Diabetic Friendly take-away

DeeMarks

Active Member
Messages
26
I just wondered what you guys have when you fancy a take-away. I would normally choose chinese but figure with the rice/noodles and amount of sugar they put in the sauces it's a definite nooooo.
 

initforlove

Well-Known Member
Messages
93
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Dislikes
diabetes
the thing to watch is trans fats and take-away and sit-down restaurants like to use it because it is cheap. There is some evidence that it is the man-made food stuffs such as trans fats that cause diseases such as diabetes.

I think an occasional take away that blows your sugar sky high is probably ok but it needs to be a small serve and only once in a blue moon

when I want a take away I just have a bbq chicken and eat that with no skin, but I checked and there is no added trans fats. I can have a small garden salad with the chicken, lettuce, radish, cucumber, mushrooms
 

paul-1976

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,695
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Dishonesty
Chinese is a complete no-no for me sadly but I find a good indian ok on my levels if I order Lamb jalfreizi for instance,(Tikka masalas and some takeaway Kormas are full of sugar) lay off the rice or reduce the amount and replace that with sheek kebab starters and onion or mushroom Bhaji and an onion salad.My local takeaway uses Ghee in dishes according to them as I too avoid trans fats wherever possible
 

angieG

Well-Known Member
Messages
725
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Some Chinese dishes are okay as long as they don't add MSG to their dishes (sugar used for flavouring).
I like Chinese and find I can usually tolerate soups without noodles and then for mains I have Chicken & Mushroom and a Chicken Foo Yung. Quite high in protein so levels rise much later but not a real high spike as rice would do!!
HTH
Angie
 

DeeMarks

Active Member
Messages
26
initforlove said:
when I want a take away I just have a bbq chicken and eat that with no skin, but I checked and there is no added trans fats. I can have a small garden salad with the chicken, lettuce, radish, cucumber, mushrooms

Why only a small salad? How much salad vegetables should we be eating? I've been taking huge tuna salads for lunch! :?
 

initforlove

Well-Known Member
Messages
93
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Dislikes
diabetes
DeeMarks said:
initforlove said:
when I want a take away I just have a bbq chicken and eat that with no skin, but I checked and there is no added trans fats. I can have a small garden salad with the chicken, lettuce, radish, cucumber, mushrooms

Why only a small salad? How much salad vegetables should we be eating? I've been taking huge tuna salads for lunch! :?

in my case I am trying to lose a lot of weight so I have 4 mushrooms and 4 radishes and 1 small cucumber and a quarter of a lettuce with my skinless chicken drumstick

that keeps me around the 20 grams of carbs a day
 

DeeMarks

Active Member
Messages
26
initforlove said:
in my case I am trying to lose a lot of weight so I have 4 mushrooms and 4 radishes and 1 small cucumber and a quarter of a lettuce with my skinless chicken drumstick

that keeps me around the 20 grams of carbs a day

You must be STARVING!!
 

hanadr

Expert
Messages
8,157
Dislikes
soaps on telly and people talking about the characters as if they were real.
I rarely eat anything i haven't prepared myself, but I do LOVE pret-a-manger's "Chef's Italian salad. Very low carb fresh and delicious. MacDonald's do a salad bowl which is good, or was last time I had one a couple of years ago. Chicken Tandoori cooked dry and on a skewer from our local Himalayan Restauant is also very tasty. Again, i've not had it for years.
Hana
 

Ann19

Well-Known Member
Messages
271
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
hanadr said:
I rarely eat anything i haven't prepared myself, but I do LOVE pret-a-manger's "Chef's Italian salad. Very low carb fresh and delicious.


I agree, this salad is fab :thumbup: . I make one with chicken, bacon and avocado and the usual salad bits in too which I love.

Ann
 

siobhanie26

Member
Messages
7
Its always a tricky one trying to work out the CPs for take-aways but if you fancy a take-away i would just have whatever you want to have because unless you have them everyday its a treat. I would always give my best guess then correct later if need be.
 

paul-1976

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,695
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Dishonesty
Tinkerbell1972 said:
Hi, I had a chicken chow mein & checked my blood after & it was within a 'normal' range, I haven't been brave enough to try anything else yet!

