Strictly Cheese Sandwiches

Personally, if you're serious about avoiding diabetes, cut out the oats and have an egg or some Greek yoghurt with a few berries for breakfast.

And ignore advice about "real" food - it's made from the same carbs (just costs you more).

PS. Ignore the advice about "low carb" pasta - it's still quite a lot of carbs. Just avoid pasta altogether.

BTW What do you mean by 450 calories? For a day? If you go that low, your body will go into shut down mode. A calorie-controlled diet should have 1000-1500 calories a day.

Doodledog Slow release carbs make no difference to diabetes. They're still carbs. The advantage is that they make you feel fuller for longer, but if you're eating them all in one go, you're going to have an absolutely massive sugar spike, will stimulate an equally massive insulin response, which your pancreas probably can't cope with.

T2 diabetics are advised to space their carb intake as equally as possible through the day.

You're right about low carb vegetarian diets. I've said the same a few times on GN, but get shouted down by those who think they know better.

Thanks everyone.

I was reckoning on about 450 calories all in with the protein powder and chia seeds, which spread over the day and added to one main meal (with no calories from drinks) should be ok for calories as well as carbs, but I thought that slow release carbs were A Good Thing.

My husband is joining me tomorrow for a week, and he is vegetarian, so I will be mostly eating veggie meals with him. I do have a small chicken in the freezer though, and could fall back on that if necessary. I usually save them for when I'm on my own though, as otherwise I struggle to get through a whole one without us eating entirely separate meals, which is tricky to do without a lot of planning and waste.

I find vegetarian low carb eating more difficult than when I am eating meat, but I'm sure I'll work something out. At least it's salad weather.

Doodledog, Given we won't eat animals, we cook meat and use all the assorted other products for our daughters and their families. I think chicken, with skin removed, is quite low fat and carb - high protein.

One of our GD eats eggs at breakfast and proclaims that low carb/high protein - turns my stomach but what's a GM to do? I cook eggs!

The cheese snacks I make for my brother, protein and no carbs.

Doodledog, I'll quote the internet.

"Daily's Porridge Oats 40g With 250ml Semi Skimmed Milk (1 serving) contains 39.7g total carbs, 36g net carbs, 7.9g fat, 14g protein, and 278 calories."

I feed our GC 20g of oats at breakfast (dry) with 5% fat Greek yogurt, some berries, 1T honey, 1/2 t vanilla - I believe their carbs are limited to around 30 at breakfast and protein is around 20. Good, I think.

I prefer they eat every 2-3 hours to avoid energy deficits, like me - many have ADHD and need protein to remain calm.

Dinahmo

Doodledog You can now buy pasta made from lentils in the supermarkets. They're OK for diabetics - a friend who is pre diabetic and very strict with her diet uses them. They don't taste as good as actual pasta but acceptable.

I use pasta made from chick peas/garbanzo. Thus low carb and high protein. I use in dishes with semi-hidden pasta (pasta isn't the star). I time it carefully, wash carefully, think it's lovely.

I prefer to make lasagna and strozzapreti pasta from real bread flour.

Our daughter, getting married soon, limited her carbs to 80 a day to shift an extra 12 lbs. She's small (size 8), not as tall as her sisters, weight shows a bit more across her tummy. Shapewear is her friend.

I answer to most things, Riverwalk .

I'm not 'on a diet' as such. I want to bring down and stabilise my sugar levels so that I stop being pre-diabetic, and yes, I would also like to lose some weight, which is difficult because I can't get much exercise and because I have a dodgy thyroid. It's a bit of a vicious circle.

Doodledog not bug!

Despite what you've just been told, it is better to eat the carbs in smaller, more regular portions because eating them all in one go will go you a massive sugar spike, which you want to avoid.

I was thinking more in terms of Doodlebug sticking to a diet i.e. changing eating habits and not always having snacks to hand, rather than controlling sugar highs. She's not diabetic, and that could possibly be prevented - presumably is pre-diabetic because of being overweight.

Anyway whichever way you choose, good luck!

Oh.

Thanks for that info. I really thought I was doing the right thing, although after 2 weeks of it I haven't lost any weight. I would have thought cutting the sugar alone would have helped, but I suppose I'm just replacing it with carbs, which amounts to the same thing 🙄. There are cabs in the protein powder too, although not many.

I've just got the Michael Mosely book, so will scrutinise that before my next grocery shop, and will remove the box of oats that is on there now. This is hard work.

Oats stacked with yoghurt, fruit, chopped nuts, honey is a veritable carb fest!! Avoid like the plague (unless you happen to be a professional athlete).

Dinahmo

Doodledog You can now buy pasta made from lentils in the supermarkets. They're OK for diabetics - a friend who is pre diabetic and very strict with her diet uses them. They don't taste as good as actual pasta but acceptable.

How many carbs in a portion?

Doodledog A 50g portion of oats (with water) has 71g of carbs and 381g of calories.

Bear that in mind when you plan your meals for the day.

To give you some context, I plan to eat 50-70g of carbs a day and I get most of my carbs from fruit, veg and dairy products - without ever eating starchy carbs or sweet stuff. I don't touch oats or any cereals.

Despite what you've just been told, it is better to eat the carbs in smaller, more regular portions because eating them all in one go will go you a massive sugar spike, which you want to avoid.

