DIABETIC FOODS

mpe

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300
Sketcher said:
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.

Sausages appear to vary quite a bit in meat content. Lidl do pork sausages which are 95% meat, I've not seen anything similar in other supermarkets. Though you can get high meat sausages from butchers, especially those which will make them to order.

With low fat mayonnaise starch is most likely added as a thickener (as well as sugars for taste). Mayonnaise isn't that difficult to make, in which case you can also choose the exact recipe.
 

mpe

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300
controller said:
There are very few choices in supermarkets, food shops and restaurants for diabetics. For example I like apple pie but there are no sugar free ones available.

I presume you mean no added sugar, since I'm unaware of any sugar free apples.

If you can't find what you want ready made, then you always have the option of making it yourself. Which gives you total control over the flour, fat and fruit used. Together with the proportion of pastry (shortcrust rather than sweetcrust) to filling, the overall size of pie and if you eat it with any kind of "sauce". Though you might have to experiment quite a bit to find what suits both your taste-buds and blood sugar.
Your other option is a restaurant with a real chef, who is prepared to cook to the requirements of individual customers.

There really isn't any generic "diabetic food" or even "diabetic diet". What works for you may well not be the same as what works for someone else. (Even if they are a close relative.)
 

mpe

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300
phoenix said:
Have you looked at the ingredients of some 'sugar free' foods ? Here's the ingredients of Tastykake Cream Filled Coffee Cupcakes from an online specialist store. It was the first I looked at, not specifically selected. It demonstrates to me why I would avoid such foods. ( it's maybe low in carb and sugar but high in chemicals and in this case seems to contain the very worst type of fats)

BLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE-B1, RIBOFLAVIN-B2, FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE SHORTENING (SOYBEAN OIL, PALM OIL, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, COTTONSEED OIL, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL AND/OR HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL WITH TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), WATER, MALTITOL, EGGS, POLYDEXTROSE, MALTITOL SYRUP, MAY CONTAIN 2% OR LESS OF: WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE (MILK), LEAVENING (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), FOOD STARCH - MODIFIED, CINNAMON, GLYCERINE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL MONOSTEARATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, SKIM MILK, WHEAT GLUTEN, WHEY (MILK), CORNSTARCH, SALT, BUTTER, CELLULOSE GUM, GUM ARABIC, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, GUAR GUM, SODIUM PROPIONATE (TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), SUCRALOSE, SORBIC ACID (TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), XANTHAN GUM, COCONUT OIL,CORN FLOUR, POLYSORBATE 60, NUTMEG, MONO & DIGLYCERIDES, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, SOY LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE (TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), PROPYLENE GLYCOL MONOESTER. Warning: MANUFACTURED IN A FACILITY THAT USES PEANUTS. Certifications: kosher This product contains glycerine which is not a carbohydrate but has 4.32 calories per gram. This product may contain traces of nuts. Excess consumption may cause a laxative effect

Probably not "low carb" given the first thing on the ingredients list. Together with 3 other ingredients which equate to "processed starch". Looks like it also contains maltose which has the highest GI of any carbohydrate.
Don't see any sign of coffee anywhere. With any "cream" being reconsituted from 4 milk products.
(Wonder how it managed to be certified "Kosher" with ingredients which simply didn't exist in the Bronze Age and some more which wouldn't have been around in North-East Africa/South-West Asia.)
 

mpe

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300
controller said:
Having identified problems including illegal labeling, rather than taking issue and confronting manufacturers / suppliers for telling lies, taking them to court and getting them to actually proper diabetic foods that conform to legal and nutritional standards they took the easy option.

Hardly an issue with just "diabetic food" as recent events have proved. Indeed the problem of meat products not being from the described species of animal still appears ongoing, 3 months after it first hit the headlines.
 

controller

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49
The point I make concerns all foods. The food standards agency has shown itself to be an inept quango and should be disbanded. The current event of horse meat contamination stands as evidence to their inepitude. However, this is only a part of the story. There are other glaring examples of failures toward the British European people of non-food standards.

We must not forget the failures of retailers, even with their much vaunted "quality control." These organisations must be confronted with their lapses and what definitive steps they have taken to ensure food standards.

The supplier culprits must also be firmly penalised.
 

Bob Hammond

Newbie
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3
controller said:
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?

