Type 2 Is it better to eat 3 meals no snacking, or graze through the day

Countrybumpkin said:

My husband has type 2, and will grab some fruit here and there, a nurse said he should eat 3 meals to avoid the lows.

Click to expand...

What medication is he on?

I have to wonder - what lows?
A type two eating fruit is going to go high, unless prescribed things to cause their blood glucose to go down.

I think Vildagliptin pressures the pancreas to produce more insulin, does your husband have the means to test his blood glucose?
Does he actually have lows?

If his levels are still high then the medication is unable to cope with the amount of carbohydrate in his diet - which, if he is snacking on fruit, does seem to be poorly chosen - though often people do get bad advice from those who really ought to know better.

I agree with @Resurgam .... he needs to reduce his carb intake. Considering his HbA1c was 74, I seriously doubt he is at risk of hypo (low BG)

Countrybumpkin said:

My husband has type 2, and will grab some fruit here and there, a nurse said he should eat 3 meals to avoid the lows.

Click to expand...

What sort of fruit? A lot of fruits will not be helpful to type 2 due to the carbs. Some (berries for example) will not be so bad (there are of course those technical fruits that wouldn’t be seen as such like avacado or cucumber but could be an option for snacking)

The advice about “healthy” fruit and carbs etc are rather incorrect for T2, we often need to throw certain advice totally on it’s head. To be fair, some diabetic professionals get it, many don’t

snacks are one part of it, there is also what is in his meals. Overall high(ish) levels of carbs are often a real problem leading to more drugs and less control unfortunately.

Countrybumpkin said:

My husband has type 2, and will grab some fruit here and there, a nurse said he should eat 3 meals to avoid the lows.

Click to expand...

He'd be far better off not snacking at all and eating two meals a day in a reduced eating window.
Fruit is likely to be one of the worst things for a T2 with high blood sugars to be eating.

The "standard" way of addressing Type 2 is to eat what is thought to be healthy by societal norms, i.e. whole grains, fruit, veg, cereal etc with low fat. That method is like trying to fit a round into a square area, and for people who have been metabolically damaged by Type 2 / Insulin Resistance.

I would incorporate snacks into meals. But snacks do not have to be defined in the old way. Snacks could be bacon, sautéed mushrooms. Many who embrace a Ketogenic method of eating end up eating 2 meals a day, with no snacks.

This is a sample list of foods that can work. It might at first glance look restrictive, but for example steak, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes could be a main meal, followed by a side plate of raspberries, strawberries, a few almonds and a couple of small cheese wedges.




This site gives some great ideas for meals, around 1000 recipes
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes/new

As we have been told, brought up to how we eat and what times and labelled meal times such as brunch, the whole thing is ridiculous.
My breakfast is two or three pm In the afternoon. Your breakfast is some time in the morning. So how can we advise people when to eat?
Your likes and dislikes are a contributing factor as is when you work, your daily routine and how serious your condition is.
As a brit and seen how we stuff ourselves, we as a whole, eat far too much. We only need a certain amount of good healthy food tailored to your lifestyle and your aims on how to tackle your condition.
The advice I received when I joined many years ago, was reduce your carbs and sugar,
Reduce your portion size,
Eat more protein and healthy fats.
Do more, as long as it doesn't increase your blood glucose levels. Exercise sensibly.
There is no quick fix, this will take time and it is about you taking control and you being healthy.

Stay safe

I’m T1.. but some days I have 2 or 3 meals. Others I graze

For me (pre pump) there was little difference between the two unless I over did the meal or snack size

Personally I found I was less likely to have lows when grazing

The risk with grazing is the overall quantity in a day can be more..