / 100 grams in the two slices.

 

[Listlad]

I like the size of the Herman Brot bread, you can get a goodly amount of filling into the sandwiches, with only 5.4 grams / 100 grams in the two slices.

What’s it taste like? It doesn’t look too bad...

 

[Deleted member 308541]

What’s it taste like? It doesn’t look too bad...

Bread, funnily enough, although what ever you either spread or put on it changes the taste.

 

[Listlad]

Bread, funnily enough, although what ever you either spread or put on it changes the taste.

That’s good. This livlife stuff isn’t quite there but slap a bit of cheese on it and it’s not bad.

 

[rhalluk]

Have tried the hi-low and the slices are tiny. Morrisons do a protein bread which is 8.6g carbs per slice. Great for toast but rubbish for sandwiches. Bergen has to be my all rounder at 11.8g per slice. You know you are eating bread with that one.

 

[FluffD]

If you come up with any ideas for when your camping, could I have them.. I have been in a bit of a quandary about how I’m going to manage when I go on holiday this year as when camping I usually eat **** and connivence food.. and now That’s all out the window..

 

[Mongolia]

If you come up with any ideas for when your camping, could I have them.. I have been in a bit of a quandary about how I’m going to manage when I go on holiday this year as when camping I usually eat **** and connivence food.. and now That’s all out the window..

For camping it depends on what facilities you have for cooking and keeping stuff cool. Breakfast is easy - full English or eggs in any way you like. I have also made both of these cereals and taken in tupperware:
https://www.gnom-gnom.com/grain-free-keto-cinnamon-toast-crunch/
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/chocolate-hazelnut-granola-low-carb-and-gluten-free

For dinner, make things at home that you can just reheat - not sure how long you are away for...
Lunch is always a tricky one as you will probably be out and about so some easily portable snacks:
https://www.travelinglowcarb.com/8855/lchf-peanut-butter-pecan-bars/
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/chocolate-peanut-squares
http://www.diabeticgoodbaking.com/2015/02/pumpkin-and-sunflower-seeds-crackers.html - these crackers would be great with cheese or pate
https://divaliciousrecipes.com/coconut-flour-psyllium-flatbread/ - again you could make a batch of these to take and they would be great for dipping in guacamole or spreading with cream cheese etc
https://carriebrown.com/archives/22650 another nice recipe
You could also make kale or Parmesan crisps.

Have a great time camping!