You are Wasting your money buying "diabetic Foods" most are sweetend with sorbitol which will give you the trots
just eat a sensible ordinary diet and ignore these so called foods
 

Sketcher

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If you want "diabetic food", first you have to decide what that is. If it's zero carb, then virtually nothing apart from fresh food (which isn't nutritionally labelled, anyway) could be called diabetic food. If not zero carb, then what: 5% carb? 10% carb? No more than 1 gram per serving? You can't expect something to be labelled if you can't define the criterion on which you want to label it.


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controller

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49
How about no added sugar, reduced salt content and no fat?

I have throughout said that legal conditions must be applied to diabetic foods. This includes complying with strict labeling regulations. Maybe those highly paid people in the FSA can begain to earn their large salaries.

If you do not want to use diabetic foods that is your choice.
 
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6,107
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
controller said:
How about no added sugar, reduced salt content and no fat?

That's the composition of cardboard isn't it?

Can't you just cook what you think is good for diabetics (whatever that is) and stop asking the rest of us to eat something from the supermarkets.
 

controller

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I am not a cook but I do like good nutritious food!

Secondly, I am not asking you to eat "supermarket food." Where do you get your "raw materials" from?

I am saying that good, nutritious diabetic foods should be made available to those who CHOOSE to use such foods.
 
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Type of diabetes
Type 2
controller said:
How about no added sugar, reduced salt content and no fat?
:? Blimey, you're not asking for much!

As others have mentioned, there was a small diabetic range available in Boots and larger supermarkets up until about 10-15 years ago. Since labelling regulations have tightened up and people (diabetics) got wise to the fact that these were over priced, yucky tasting and also full of suspect ingredients... sales somewhat dried up and therefore so did the products.

So, best of luck with persuading food manufacturers to reintroduce products that are far more likely to be profit losers than winners, as that is what it obviously really boils down to.
 

controller

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I am not asking too much really.

I do think that food manufacturers / suppliers are missing out because if anything, unfortunately, the UK diabetic population is set to increase.
 

Sketcher

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controller said:
How about no added sugar, reduced salt content and no fat?

But something with no added sugar could have a high content of flour or potato starch or other carbs: that would most definitely not be suitable for diabetics. Also, why no fat? If we cut down on carbs, we have to get energy from somewhere, and fat is the best alternative. Diabetes is definitely not a reason to avoid fat. Similarly, there is no reason to reduce salt just because of diabetes; in fact, for anyone low carbing, you have to make sure you have enough salt.

Sorry, Controller, although your three criteria might relate generally to healthy diets for non- diabetics, they - with the exception of "no added sugar" - could not be construed as suitable for diabetics.


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Sketcher

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On the other hand, Controller, I agree that the burgeoning diabetic population cold be a great market opportunity for food suppliers. The tricky bit is defining what "suitable for diabetics" should mean.


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6,107
Type of diabetes
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Sketcher said:
The tricky bit is defining what "suitable for diabetics" should mean.

The prospect of letting the food retailers decide that could give you nightmares.
 

hanadr

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There used to be quite a range of "Diabetic Foods" available; many were sweetened with Polyols, which can cause diarrhoea.
Diabetes UK spoke out against these foods and they gradually disappeared.
You can get a range of low carb products on-line. OR you can do what many of us do, which is to read labels and use natural unprocessed foods.
For example, we are having beef curry tonight and I've just cut up the beef and in a while, I'll go pound some spices in my pestle and mortar. There will be no added sugar or flour in the recipe, although I do use onions, thus it will be a low carb menu. Remember the important information is: total carbs in Europe or Net carbs in the USA
Hana
 

controller

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49
Food manufacturers, suppliers and retailers "can only get away with it" if we allow them to do so.

This is the twenty first century and people are much better informed. We know what diabetic food should be and it is not "rocket science."

I see this as a big challenge for the food industry, the legal agency for food quality, the retailers who cannot run the risk of selling "****" and of course the government. There is too much past history for these "guardians" of the people to abrogate their combined responsibility.
 

mpe

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300
controller said:
How about no added sugar, reduced salt content and no fat?

That's your definition. It may not be anyone else's. That's the basic issue.

Other people may be concerned about total sugars or total digestable carbohydrate, added or not.
If fats are "natural" or have been chemically modified (including changing cis to trans isomers).
It also appears to be the case that dietary sodium only raises the blood pressure of a minority of people. With such "sodium intollerance" having nothing to do with diabeties.