My favourite was Beef szechuan or Kung po king prawn or chicken but that's what blew my meter out of range(maxes out at 33.6mmol) as I think It's because the are in the category of 'Sweet,sour and hot' and I think the 'sweet' element must be achieved with a bucket of sugar! :shock:

I may try a chow mein in small quantities instead and see if that's better,so thanks for the recommendation! :thumbup:
 
Messages
6,107
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I had a nice surprise when I tested myself after a KFC. There were three bits of chicken and one bag of fries. I was so pleased that I tried it on another occasion with two bags of fries. That was a mistake.

I only buy the chicken portions with bones in since some of the other items have the possibility of being made in a mould with flour mixed in.
 

1970clea

Well-Known Member
Messages
419
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I have found kebabs a good option for me, particularly partial to a chicken doner. I usually leave 3/4 of the pitta though. Also a lot of Indian dishes are good and I have found actually asking for no added sugar can be helpful, my takeway rang me back to tell me one of the dishes I had selected was high in sugar so I could change my order to a safer Balti dish. I have a poppadom. Chinese has been less successful but Chicken with yellow Bean and Cashew, no rice or noodle, side of beansprouts, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots worked out well.
 

makka

Active Member
Messages
27
angieG said:
Some Chinese dishes are okay as long as they don't add MSG to their dishes (sugar used for flavouring).
Angie

Sorry to correct but MSG or E621, is Sodium rather than sugar based, however if you are sensitive to it (and many people are) it can give symptoms similar to that of high blood sugar known as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome symptoms include headache, numbness/tingling, flushing, muscle tightness, sweating, dizziness, nausea, chest pain, and generalised weakness. As well as being used as a flaour enhancer in it's own right it is also often hidden in other additives such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, and soy.

As well as the symptoms above it can also raise blood pressure due to the chemical make up and the sodium present in it.

Always ask for MSG free foods, or avoid things like sweet and sour sauce, plum sauce, crispy duck and sweet chilli sauces.
 

hanadr

Expert
Messages
8,157
Dislikes
soaps on telly and people talking about the characters as if they were real.
Pret a manger do some fabulous salads. Burgers without the bun are excellent.So is fish without chips. chicken dishes too.
Initforlove
Although trans fats are not good for us, I seriously doubt that diabetes is one of their effects. Actually fats are not really an issue in diabetic control.
I wouldn't advise a blow out causing sky high sugars, even once in a blue moon. It's now thought that the degree to whichyour BG varies from normal[excursions!] is the cause of complications. I certainly prefer not to risk it.
Hana
Ps I just thought: meat cooked in a tandoor on a skewer is probably good as are veggies like Okra, both from Indian take-aways. It's carbs and sugars that cause harm, not fats.
 

Superchip

Well-Known Member
Messages
512
Dislikes
GP's, Diabetes Nurses.Crazy NHS guidelines on diet for Diabetics, they are seeing off millions.
Cheap Whisky !
makka said:
angieG said:
Some Chinese dishes are okay as long as they don't add MSG to their dishes (sugar used for flavouring).
Angie

Sorry to correct but MSG or E621, is Sodium rather than sugar based, however if you are sensitive to it (and many people are) it can give symptoms similar to that of high blood sugar known as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome symptoms include headache, numbness/tingling, flushing, muscle tightness, sweating, dizziness, nausea, chest pain, and generalised weakness. As well as being used as a flaour enhancer in it's own right it is also often hidden in other additives such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, and soy.

As well as the symptoms above it can also raise blood pressure due to the chemical make up and the sodium present in it.

Always ask for MSG free foods, or avoid things like sweet and sour sauce, plum sauce, crispy duck and sweet chilli sauces.

I've highlighted the stuff they don't put on the menu !

Superchopstix
 

angieG

Well-Known Member
Messages
725
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
makka said:
angieG said:
Some Chinese dishes are okay as long as they don't add MSG to their dishes (sugar used for flavouring).
Angie

Sorry to correct but MSG or E621, is Sodium rather than sugar based, however if you are sensitive to it (and many people are) it can give symptoms similar to that of high blood sugar known as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome symptoms include headache, numbness/tingling, flushing, muscle tightness, sweating, dizziness, nausea, chest pain, and generalised weakness. As well as being used as a flaour enhancer in it's own right it is also often hidden in other additives such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, and soy.

As well as the symptoms above it can also raise blood pressure due to the chemical make up and the sodium present in it.

