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

Breakfast ?

clairebear63

clairebear63

Member
Messages
8
Location
Minworth Warwickshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi another question from me sorry..... i am a nurse who works 12 hour shifts and always has breakfast before work,usually instant porridge...now i am diabetic i am wondering what cereal i can eat and take to work ?
 
When Im bored with my go to breakfasts of eggs or greek yogurt with berries, I go for one of these options - both 6-7g carbs
https://www.nutracheck.co.uk/CaloriesIn/Product/Search?desc=Aldi+paleo+muesli
http://www.imgrum.org/media/1624564182161442075_4018273655
https://www.nutracheck.co.uk/CaloriesIn/Product/76/Aldi+Specially+Selected+Dark+Chocolate+Flavour+Coated+Nut+&+Sea+Salt+Bars+160g
I used to be able to tolerate porridge but no more. The instat type spiked my sugars much higher and faster than if I made my own from porridge oats
 
I doubt any cereal is a wise choice - they are all full of carbs and sugar.
How about a packed breakfast of boiled eggs/cherry toms/cold meats/cheese
Or a plain full fat Greek yogurt with two or 3 cut up strawberries added, or a few raspberries?
 
Are you testing your blood sugars before and two hours after your meals? That’s the only way to find out if you can tolerate the carb content of cereals. I eat coconut ‘porridge’ with strawberries and cream for breakfast, it’s not real porridge but it’s very low carb. Here’s the recipe, it’s not instant I’m afraid but would be ok for your breakfasts at home, it’s pretty quick and easy to make. Give it a try if you find you can’t tolerate real cereal.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/keto-coconut-porridge
 
I did not give up breakfast cereal altogether, even though my lifestyle (counting over an entire day) is very-low-carb. My breakfast is as follows:
  • One tablespoon of home-made, sugar-free granola (muesli).
  • One tablespoon of wheat bran (this is very high-carb but helps a lot with constipation, which is an occupational hazard of low-carb eating).
  • Two thin slices of banana.
  • Two blueberries.
  • Two raspberries.
  • With just enough milk to cover the muesli (I use zero-fat milk but that is a personal choice, regular milk is OK).
  • After finishing the muesli, I eat two tablespoons of fat-free Greek yoghurt (full-fat would be fine too, if that is your choice).
When I am not at home, I make up zip-lock bags of muesli and wheat bran in advance, each of them with the two tablespoons. I bring my own banana slices and berries or get them from a breakfast buffet if staying in a hotel or having access to a canteen.

One of the keys, if you eat carb-foods, is to eat them only in very small portions.

I am unusual in taking a large part of my otherwise very small carb load at breakfast-time. It seems to work for me. I don't know what it does to my daily/hourly glucose readings because I have never used a meter and for the time being, I don't care. Heresy in a lot of ways, and I have no idea whether it would work for anyone else.
 
clairebear63 said:
Hi another question from me sorry..... i am a nurse who works 12 hour shifts and always has breakfast before work,usually instant porridge...now i am diabetic i am wondering what cereal i can eat and take to work ?
Click to expand...

Once upon a time I used to eat porridge or musli in the morning. Now I have a scrambled egg. I have a mini pan for it and it takes about the same time to fry ( in butter with a pinch of salt, ) as pouring out the cereal once did. It's a real pleasure to eat. If I have more time I'll do bacon and have a couple of eggs. But one egg - usually washed down with just water is enough to keep me going till lunch time and I'm a 6 foot something Big sort of bloke. I have tried skipping breakfast as a lot of people on this site seemed to do. For me this meant my blood sugar levels rising until I ate.
 
Snapsy said:
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day - I have two boiled eggs - and I look forward to them every morning and am unreasonably sad when I've finished them!

I love that you enjoy your breakfast as much as I do!

:)
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more ... Breakfast is fab. ... Sometimes there's time to savour it all and sometimes less, but even if time is short it pays to really stop and enjoy it. ....
 
if i have an early start, i take hard-boiled eggs with me for breakfast, or sometimes one of Lidl's high protein rolls with salmon or marmite or cheese plus some non-messy salad items and nuts, and maybe a small piece of fruit - depends on what my sugars are doing.
 
