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DIABETIC FOODS

C

controller

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Why is there so little diabetic foods available? I think that manufacturers and suppliers are missing out, considering the number of diabetics in the UK and, the number is growing. It seems that unless a lot of sugar is added to foods then it is not worth making. Of course non-diabetics far outnumber diabetics so manufacturers and retailers have to satisfy their needs -making lots of money.

What do my fellow diabetics think. Should we ask Diabetes UK to champion a petition for diabetic foods?
 
That depends on your definition of "diabetic foods", I'm diabetic and I eat a normal diet.

I wouldnt touch a "diabetic food" for a gold watch thanks.
 
There is absolutley no need for 'diabetic food' whatever that is !

Just leave out the added SUGAR ! what could be simpler !

Just avoid carbohydrates, eat plenty of meat and fat you will be fine, just as our ancestors did !
Some above ground veg won't go amiss either...

The food manufacturers put enough **** on the shelves as it is, THEY caused the problems of obesity ,malnutrition and diabetes in the first place.

Fed up and off to chew a bone....

Superchip
 
Surely most foods are diabetic foods - it just depends on the quantity. A lot of food marked as diabetc have sugar subsitutes that can cause rather nasty side effects if eaten in excess. I tend not to go for diabetic foods as they are normally a lot more expensive that the normal item. Just eat to your meter. If you know something spikes you, avoid it or find a level that is comfortable if you can't live without it. As in most things, moderation is the key. I just check the nutrition label to check the carb content and if it's too high I might avoid it, if it's something I've not had before I might try it and then test and see how it affects me.
 
Hi friends,
As far as i know, there are no diabetic canned foods e.g. baked beans. So called "fast foods" are not sugar free. Matured cheddar, pate, bread etc. have a great deal of sugar. The point that I am trying to make is to have the same variety of foods available for diabetics in supermarkets etc.

Of course you can prepare your own food but it is rather nice to have a wider variety.
 
Have always been told to avoid 'diabetic foods' for the reasons stated above - sugar substitutes (who wants to eat something that has a 'laxative effect'?!!) and cost.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Diabetic food should be cheaper since that expensive ingredient SUGAR, would not be there to increase your BGL. Why should diabetic food be excluded from diabetics?
 
Any thing that is marketed for a certain group of people will always be dearer because of the captive market and people think that if it is made for "THEM" it must be better which is a load of rubbish Good quality low carb food is far better for us. I think diabetic chocolate should be marketed as a laxative :shock:
CAROL
 
What do you mean by "low carb" food? Is this type of food readily available?

Would you say that sugar free foods are widely available for diabetics now?

I know that "marketeers" like to "control the market" but they also realise that in the twenty first century the masses including diabetics are much more clued in. I think that food companies do not want to manufacture diabetic foods because they know that they cannot rip us off.

Incidentally, I disagree that diabetic chocolate is a laxative. Perhaps you might consider changing your brand and see what happens.
 
Laxative?
Perhaps.
Waxy.
Definitely.


Sent from my KFTT using DCUK Forum mobile app
 
We don't need diabetic foods, which will undoubtedly be premium-priced for a niche market. One of the things we have to do after settling our BG levels is to get our eyes tested and buy a really good pair of specs so we can read the ingredients lists on the food we buy.

It's amazing what a wide range of different carb levels can be found for each type of product: for instance, sausages come with anything from 10% carbs to less than 1%; mayonnaise is typical of many product where there is an inverse relationship between fat levels and carb levels - the low fat versions always have much more carb than normal versions. If you are shopping for mustard, pickles, peanut butter, chorizo, salami, coleslaw, bean salad, vinaigrette dressings and many other products, it's worth spending time in the supermarket or on-line to check the carb levels and buy the best ones.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Hmm, food was here before we became diabetic. Veg. meats etc.
 
I remember the man being interviewed on TV about the eggs he sold. After a while his eyes brightened and he said, "Oh you want me to put Free Range on the box". It didn't seem to matter to him if the eggs were produced by battery hens so long as the box had free range written on it.

