Type 1 What should I eat on a trip to India?

[nevenaves]

Dear Diabetes community, I need an advice on what to eat and what to stay away from on the (2 weeks, Radjastan) trip to India. I know basmati rice is good, but I would be very grateful if you can share your experience with me. Otherwise, I will end up eating only what I've already tried.

Thank you very much.
Nevena

 

[Knikki]

To be honest no idea as it is a place I have never been to, but if it was me I would try everything and just watch my sugars like a hawk. A lot of food out in India is vegetable based so it might only be the breads and rice that will give you some issues.
If your staying in a hotel then they should cater for most places around the world.

I did do a quick Google shuffle and found this https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/top-10-foods-try-rajasthan which may or may not be of some help.

Have a fun time and lets us know how you got on

 

[slip]

I'm with Knikki here, I wouldn't restrict my culinary delights, give everything a go! and just keep an extra eye on your BG, although if it's a holiday give yourself a bit of slack and enjoy it.

 

[Deleted Account]

Food in India is amazing. In my experience, it is all spicy but not as much hot spicy as we have in the UK.
If you eat at the street stalls, make sure it is freshly cooked - best to aim for a stall with long queues and even better if you can find a stall with bubbling hot fat.
I would avoid salads for fear they have not been washed properly ... likewise un-bottled water and ice.
There are still tales of Dehli Belly but I have travelled around India a few times and been fine. It may help that I ate vegetarian ... there are lots options.
Don't assume smart hotel restaurants will be ok - fellow travellers struggled more in posh restaurants (where you cannot see the kitchen and don't know how long the food has been hanging around for) than small, busy, local places.
Freshly cooked breads are amazing.

As you have mentioned rice, I assume you do not eat low carb. So, as someone with diabetes, there is nothing special you need to take into consideration.
Carb guessing will be as inaccurate as it is in the UK when you eat out.

Remember the chai is usually very sweet and don't expect cereal for breakfast ... after a week there, curry for breakfast started to feel normal.

And, whether work or pleasure, enjoy the culture.

 

[nevenaves]

Thank you guys for your swift reply.

 

[briped]

I'm totally with @helensaramay. Go vegetarian, check that your waterbottle's seal is intact, no ice cubes in drinks, and if you have a choice between local eateries, always go for the busiest one as the locals know best.
If you want to prepare yourself further I can recommend https://www.indiamike.com. Huge community for India lovers with so much info on India you wouldn't believe it.

 

[Bluey1]

I ate anything I liked when I was in India last time. 8 weeks latter when I got back I was Diabetic. Most traditional Indian food is quite good (except sweets) The breads are not great, but better than most western breads. Be careful of the water, NO fresh washed food like salads. Use bottled water and make certain it’s from a reputable store. Use it to wash your teeth and to drink. I agree stay vegetarian unless you know people that can advise you the best places to eat. Do NOT eat fish or seafood under any circumstance.
You will find some of the most wonderful people there.

 

[xfieldok]

@nevenaves every hotel I stayed in served a masala omlette at breakfast. Absolutely delish. I liked it so much that I still make it now. Omlette sprinkled with very finely diced onion, tomato and chilli.

 

[nevenaves]

@nevenaves every hotel I stayed in served a masala omlette at breakfast. Absolutely delish. I liked it so much that I still make it now. Omlette sprinkled with very finely diced onion, tomato and chilli.

My kind of breakfast.

 

[jjraak]

ah, how lucky ..i hope you enjoy., nevenneves

been many times ourselves, but only to goa, and love it.
People lovely, but be prepared for beggars and almost everyone at airports, etc expecting a tip of some sorts
(but remind yourself a 100 rupees is still only a £1..we like to think of it as paying an upfront fee for Ganesh to look after us during our trip , and we just go with the flow of life there. )
as an aside, don't be too shocked at the differences in cleanliness.
we have an infrastructure to cope with domestic waste and rubbish, the indians don't seem to have that.
My missus likes to call it.. 'paradise in a binbag'..LoL

Can only agree with the above comments.
Vegetarian is delicious...i'm a meat eater, and even i enjoyed most dishes.
but don't let that put you off trying any meat dishes that come your way.

chicken is far scrawnier then the water plumped up version we get here, but tandoori'd much tastier
The cow is sacred, so not a great beef choice, but i think you'll find pork and mutton most places
breads are marvelous.
Missus loves the masala omelette, me ..it's ok,
but we both LOVE the masala dosas....Nom, nom, nom.

I would add, IF you like spicy ask for it as the Locals have it...But be warned.
My wife likes it hot and spicy.. gent in front having a rather enjoyable looking meal (curry)
wife asked for same...Could NOT finish..LoL,,far too hot.

It's easy to go to the big shiney restaurants, but i must say we have had the most pleasant of surprises AND the most delicious foods when we've been the only non indians in the restaurant, so do seek out a more 'Local'. offering, look for the queues or mostly locals inside...Like everywhere, moneys too tight to waste on poor food, and the locals won't go to a bad restaurant..
A smile goes a long way, so smile and don't be afraid to point and ask what THAT is, most hosts are more then happy to share their knowledge especially when it's obvious your a tourist..and be sure to compliment if nice.

as for costs..a swanky smart restaurant figure £10+a head..
less swanky..think a £5- a head

Water as advised buy sealed bottles for brushing teeth and drinking.
we took all precautions and every single time i've been we've both had a mild dose (bar one) of delhi belly.
Had one particular time, rather unpleasant but more cramps then incapacitating.
tablets from chemist sorted me in a day or two.