My advice to you would be to buy a book called "Carb & Calorie Counter" from Diabetes UK or Amazon. If you can afford it, get a blood sugar monitor, lancets and testing strips. Test six times a day a few times a week until you see how your body reacts to food.

PS. I'd rather not eat any pasta than substitute pasta.

I've been making one bowl (about 50g of oats and the rest in proportion) and having about half for breakfast and the rest in maybe three helpings during the day, plus one low-carb meal.

I've cut out added sugar altogether (specifically in drinks, as I used to have a lot of sugary drinks), and am not eating bread, potatoes or pasta. I am on the borderline for pre-diabetes (ie only just), and don't want to tip into another health issue. I am overweight because of other ones, which I assume is responsible for the pre-diabetes - it's a vicious circle.

I may well be wrong, but my understanding was that it is better to eat little and often, to prevent sudden spikes, which is why I have adopted this way of doing things. I don't have a huge appetite anyway, so I wouldn't eat it all in one go.

As I said upthread, I am trying to cut down on simple carbs (for weight loss and because I am pre-diabetic), and am making up bowls of tiramisu oats to snack on (oats, chia seeds, protein powder, milk and espresso, with Wa yoghurt and differently flavoured protein powder topping. I know that oats have carbs, but as they are slow-release is this a healthy way forward, along with a proper meal a day (last night's was pork with rainbow chard and peas)?

Who knows what the science is but I'm not sure snacking is the way to go - as we all know successful dieting is about changing eating habits. If I were you I'd have the oat mixture for breakfast or lunch, not snack on it here and there.

For me, not pre-diabetic but it's in the family, I eat three low-carb meals a day, with no snacks - it's the only way I keep my weight down and, I hope, Type 2 at bay.

I have tried lentil pasta, I confess, that for me, it was buy once, eat, vow never to buy it again. The texture was soft and slimy.

Most of our chocolate manufacturers were Quakers, Cadbury's Fry's, Terry's, Rowntree's, as were many of our retail bankers, Barclays, Lloyds, Gurneys, also the shoe makers, Clarks.

Doodledog You can now buy pasta made from lentils in the supermarkets. They're OK for diabetics - a friend who is pre diabetic and very strict with her diet uses them. They don't taste as good as actual pasta but acceptable.

Doodledog

Thanks. So you use it like bouillon powder? That's a good idea.

Doodledog, My response seems daft - but as I don't use the commercial product I don't know the answer. I just measure and sprinkle.

Doodledog

Thanks. So you use it like bouillon powder? That's a good idea.

Yes. I don't use store purchased bullion - I use miso. However apart from miso, I will use yeast sprinkled in some things, for flavour.

As a family we have many allergies to chemicals, preservatives, eggs (think ADHD) - I avoid all of that with natural organic ingredients.

Thanks. So you use it like bouillon powder? That's a good idea.

Doodledog

As this thread is way off topic now, is it ok to ask another unrelated question, please? Actually, I have two.

As I said upthread, I am trying to cut down on simple carbs (for weight loss and because I am pre-diabetic), and am making up bowls of tiramisu oats to snack on (oats, chia seeds, protein powder, milk and espresso, with a yoghurt and differently flavoured protein powder topping. I know that oats have carbs, but as they are slow-release is this a healthy way forward, along with a proper meal a day (last night's was pork with rainbow chard and peas)?

The other question is that I have a three-pack of flavoured nutritional yeast (bacon, cheese and plain) and wondered if anyone has any tried and tested suggestions for using them? I have used the ordinary type on things like cheese sauces and pasta, but as I am not eating either these days, I'm not sure what to do with them. Thanks in advance if anyone can help.

Doodledog I believe oats are filling, cheap, healthy - perhaps watch quantity quite carefully? Our GC like oats stacked with yoghurt, fruit, chopped nuts, honey - I consider it a proper healthy, low fat breakfast.

Our daughters and GC love nutritional yeast on plain popcorn. I use it in veg etable soups, stews - umami when I'd rather not use miso. I don't use stock cubes (unhealthy ingredients) - so miso.

I've never found in shops, the cheese snacks my brother likes. Nothing in them except grated baked cheddar cheese.

I've never liked cheddar since I was a child. However, I make cheese snacks for brother, our GC - easy cheap snacks for car trips.

I fetched brother with an army size quantity (and 2 apples, oat biscuits, coffee thermos) - all finished as I pulled into our garage from LHR.

I thought porridge oats were grown here.

As this thread is way off topic now, is it ok to ask another unrelated question, please? Actually, I have two.

As I said upthread, I am trying to cut down on simple carbs (for weight loss and because I am pre-diabetic), and am making up bowls of tiramisu oats to snack on (oats, chia seeds, protein powder, milk and espresso, with a yoghurt and differently flavoured protein powder topping. I know that oats have carbs, but as they are slow-release is this a healthy way forward, along with a proper meal a day (last night's was pork with rainbow chard and peas)?

The other question is that I have a three-pack of flavoured nutritional yeast (bacon, cheese and plain) and wondered if anyone has any tried and tested suggestions for using them? I have used the ordinary type on things like cheese sauces and pasta, but as I am not eating either these days, I'm not sure what to do with them. Thanks in advance if anyone can help.