Hello! Looking for meal prep advice for my T2 father-in-law

Hi everyone,

Firstly, I've been glued to this forum all evening - what a wonderful resource! Thanks so much for all the information and advice, it's hugely helpful.

I'm trying to work out how best to support my father-in-law and wonder if you lovely lot may be able to share some wisdom? He is T2 and has spent the last week in hospital with pancreatitis. It has emerged that he has not been taking his medication (Gliclazide, Metformin) at all, and has absolutely not been eating a diabetes-friendly diet for quite a while. After a stern talking to from the (very patient and kind) medical staff he's now home and we are determined to support him and help him to feel better.

The plan is currently to stock his kitchen with suitable snacks to keep him feeling full, and for me to prepare meals for him to heat at home. He does not cook. I'm a bit confused about how best to approach this - I understand that a low carb diet is essential, but I am wary of too much meat/dairy/eggs because he has a significant amount of weight to lose and he also has a heart condition and high cholesterol. Lots of things to try and get under control at the same time!

Would it be appropriate for me to prepare meals with brown rice/wholegrains, poultry/fish and plenty of veg? Is porridge a poor idea for breakfast? He is very averse to vegetables so I fear it may be a bit of an uphill struggle, but I am determined to try my best! He's been T2 for a long time, I think, but doesn't seem to have a particularly good knowledge of how to manage his diet, so I want to be as clued up as I can be.

If anyone has any tips I'd be so grateful; I'm so sorry if these are silly newbie questions! I'll keep trawling through these brilliant posts in the meantime and see what I can find out!

Thanks so much

*Edit* I'm aware it must sound like we've only just recently started being invested in his health! It's been a difficult situation for years (he has until now refused to acknowledge that he's diabetic) and one we've tried to handle sensitively; his recent pancreatitis and hospital spell seems to have given him a bit of a wake up call so we seem to have a window to help out. He is a very beloved but very stubborn man!

bulkbiker said:

On a keto diet I lost 120 pounds and put a whole heap of other problems into remission (T2 included)by not worrying about eating any of those things in the slightest.
The heart condition won't be impacted (or may even improve) and as for cholesterol we'd be dead without it.

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Thank you, this is helpful. I need to see if his Dr or specialist will chat to me before introducing keto, but it would certainly be more straightforward for him to manage I think. So much of the 'normal' diet guidance seems inapplicable to these circumstances, so I am super grateful for insight from the community

bulkbiker said:

You might be very lucky and find one who follows it but it's fairly unlikely. Like most of us here you'll likely have to forge your own (and your FiL's way). Most GP's are still stuck in the 80's and 90's for nutrition science.

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I am learning a lot from this forum!

bulkbiker said:

Slight word of warning in that if the pancreatitis causes lasting damage all this stuff may not be so effective. But I'll wager it will do no harm ...just have to watch out for medication causing hypoglycemia.

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Yes, defo - great point. At this point I think we just want to get him settled onto the medication which he's been inexplicably flushing down the toilet for years, and ascertain what's going on with his pancreas. I am so wary of a misstep here, but also it feels very important to intervene in a kind and loving way. Ooh it all feels very complicated, I am so grateful to have some advice - thank you.

@MrsA2 - so much truth here and thank you for such thoughtful insight. He's only 66 so ought to have a good few years in him yet. We aren't sure whether he's running himself into the ground as part of a larger, more complicated situation, or whether he doesn't think it's that serious and not worth attending to. I think this is why we've tended to leave him to look after himself up to now; he is entirely entitled to do what he wishes with his own health and of course we don't want to bully or coerce him. He seems quite shaken by this recent episode and I think it's starting to dawn on him that he may not, in fact, live forever. It feels like a moment for action has presented itself and he's currently quite receptive to the idea of taking steps to manage his health, so I am hopeful we can all work together to find a manageable approach