Diabetic food

I have no trouble finding foods that are low carb (Actually healthy) foods in supermarkets that are suitable. They are all over the store. The stores are also full of junk.

 

My worst experience was with a low carb Atkins chocolate bar... never again

 

In England they aren’t allowed to sell things with ‘Diabetic’ on anymore as it’s misleading and implied the food was some how better for diabetics, when this wasn’t the case.

 

My biggest challenge when I was first diagnosed was remembering to take my glasses with me so I could read the labels and then recoil in horror at the amount of carbs in stuff!

I find googling low carb alternatives for your previous favourites also really helps - all kinds of inventive alternatives out there, that you can normally find in a UK supermarket. Although admittedly to do this you might need to roll up your sleeves and get happy in the kitchen!

I am usually seen speed-lurking around the veggie aisles, just one step away from trolley-coasting as I drive-by-grab my veg for the next couple of weeks - I spiralise courgettes for a pasta alternative, thinly slice cabbage to replace noodles, blitz cauliflower occasionally for 'egg fried rice' alternatives or for a mushroom risotto... Full fat greek yoghurt, plenty of flax/chia seed sprinkle alternatives, eggs? Tons in a supermarket to help diabetics for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

What is it you were specifically after?

 

Water, high cocoa content choc is usually relatively low carb.. try 90%...
biscuits, rice and pasta aren't really any good for T2's so best avoided.. even the "alternatives".

 

There are. Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, overground vegetables and, as already suggested, maybe high cocoa chocolate if that's your thing. Basically anything that doesn't come in a box or have a list of ingredients. Virtually all processed foods and ready meals are likely to contain something deleterious to health before you even get started on the glucose implications.

It all seems daunting and restrictive at first, but you won't go far wrong with any of the above. You'll also end up a lot healthier irrespective of diabetes. Best thing that ever happened to me, that's for sure.

 

Biscuits, chocolate, rice, pasta are fine for a type 1. They are bad for anyone in large quantities not just a diabetic, so they should not have a ‘diabetic’ label on.

 

You have to be selective with what you buy, not everything is going to have a clear label saying “this is healthy”.

Low-fat foods tend to be higher in carbs (especially fruit yoghurt) so watch out for that one

Pretty much all non-root vegetables are fairly low in carb

Meat, poultry, seafood have 0 carbs

Nearly everything you can eat has a lower carb version:
-95% dark chocolate
-Lettuce wrap bunless burgers
-Caulfilower cheese
-Courgetti
-Etc etc

 

Lettuce wrap burgers are pretty good!

 

Hi there. There used to be until it was decided that labelling something 'diabetic' heavily implied that it was good for those with diabetes. It wasn't, all that happened was that 'sugar' was lowered by a fraction and placed with something that was also sugar in another form. What 'options' are you looking for by the way? You should be feeling grateful that diabetes no longer merits its own food shelf as it was full of rubbish anyway but there is plenty of normal food out there that will help you manage your glucose levels if that's your motive. x

 

IMO the trick is to stop looking for diabetic versions of the junk that got me into this mess, and start looking for stuff that is satisfying, and wont worsen my condition by it's very nature. Meat, cheese, and (non starchy) veg are very high on my list. Avocados are nothing but goodness. Lately I've been making bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers.

 

I used to miss all those when first diagnosed, they seem so normal...well I'd been eating them for about 60 years so thats not so surprising!
. However once I got used to really filling up with the foods that don't spike my blood sugars, now I don't miss them at all. I don't even walk down those aisles in the supermarket.
It helps once you test and see how they spike you as then you really see how they harm you and all of a sudden they don't seem attractive at all.

 

Guess I'm different to most, I used to love the crisps, chocolate and so forth. The low carb diet keeps me at HbA1c of 38 mol/mmol (or lower) but its boring as ****. Other than the meat maybe. Do I miss the treats? yes! its like being punished every day....

 

Cauliflower "rice", protein "bread", black bean "pasta" - not really what they say they are but passable alternatives, and decent to have as flavour carriers. Problem for me is finding supermarkets that consistently stock them - Sainsbury near me was doing cauli rice in recent weeks, but has stopped, Tesco was doing it earlier this year but stopped, Aldi did the bean pasta for a while, then stopped. While there are loads of non-carb options everywhere, it would be nice to find a supermarket that stocked these things consistently.