I enjoy breakfast so much that I have two of them. A bowl of porridge made with almond milk at 5.30, with fruit and nuts followed by 90 minutes exercise (walking & rowing). Then some protein, usually eggs with mushrooms and bacon, or avocado, or smoked salmon. For variety, sometimes mackerel or kippers. Ready to get the day under way by 8am. I have always got up early but pre diagnosis used to sit drinking coffee before having toast about 7.30.
Carbs before exercise, protein after works for me.
 
@clairebear63: Confused yet?

All of the advice given above is valid. Unfortunately! Part of the great tapestry of Individual People With Diabetes.

Experiment! Or, count carbs by reading from the packets and checking nutrition info on the Internet.

Over time, you will find out what works for you.

clairebear63 said:
Hi another question from me sorry.....
Click to expand...

No need to apologize. Without questions we could not help each other much. Your question was very good, and in any case there is no such thing as a bad question.

Edited to add: I have forgotten whether I already suggested this website to you: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb#advice. When I was first diagnosed that is what I found most useful (unfortunately I did not know about this forum yet).
 
Chia seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chopped tree nuts like almonds or your favorite, mixed with some cinnamon and a sprinkle of dried cranberries or other dried berries. Mix together. When you eat, add some hot water or hot unsweetened almond milk, if you like a squirt of liquid stevia, put on a lid and let it steep for a few minutes, then stir and enjoy. You can also warm in the microwave.
 
Vhm1 said:
Chia seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chopped tree nuts like almonds or your favorite, mixed with some cinnamon and a sprinkle of dried cranberries or other dried berries. Mix together. When you eat, add some hot water or hot unsweetened almond milk, if you like a squirt of liquid stevia, put on a lid and let it steep for a few minutes, then stir and enjoy. You can also warm in the microwave.
Click to expand...
Wow that is a nutty breakfast idea, I hope it does not make @clairebear63 feel seedy. :D
 
Tipetoo said:
Wow that is a nutty breakfast idea, I hope it does not make @clairebear63 feel seedy. :D
Click to expand...

Wow indeed!!!

Come to think of it, with @clairebear63's long 12-hour nursing shifts, she might want to consider some handy snacks. My go-to snack usually consists of nuts of one kind or another. They have fat, protein and fiber, and if you choose the right ones, very few carbs. My favorites are pecans and macadamias. Also Brazil nuts are very good but only in small quantity (to avoid selenium poisoning).

Watch out though, nuts can get rather addictive. Not as addictive as carbs, of course.

Edited to add: Here in America there is an enormous range of prices for nuts (up to three times more expensive in some shops than in others). Essential to shop around, and check online too.
 
[QUO
Edited to add: Here in America there is an enormous range of prices for nuts (up to three times more expensive in some shops than in others). Essential to shop around,

I agree about the nuts, I eat a handful at a time for snacking or when I'm driving and decent food selection is limited . This adds up to around a kilo a week. Mainly walnuts + Almonds which Lidl sell at good prices. For some reason the nuts in the baking section are cheaper than the nuts in the snacking section......
 
OrsonKartt said:
[QUO
Edited to add: Here in America there is an enormous range of prices for nuts (up to three times more expensive in some shops than in others). Essential to shop around,

I agree about the nuts, I eat a handful at a time for snacking or when I'm driving and decent food selection is limited . This adds up to around a kilo a week. Mainly walnuts + Almonds which Lidl sell at good prices. For some reason the nuts in the baking section are cheaper than the nuts in the snacking section......
Click to expand...
Goonergal said:
Good tip! Hadn’t noticed that.
Click to expand...
I’ve also noticed a similar thing in Tesco, they’ve just bought out their range of Xmas nuts, to be found in the fruit and veg section. Just the same as the regular bags in the snack section but you pay more for having a Xmassy designed bag!
 
Rachox said:
I’ve also noticed a similar thing in Tesco, they’ve just bought out their range of Xmas nuts, to be found in the fruit and veg section. Just the same as the regular bags in the snack section but you pay more for having a Xmassy designed bag!
Click to expand...

The wonders of marketing eh?
 
Back
Top