The retailer had discovered that the truth didn't matter providing you put some words on the front of the box to catch the eye. A lot of products have "Low Fat" written on them and others have "Reduced Salt" and these sell. Not many people turn the box over to read the pretty coloured label. One line on food in a supermarket is "Healthy Eating" whatever that means.

I fear that asking a retailer to put "Diabetic" on labels will be a ploy to sell more junk rather than to help us in any way. In any case most of us are still finding out what is acceptable for diabetics and I for one would feel uncomfortable to take the advice of a supermarket. Recent events have vindicated my opinion of processed food sold by supermarkets so I would like to continue to buy recognisable food and cook it myself.
 
I was told by my diabetic nurse never to eat any diabetic food as it would do more damage than good :) as long as you have a nice balanced diet of what is good for you, I'm sure you'll be fine :)


sazdragon on phone
 
Just read the labels and if you have to buy pre prepared foods then choose wisely.
You gave a few examples
I don't see that any proper cheddar (or indeed any properly made cheese) has anything more than a tiny amount of carbs from the milk it's made from. Certainly no added sugar.

Bread varies but you can certainly find some, even from the the big manufacturers, with no sugar in the ingredients list (eg Warburtons stoneground and I'm sure it's not the only one )
Even the worst UK Bread is nothing like the sugary American bread. If you buy heavily seeded breads then they will be lower in GI and also %carbs which may be more important than small amounts of sugar. (even many homemade bread recipes call for a teaspoonful to activate the yeast)

Pate will vary because it covers a multitude of products, there are certainly pates with very little apart from meat and seasoning but obviously they will cost a lot more than products with lots of filler.
Finally baked beans traditionally contain sugar. You can buy them with lower sugar if you want but without any sugar they don't taste anything like the same.
I live in France and none of the tinned beans in tomato contain any sugar (just white beans, tomato , garlic, herbs and salt). They are an entirely different product but most supermarkets have a little English section which always has tins of baked beans; it is the one product most Brits seem to miss :lol:

Even though I live in France, I spend some time each year catering for my father in the UK. I don't actually buy very differently in the 2 countries because I buy very little made in a factory. In neither country do I see a need for any special diabetic products.
 
Superchip said:
The food manufacturers put enough **** on the shelves as it is, THEY caused the problems of obesity ,malnutrition and diabetes in the first place.
Click to expand...

Of course they didnt, I really dont understand this type of thinking, if I over eat it is my fault not the fault of food manufacturers to follow your argument to its natural conclusion you are accusing brewers and distillers of causing alcoholism, car manufactures for causing every road death.

Everybody needs to take responsibility for their own actions, if you drink too much you run the risk of becoming alcoholic and if you drive too fast or recklessly you run the risk of having an accident. And if you over eat or eat rubbish food all your life you run the risk of being obese or malnourished.

As for diabetes and I'll assume you are referring to T2 then no one knows exactly what causes it but being overweight certainly does not help anyone avoid it which is proven by the fact that 80% of T2 diabetics are overweight at diagnosis.

And before I get flamed, no I am not calling T2's fat or lazy but just stating facts, and yes I was obese at diagnosis and I take full responsibility for not doing something about it sooner.

No supermarket has ever forced anyone into eating any type of food we all make our own choices in life and we need to take full responsibility for those choices.
 
Sid,
You seem to be unaware of the effect of advertising. propaganda, and misisinformation and lack of education can have on a person's choices. If you make a decision due to false data, is it still your fault or that of the person who gave you the data?
 
I would seriously question your nurse about her statement. Can she give any scientific medical evidence that "any diabetic food as it would do more damage than good." This has got to be labelled as "tosh."

I am saying that sugar free diabetic foods should be made available. Perhaps you can ask your nurse whether these foods "would do more damage than good."

What precisely does her "more damage" mean?
 
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