• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

The Need For Low Carb Snack Outlets

Dexterdobe

Well-Known Member
Messages
305
Location
Norfolk England
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Being unwell and seeing BG levels soar
I popped into a petrol filling station to grab a midday snack yesterday. Usually, I can find something suitable for a T2 in these places, even if it's only a packet of mixed nuts. Yesterday, I couldn't find a single item of food that was low in carbs. The UK government may be taking action to cut down on sugar in kids drinks etc, but what about legislation to make healthy, low carb food available alongside all the bags of crisps and white bread sandwiches.
 
This is what annoy's me. There is no reason why companies cannot cater to people who are Pre-diabetic or Diabetic. I am sure that the companies would make a good profit. All they have to do is use alternative ingredients or cut out sugar. I guess they want us all to stay with high BGL so that they can keep feeding the diabetics who have not yet caught onto low carb high fat yet.
 
Dexterdobe said:
The UK government may be taking action to cut down on sugar in kids drinks etc, but what about legislation to make healthy, low carb food available alongside all the bags of crisps and white bread sandwiches.
Click to expand...
We need to write to people like Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall, people seem to listen to them. They have rightly brought the sugar issue to the attention of many, including Parliament but I always felt that they had missed the point a little bit. Carbs obviously convert to sugar and although some can tolerate more than others, carbs are as bad as sugar.
 
If there were sandwiches, you could just have the fillings? Many of these places also have things like cheese strings, and of course they are likely to be processed cheese, but better than nothing if you find yourself in a bind.
 
With Jamie's Italian chain already in trouble l don't think there is much chance of him denouncing carbs.
 
derry60 said:
There is no reason why companies cannot cater to people who are Pre-diabetic or Diabetic.
Click to expand...

I think it might come down to money, demand, supply, shelf life. Diabetes UK reckon that 1 in 17 people have diabetes, so assuming you can extrapolate that to 1 in 17 drivers going into a garage, diabetics are a small portion of their potential snack seeking customers. Might be worth just going to a garage with an M&S or Safeway (I'm sure other food retail operations can be found in garages) at least you can always get some sort of salad. Failing that it might have to be nuts, if you can find nuts without fruit (sorry, personal whinge about my local garage, plenty of nuts but none on their own, it's as bad as putting Worcestershire sauce into bottles of tomato juice, yet another personal whinge LOL).
 
Mr_Pot said:
l don't think there is much chance of him denouncing carbs.
Click to expand...

I expect not. Diabetes UK reckon 1 in 17 Brits are diabetic and in Italy 1 in 20 people are diabetic. I'm assuming Italian people eat more pasta than us Brits, yet a lower incidence of diabetes. The Italian paradox maybe LOL.
 
Since becoming diabetic last year getting that mid afternoon snack has become a real challenge as well as eating out...I tend to make my own lunch now and nuts to snack on...shops and restaurants are doing a great job catering for the gluten and dairy intolerant but when it comes to sugar and carbs not so good....if I’m ever caught short it’s a bag of nuts, M&S do a great range...
 
I gave up on finding suitable snacks a long time ago, I take mini babybel cheeses and small bags of nuts with me in case I need to snack on anything, I will take a multi pack of skips now and then (smaller than average bag) they don't affect my levels
 
I do not think the majority of people who are not T2 would want to buy the lower carb foods so shops and garages etc only stock what they know they will sell most of and as you say someone popping in for a lunch snack want crisps and sandwiches. It would not be economic for small shops and petrol stations to stock stuff that will only sell to a minority of the public
 
I am usually dissapointed with food seclections when out and about and invariably go for a small English breakfast or omelette so I carry a bag around with me. It contains my testing stuff and medication but also baby bell cheese, a small snap lid box of nuts as well a plastic spork and napkins so that I can dump bread from sandwiches and other carby items on sale.
 
Mr_Pot said:
With Jamie's Italian chain already in trouble l don't think there is much chance of him denouncing carbs.
Click to expand...

I've been pondering the potential of diabetes/low-carb dining, and whether that could translate into a healthy eating chain. It wouldn't be too hard to create low-carb menus, and 1 in 17 means a large potential customer base. But it's also a high-risk/high overhead venture and restaurants more likely fail than succeed. I guess there'd be added complications around food labelling and restrictions on saying something is suitable for diabetics, or making health claims. A large market, but also a lot of competition from outlets selling whatever emerges from the food techs at 3663 and similar.
 
I went to a Festival Sunday gone. You can imagine the food there. They were cooking homemade roasties, Hog roasts burgers, sausages etc. There was a lot of different foods. I was good I had 2 jumbo sausages with a small portion of onions. The lady even cut up the sausages for me put them on a tray with a plastic fork. If you are peckish when out and want something on the go it can be difficult, but I tend to head to Tesco express and get some cooked chicken drumsticks or Tesco's ready-made lettuce tomato ham and egg salad. Nuts, some cheese.
 
mmm... hog roasts! Delicious if properly cooked, somwhat hazardous if not.

But on the subject of snacking, there were people handing out 500ml bottles of 'Drench'. No artificial sweetners, colors or flavors! Yey!

12.5mg sugar per 100ml. Not so yey! Bill Hicks really nailed it when he talked about marketing.
 


There are restaurant chains who do offer low carb alternatives, obviously there are the steakhouse chains if you eat meat, or many cafes do all day breakfast.
But also places like Bella Italia and Harvester ( you can tell I have primary school aged kids ) OK they are not necessarily amazing but its a start. Harvester allow you to swap out the carb side and staff seem to be very aware of diabetics and carbs. Bella Italia have spirallized veg option instead of pasta.


In terms of snacks and planning ahead, I take a nuts and a pouch of olives with me and a little coolbag with cheese -
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…