Most chemists we have used are pretty aware and can give good advice about most things..diabetes also affect indians.

TOP TIPS
Masala Dosa.
sealed bottle water.
Giving is it's own rewards.
WetWipes/babywipes a MUST for any toilet visits,
(better to be prepared then find out once seated..)
* do your research, toilets can be rather basic, and the wipe is replaced by a 'wash' from a bucket
and some toilets are merely a hole in the floor...

Like animals..say hi, but be wary..
( we end up with a menagerie of cats, dogs, cows each year)
BUT dont like animals, ignore or avoid.

Rabies still a risk.
Be sure to check for malaria and take meds.

My favourite motto for india..( and life in general)
"Take what you need..Give what you can"

Enjoy, travel safe, and deffo DO share pics (IF that's possible on here..? )

 

[alphabeta]

@tvnerd

 

[tvnerd]

Dear Diabetes community, I need an advice on what to eat and what to stay away from on the (2 weeks, Radjastan) trip to India. I know basmati rice is good, but I would be very grateful if you can share your experience with me. Otherwise, I will end up eating only what I've already tried.

Thank you very much.
Nevena

Hello! I live in India. I would suggest sticking to the more traditional food like the cooked vegetables (called sabzi), lentil soup (dal) and wheat bread (roti). I would avoid the traditional Indian sweets only because glucose syrup is used to sweeten these so one piece is the equivalent of 6 glucose tablets.

The vegetables and lentil soup are carb heavy so you may have to take extra bolus for this. I would avoid naan because that is made with white flour here.

If you do try the street food like golgappa, bhel, samosas etc. DO NOT EAT THEM OFF THE STREET. Cannot emphasize that enough as that isn’t prepared in the most hygienic conditions. Go to a sweet store instead (Called Mithai Shop) where these are prepared using gloves and in cleaner kitchens.

Do carry some low carb food options because we don’t have many here. I usually carry fulfil protein bars. Also please only have bottled water as water here is not portable.

I hope you have a great time and feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!

 

[xfieldok]

For mutton read goat.

We had a guide, he took us to dhabas, roadside eateries. Some he said were ok for him to eat in, but not for us. Neither of us had any tummy problems.

Beggars can be a problem. We discovered that if you raise a hand and twist it left and right a couple of times it seems to send a message.

Beggaring is a business. Babies are borrowed. The guy on the floor with no legs will be picked up by his friends at the end of his shift.

Drinking. I made the mistake of drinking too much the first day. Assume toilets are few and far between and pretty disgusting. The rest of the trip we ate satsumas to quench our thirst.

If you use laundry services, expect boiled, grey clothes!

We had to buy mobile phones, and we had to jump through hoops to get them.

 

[tvnerd]

Just adding to this chain- there is an app called “HealthifyMe”. It helps with carb counting for Indian food!

 

[tom_r_orr]

May not be so useful to Type 1 but if you haven't seen this, Type 2's should check it out if you like Indian food.

https://www.youtube.com/user/HeadbangersKitchen

Some fantastic keto Indian recipes.

 

[hazelzac]

You can eat all the BBQ items like Tikka ,chargha ,tandoori chicken ,fish and veggies also lentils.

 

[tim2000s]

I've been to India many times, and I'd have to say that you should follow common sense rules. In other words, don't worry about eating meat, as long as it's in a decent establishment that has a high level of visitors. You absolutely don't need to go vegetarian to enjoy Indian food, and I've had some great seafood and meat based curries (Trishna in Mumbai does a fabulous crab curry).

Also, don't worry too much about Delhi belly. It doesn't hit some people, it does hit others. It hit me once in around 15 visits and it's basically resolved with a trip to the local pharmacy and over the counter sale of two large yellow antibiotic pills that see it off within 24 hours.

The most important thing is to have a great time. Rajasthan is the home of some great food, a couple of things especially including Laal Maas and Bhuna Kukda shouldn't be missed. Go along, pick some sensible, busy places to eat and enjoy what you get. And remember that most of the hotel restaurants are generally safe, if you're staying in hotels, and if you're eating with families, well you're having what they are!

 

[eddie07]

I too am going to South India next week for the winter months.
Generally speaking all the foods are fine. For a diabetic most of their rice, chapattis, naan, rotis, dhosas are high carbs.
When I went last year for 3 months and checked in March HBa1C was 5.9 just within the normal range. I ate whatever was offered including desserts cakes and Indian sweets.
So go ahead and enjoy yourself but be aware that Indian food is a high carb diet.

 

[jjraak]

cheers for that @eddie07.

We may be off ourselves this coming march, ( if swmbo, ever decides this years destination...)
my first time since T2D, so good to know.

also going to be very useful, @tvnerd..thank you

 

[endocrinegremlin]

I ate anything I liked when I was in India last time. 8 weeks latter when I got back I was Diabetic. .

I hope you are not trying to imply something? As that would be ridiculous.