Understanding Food Labels

[canemdog]

Still quite new with this Type-2 thing. I am working my way into a low carb life with some success. I'm averaging under 30g per meal (3 x day) which is way better than before. One of my challenges is I am a consultant and work away 2 to 3 days a week and eat out for 3 meals a day.

M&S has become one of my new favourite restaurants, however I don't understand the package labels when they say x.xg of Carbs of which x.x g are sugars.

Which value should I be counting?

latest H1bc was 41!

Regards
Randy

 

[Bluetit1802]

You can ignore the "of which sugars". Just look at Total Carbs. Sugar is just another carb and the amount is already included in the total.

 

[Jaylee]

You can ignore the "of which sugars". Just look at Total Carbs. Sugar is just another carb and the amount is already included in the total.

This is true.. I was looking at the the contents of a male collegue's 280'sh ml empty bottle of "Slimfast" chocolate (I think) shake today at work..
28.3 of carbs 23.1 of which were sugar..??


That's not the funniest part.. The list on the back read like "War & peace". Which had most of the ingredients listed of male human ejaculate...
I told the guy to Google it..

 

[Jaylee]

latest H1bc was 41!

Regards
Randy

Hi Randy,
I agree with Bluetit's answer.
Sorry about my earlier post. But I'm still chuckling at my colleague's response to this...

Your A1c looks great!

 

[canemdog]

Thanks. So I won't be having a slim fast diet!!! Lol. Count the big carbs. Going to be a challenge to lower my carbs more. Even a simple wrap has 31 carbs. . Going to need to research better for meals as I travel so much making food myself is not possible.


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[Jaylee]

Hi again,

Try looking at the "Carbs & calls" app. If you have a smartphone or tablet, while traveling. (In either Apple or Android.)
Quite good visual representation of what's happening in the food carbwise...

Hope this helps!

 

[chalup]

Thanks. So I won't be having a slim fast diet!!! Lol. Count the big carbs. Going to be a challenge to lower my carbs more. Even a simple wrap has 31 carbs. . Going to need to research better for meals as I travel so much making food myself is not possible.


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Hi I am in Canada so I am not sure exactly which foods are available to you. I know some of the things people on this forum talk about are hard to find here. If you are eating in restaurants then grilled meat, chicken, steak, seafood, whatever you like with steamed veggies or salad on the side. Caesar is good just no croutons. Also breakfast is easy for any time of the day just skip the bread and potatoes. Most non fast food places here will do up a ham and cheese omelette or something like it any time if you ask nice and explain you are restricted. Often it is easiest to claim celiac, everyone seems to understand that. If you are on the road and eating in your car then cold cuts layered with cheese or cream cheese and lettuce rolled up like a wrap, cheese strings are great, pepperoni, veggies and dip, slice a cucumber in half lengthwise and hollow it out, fill with devilled egg/ham/chicken salad/shrimp salad/whatever you like. Avocados, olives, nuts. All you need is a cooler and some ice. Hope this helps

 

[canemdog]

Thanks Chalup! I am Canadian as well, been living in the UK last 10 years. I'll try the lettuce role up for me. Due to commuting and being a consultant I am always moving around. There is one shop M&S does reason salads of all sort however my favourite I just found out has like 30g of carbs! Unfair!!! Anybody have any good UK based chain stores/restaurants you like that gets a lunch on the go and low carb??? Thanks!!


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[PenfoldAPD]

Thanks Chalup! I am Canadian as well, been living in the UK last 10 years. I'll try the lettuce role up for me. Due to commuting and being a consultant I am always moving around. There is one shop M&S does reason salads of all sort however my favourite I just found out has like 30g of carbs! Unfair!!! Anybody have any good UK based chain stores/restaurants you like that gets a lunch on the go and low carb??? Thanks!!


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If you find a Pret they have low carb pots ie spinach and avocado etc that are quite good

 

[canemdog]

Have to give Spinach a go, always liked that. Never liked Avacado.


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[ewelina]

If I struggle to find low carb ready to go meal I buy salad and some cold meat like chicken or salami/chorizo/parmaham (or smoked salmon). Few almonds as a pudding and I'm happy
M&S makes delicious edamame beans salad which isn't very high in carbs. I love it

 

[Bluetit1802]

Why not make your own?
Easy enough to make a salad or similar and keep it with you.

 

[canemdog]

Hi ewelina. I saw that edamame salad last night but wasn't brave enough to try! . I'll give it a go next time. Thanks


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[canemdog]

Hey Bluetit1802. I live in hotels for quite a bit of the week. When I am home I am making it myself. Otherwise like the idea of making it myself.


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[sud5nala]

I don't understand the package labels when they say x.xg of Carbs of which x.x g are sugars.

Which value should I be counting?

You could be counting both. Nonsugars are complex carbs, which usually means starches.
It matters because sugars are absorbed faster, therefore they make the blood glucose spike more. Complex carbs are chains of sugar molecules. To be absorbed from the gut, first the chains have to be digested into sugar molecules. Some people can feel the difference in impact of starches (rice, wheat) versus sugars.

 

[RuthW]

No. If it says 'of which x are sugars', they are already included in the first figure. Just count the first figure.


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[Yeknodathon]

Some tips: spending 20 min sessions in the crisps and choc supermarket aisles comparing labels only attracts the security guard. And besides, they all read basically the same, except 85% or higher cocoa plain dark choc bars.

Repeating the same exercise over the weeks is futile, the readings on the label do not magically come down no matter what psychic abilities I feel I have developed. I've tried.

 

[Yeknodathon]

...though I haven't tried correcting the labels with a crayon... that is a possibility...hmmmm

 

[sud5nala]

No.

This was posted in response to the preceding post. But in another thread which you posted in, the person shared (post #26) that they can only tolerate complex carbs.

 

[Yeknodathon]

And perhaps more serious and something that reminded me this week, labels are important sure. But as I sat down with fellow kayakers and watched them order food at the pub.. geeesh the size of the portions?! I celebrated with yum whitebait and a side of chips (yes folks C-H-I-P-S) because it was a treat and I hadn't had a deep fried potato carb stick of evil for a very long time.. I really didn't need all of them, perhaps half and was struggling to finish. There would be no way I could comfortably eat a whole main easily and a pud and a starter.... so labels and portions because the labels say carbs per 100g (or less) and that isn't a lot. Sometimes 7 oatcakes are a struggle!

And perhaps the labels are not the whole story but how the body deals with the carbs - carbs are not all the same. Glycemic Index and Loading is an interesting topic; some foods with medium to high carbs are not so scary as labels suggest because they need breaking down over time; their impact is spread further and more gradually when compared with the risky stuff.

And finally, everyone is different; we all have varying tolerances so a I go with a heavy dose of pragmatism; if it works, its okay but knowing that it may not be okay for others and knowing that diabetes is a bit of a tricky, slippery beast and I may be challenged to change. Which is sort of liberating and encourages me to do careful experimentation and monitoring.