• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Beans on toast

borderter

Well-Known Member
Messages
640
Location
Gloucestershire
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes! Celebrities and curry
Love beans on toast and have it occaisionally but even though I count the carbs correctly find this meal raises bg more than it should so is this just me or am I missing something
 
borderter said:
Love beans on toast and have it occaisionally but even though I count the carbs correctly find this meal raises bg more than it should so is this just me or am I missing something
Click to expand...
Well this is one time I like the US. If you’re in the U.K. the fiber is already deducted from the carbs. In the US they’re not and I certainly don’t find all fibers equal. I like knowing how many total carbs and I’ll decide how much to deduct. I was told half at DX but sometimes even less than that works for me
 
Funnily enough I raised this with my HCP on Thursday last week as I too enjoy baked beans. She basically said to give it a big swerve as there are loads of hidden ingredients and sugars. She said if you MUST have it, limit the portion to 2 table spoons or one small multipack size.
 
Though the sauce is the best part you can strain some off or give it a quick rinse and smash them on the toast.
I can’t eat either the beans or the toast
 

Your HCP was right. Mine told me to have a jacket potato with baked beans for lunches!!

Initially I could not eat baked beans at all, although they had been a staple food for a quick lunch. My BS just rocketed. I even tried the reduced sugar ones. There was no difference. So they were off my menu for over 3 years. More recently I have tried them again with one of my fry/grill up meals, and to my delight I am absolutely fine with one tablespoonful. However, no way would I try beans on toast. Together the carb amount would be far to big for me, especially with so little fat, and bread is one of my danger foods even at the best of times. Thank goodness for the Lidl rolls.
 
I know its easy for nurses to say dont eat it but we live with this every day and sometimes like today when i have been unwell all the week I just wanted something I fancied even though its a rare thing for me to have and as carb counting should really cover this anyway just wish I did not have to guess what extra insulin to take
 

If you are on insulin and carb counting, there is no reason to deprive yourself of some comfort food when you are unwell. Are you taking account of the protein in the baked beans when carb counting? Not that I know anything about insulin users and carb counting, but I know of some T1s that bolus for protein.
 

You should not be bolusing for protein if you are having a meal with a decent carb content in. Gluconogenisis (ie turning protein into glucose) only happens if your body doesn't have enough easy access glucose available to keep it fuelled. Gluconogenesis takes proper effort from the body, if it has sufficient glucose available it would be a waste of effort to turn protein into glucose. With a meal like beans on toast there is zero chance that any protein will be turned into glucose so bolusing for protein in the meal will only cause hypos.

I would agree with @Kristin251 thats it's likely @borderter 's usual I:C ratio results in highs following beans on toast because perhaps you are unusually able to digest and breakdown some of the fibrous carbs that have been deducted from the label carb count (because most people don't digest these into carbs).
 
The diabetes education adviser told us that insulin dependents don't even need any for beans - most of the rest of the advice was total - ah - totally useless as well.
Personally I can't cope with legumes at all - they seem to punch above their weight when it comes to their carb content.
Maybe look for the lowest carb content on the tins, use a low carb bread, and then test and test again.
 
I can think of better things to have when not feeling so good. My go to food when perhaps the appetite is low is soup especially home made chicken soup which I almost always have in the freezer. Defrosted then heated and with a generous splosh of double cream, it really doesn't tax the system and has a great feel good factor.
 
In theory beans might be all right.
[I like to gently delude myself sometimes to stay sane.]

According to a tin of Heinz beans which I just {cough} happen to have to hand there are 12.5g of carbs per 100g which is not TOO bad. Half a tin is 26g of carbs, which with a Lidl roll comes to 35g of carbs. Too high for a 20g a day low carber, but if you are shooting for below 50g then it looks all right.

So one treat is a Lidl roll split in 2, and grilled with cheese on. Cheese on toast with Heinz beans. Drool!

Another treat is a cheese omelette with half a tin of beans.

I could probably get the same pleasure if I split the tin 3 or 4 ways. Well, nearly as much. Perhaps 3 ways?

Safe(ish) treats when you are feeling down are something worthwhile to plan into your lifestyle.
 
Slightly off topic but for about 4 weeks I have been absolutely CRAVING Heinz curried baked beans! I have no idea why - curries haven't dealt with it - it's the curried bean "juice" I am so desperate for - funny thing is I probably haven't had them for at least 10 years before diagnosis so not a "missed" food - the need will just not go away!
 
borderter said:
Love beans on toast and have it occaisionally but even though I count the carbs correctly find this meal raises bg more than it should so is this just me or am I missing something
Click to expand...

you could try to use LIDLs protein rolls instead of ordinary bread , in that way you get rid of a lot of the carbs that usually is in bread
 
Sadly not anywhere close to a lidl and cant tolerate Burgens bread so have oatcakes instead but had just fancied beans on toast
 
borderter said:
Sadly not anywhere close to a lidl and cant tolerate Burgens bread so have oatcakes instead but had just fancied beans on toast
Click to expand...
Have you tried the new Hovis Lower Carb bread? It comes in wholemeal, seeded and white, each slice weighs 36g and has around 10g carbs a slice, ive never tried it I generally stick to Tesco small wholemeal bread at 13.3g carbs a slice x
 
Will certainly try this thanks K
See you are on tresiba am so jealous its not allowed here on cost basis so struggle on with levemir
 
borderter said:
Will certainly try this thanks K
See you are on tresiba am so jealous its not allowed here on cost basis so struggle on with levemir
Click to expand...
No problem, and yes I believe I am very lucky to be on it, the nurses were surprised that the professor prescribed it actually but that's what I was put on when I was admitted to hospital at diagnosis x
 
The latest version of Heinz "No Added Sugar" beans marked "New Recipe" have 9.5g carbs per 100g . I sometimes have a third of a tin (13g carbs) instead of Burgen toast with my bacon and egg breakfast.
 
Personally I react badly to all baked beans. A few days ago I tested after eating bacon & egg and 100g of Tesco low sugar/salt baked beans (13.4g carbs) and I was very high. As a comparison my normal post-prandial after bacon & eggs is back to starting point.
Will have to stick to baked bean flavoured crisps!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…