Healthy takeaways?

The burger AND chips would have been worse, although their rise might have been slowed by the fat.
I tend to go for tandoori or tikka chicken taking off any sauce and expect a bit of a rise because I don't know what else is in it or what it has been cooked in.
It's very hard to be accurate with "outside food" but I use the philosophy if I can stay good and as low carb as possible rest of the week, does one small rise (and especially if it came down again quickly) matter that much? It's sustained high readings that linger for several hours that do the most damage

So, if its not often, if its not the gateway to more, and if its good for your mental health and welfare (only you will know) then enjoy it once in awhile
Imho.

And just think what your bg had gone to if you had sauce, rice and bread and more???? Sometimes you just have to makethebest choice you can in the circumstances

Maggie75 said:

any suggestions?

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Do you have a Nandos near enough to make use of? That's my go to. Two chicken thighs, grilled halloumi and a green salad totals 3.5 carbs. I've also been known to have the odd cheeky McDonalds.I just order without the bun or anything too carby and I slide it into a ketoroma bun from my freezer when it arrives. Whatever you go for if you order from a bigger chain you can often find their nutrition on their web page.

We're country bumpkins, which helps when anything's a 20 minutes drive away and beyond deliveroo (thank heavens)
On motorways etc I do McDonald's double cheese and bacon burger and just ditch the bun, or Nandos or 5 guys in lettuce wrap

The longer I do low carb real food, the less I fancy takeaways. Unless some enterprising person opens up "cheese on demand" of course

healthy or low carb? Not so sure there is really such a thing as a healthy takeaway these day

I have had positive results with both of the following in the libre CGM - not raising too much and not prolonged rise.

Chicken Jalfrezi, I then opt for a mushroom bhaji (these can be different depending on where you live - if you want the rice then nuke a bag of cauliflower rice to go with it (on occasion this has also been ok with chicken madras) keep away from the breads and saucier curry.

Doner kebab with salad - even with the pitta bread this tends to be be ok blood sugar wise for me, but that may be as the pitta is underneath the meat and coated in fat by the time I get to it.

Not saying I would recommend the above on nutritional value but both are "ok" when looking at my bloods and I have bad reactions to bread, usually raise my bloods well into double figures and takes time returning, though not when it has been pita.

Curry to stay away from is generally the milder curry with thicker sauces as these appear to contain much more carbohydrates. Also burger and fires would be a definite no for me and generally anything with bread, baps, rolls etc - Pizza I can't even contemplate, not tried chinese but would think generally these would contain way too much sugar/carbs.

Maggie75 said:

Hi everyone,

So, are there any healthy takeaways a T2 can have? I don't mind cooking the rest of the week but always enjoy a takeaway on a Friday after a long week...lol

I had a chicken tikka kebab tonight with salad and a little tzaziki on the side instead of the sauce, had a little of the bread it came with, there wasn't much but there was lots of chicken which I ate because I was starving, will need to have a more substantial lunch than a bit of chicken and bit of cheese. My blood sugar before eating was 7.6 which I was delighted with, tested 2 hours after dinner and it had gone up to 12.7! I was shocked, I really thought that chicken kebab would be ok. Is the tikka not as good for you or has it purely been the bit of bread?

I feel like I'd have been just as bad with a burger and chips as with that, gutted as I can't think of a healthier takeaway than that, any suggestions? Much appreciated, I'm struggling more with understanding all of this now than when I was first diagnosed.

Maggie

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Hi @Maggie75

Things I tried successfully after my DX and a couple of things I wish I'd known earlier.

Grilled chicken (chicken cottage, nandoes etc) serving of salad

Kebabs, just the grilled meat, or doner skip the pitta.

Have had the odd Indian, with home provided cauli rice & salad , less saucy picks, have been ok.

Subway, not an evening takeaway but for lunchtime, their salads are very decent.

And sadly all others I found, just not as enjoyable, despite dumping the bread & chips, so rarely bother bother buying those these days.

On a side note re hunger, it was a revelation to me how much difference just a few nuts could make when hungry.

I take 3 Brazil nuts each day and just those 3 nuts can often be my breakfast and I won't eat until lunchtime at work.

You could try similar & see if it helps your hunger after lunch?

I also, while not a dessert person, began having a pudding after my evening meal.
Still peckish, didn't want more dinner and didn't want to run the risk of snacking later in & creating another surge in insulin.

Low cal jelly, double cream & blueberries were my go to.

Filled me up and got me over that 'hungry' period before I got used to less food being ok for me.

Good luck finding what works for you.

I've found that I can do egg drop soup and a couple of shrimp rolls don't raise me to an unacceptable level. I can make a dinner-sized General Tso's chicken last at least 4 meals, and have a huge salad to go with it. Make the salad at home.

I've only ever made my own shish/ shawarma and kofta from meat and spices, I'd imagine if they were only meat it would be okay, but you don't know what's in things, or coatings or coverings when out I guess.

About 15 years ago I started having a funny reaction to wheat, caused me no end of digestive symptoms, heartburn, had a load of tests, not allergic, so consultant said probably a intolerance/sensitivity if have eaten a lot of it and to lay off it for a bit and see if it helped, which I did, and it did.

Anyway, cut long story short went to a BBQ at mums, saw had some kofta, asked where she got it from or if made it herself and what was in it, she told me the butchers and it was fine, it was just meat and spices. Had some and got awful heartburn later that evening. She said no there wasn't anything in it, she could see it was just meat, I said to be sure I'll phone the butcher, waited until the Monday called the guy and he said yeah we make them up with oatmeal and something else which was made from wheatflour, so yeah, those sort of ones even if looked like just meat contained some fillers, and this was a nice butchers too, so gonna be hard to tell unless they can actually specify what's in it.

Hi. There are very few healthy i.e. low-carb take-aways for us. Always try to find out the Total carb content. Sauces can be full of sugar. If I go to McDonalds I always delete the bun when ordering a burger (it's an option on the ordering panel)

Maggie75 said:

Thanks so much for all the suggestions and advice, I'm not going to beat myself up too much for having a takeaway once a week, will just have to see which ones are best for my blood sugars, hadn't even thought of Nando's, that sounds really nice. Have all the low carb dinners in for this week after the big shop today so here's hoping they get back to a decent level soon.

Maggie

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As your body adapts you might find you don't actually need to eat at every meal. Sometimes it becomes easy just to skip, especially if there's only carbs on offer.
The Indian we had last week (I stuck to tandoori chicken and a spinach side, gave me dreadful indigestion). Tomorrow we had a family party with typical catered food - none of which is low carb. I'm planning on a filling breakfast then nothing, but will take a little cooked chicken and nuts just in case. Not eating won't spoil my pleasure at the social occasion.
And 3 years ago I never ever thought I could be this way

MrsA2 said:

'm planning on a filling breakfast then nothing, but will take a little cooked chicken and nuts just in case. Not eating won't spoil my pleasure at the social occasion.
And 3 years ago I never ever thought I could be this way

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This exactly. Every work day I have a little box in my handbag with a cube of cheese and a hard boiled egg in it.Most days it comes home unopened. I'm rarely hungry at lunchtime but I have a fear of being hungry at lunchtime because previously I would have had a rumbling tummy and been more than ready. That little box is more than enough if it happens.

This might be an American thing but I like to get chicken wings. Either plain or with buffalo sauce. With celery sticks and carrots and blue cheese dressing.