Hi, Nick...It's tough at first to know what the hell to eat. But - I'm sure you can eat a lot more than you think. First up - It's important to test regularly...more than the doctors advise (they don't want us getting stressed by readings). I strongly advise you keep a diary of what you eat and when, and that you record readings before eating and 2.5 hours after eating. That way you will quickly figure out what works. The post meal reading should be very similar to the premeal; if not the grubs got too many carbs in it. There are other opinions, obviously, but I'd definitely say NO bread, pasta, rice or spuds..no biccies, no cakes...etc. No cereal - it's brutal! The good news you can eat some fruit and plenty of veg! The problem is only with high or "simple" carb foods as carbs turn into sugar in the blood and have the same impact as sugar. I am on a very low carb diet, and that is working (as you can see from my "signature" below).
I eat: slices of smoked cheese (no carbs at all) and dried bacon slices for brekkie; boiled eggs of omelettes are good too.The odd fry up is fine. I often have 5 or 6 strawberries with an avocado and mayo for lunch.. For dinner, eat steak, bacon, pork, chicken, 90% meat sausages, or fish (without batter). Salmon and tuna are good for you. All low or complex carb veg is ok. As a rule, if veg grows above ground its cool. I eat broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, cabbage etc. Note that asparagus can lower the blood sugar level a bit. I even have a beer with dinner. Red wine works for some people. Coffee and tea are fine - avoid too much milk. Check the labels for what's in every 100g -.if the carbs are 10g or less per 100g - it's low carb....enjoy it! Explore the low carb info on this site. By all means, do run things past your doctor, but many T2 diabetics eat in this way with positive results.Good luck.
Paul