Always ask for MSG free foods, or avoid things like sweet and sour sauce, plum sauce, crispy duck and sweet chilli sauces.

It may be sodium based but it is manufactured by fermentation using sugar according to this on Wiki...

"Currently, most of the world production of MSG is by bacterial fermentation in a process similar to wine, vinegar, yogurt and even chocolate. Sodium is added later through the steps of neutralization. During fermentation, selected bacteria (coryneform bacteria) cultured with ammonia and carbohydrates from sugar beets, sugar cane, tapioca or molasses, excrete amino acids into the culture broth from where L-glutamate is isolated. Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co Ltd developed the first industrial fermentation to produce L-glutamate.[31] Nowadays, the conversion yield and production rate from sugars to glutamate continues to improve in the industrial production of MSG, which allows for keeping up with demand.[8] The final product after filtration, concentration, acidification and crystallization is pure glutamate, sodium and water. It appears as a white, odorless crystalline powder that in solution dissociates into glutamate and sodium. It is freely soluble in water but not hygroscopic and practically insoluble in common organic solvents such as ether.[32] In general, MSG is stable under the conditions of regular food processing. During cooking, MSG does not decompose: Like other amino acids, browning or Maillard reactions will occur in the presence of sugars at very high temperatures."

It's the carbohydrates from sugar beets, sugar cane, tapioca or molasses that worries me and I do know that the same dishes from different outlets have differing effects on my levels.

Further information..

" How do they make MSG or Free Glutamic Acid?
The following links explain exactly how the food industry can make free glutamic acid by hydrolyzing vegetable protein or by fermentation of glucose from starchy foods. In essence, MSG manufacturers can not only free bound glutamic acid from foods, but create it chemically." http://www.msgtruth.org/whatisit.htm

Angie
 

GraceK

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,835
Dislikes
Marzipan
Insincere people
Big cities
Vulgarity
I used to enjoy chicken korma with rice from ASDA but stopped eating it when I became diabetic. But I tried one yesterday, without the rice and I tested after 2 hours and my BG was 6.8 which is good for me. I'd also had some tinned soup and digestive biscuits after the korma so I was really shocked that it didn't give me high BS. So it's back on my shopping list and all is well with my world. :D
 

makka

Active Member
Messages
27
angieG][quote="angieG said:
Some Chinese dishes are okay as long as they don't add MSG to their dishes (sugar used for flavouring).
Angie

It may be sodium based but it is manufactured by fermentation using sugar according to this on Wiki...

"Currently, most of the world production of MSG is by bacterial fermentation in a process similar to wine, vinegar, yogurt and even chocolate. Sodium is added later through the steps of neutralization. During fermentation, selected bacteria (coryneform bacteria) cultured with ammonia and carbohydrates from sugar beets, sugar cane, tapioca or molasses, excrete amino acids into the culture broth from where L-glutamate is isolated. Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co Ltd developed the first industrial fermentation to produce L-glutamate.[31] Nowadays, the conversion yield and production rate from sugars to glutamate continues to improve in the industrial production of MSG, which allows for keeping up with demand.[8] The final product after filtration, concentration, acidification and crystallization is pure glutamate, sodium and water. It appears as a white, odorless crystalline powder that in solution dissociates into glutamate and sodium. It is freely soluble in water but not hygroscopic and practically insoluble in common organic solvents such as ether.[32] In general, MSG is stable under the conditions of regular food processing. During cooking, MSG does not decompose: Like other amino acids, browning or Maillard reactions will occur in the presence of sugars at very high temperatures."

It's the carbohydrates from sugar beets, sugar cane, tapioca or molasses that worries me and I do know that the same dishes from different outlets have differing effects on my levels.

Further information..

" How do they make MSG or Free Glutamic Acid?
The following links explain exactly how the food industry can make free glutamic acid by hydrolyzing vegetable protein or by fermentation of glucose from starchy foods. In essence, MSG manufacturers can not only free bound glutamic acid from foods, but create it chemically." http://www.msgtruth.org/whatisit.htm

Angie[/quote]

Hi Angie,
That description makes it sound even more unattractive, the product itself doesn't actually have any nutritional value, and looking at the process the bacteria consume all of the carbohydrate so they can excrete the amino acids from which the glutomate is extracted, so basically it is a product made from bacteria poo.... nice! :lol: