Strictly Cheese Sandwiches

PS. I don't like nut butters because they stick to your teet and roof of you mouth.

PPS. Exactly! Tofu, quinoa, pulses, beans and chickpeas contain carbs. I eat about 50g of carbs a day and they would all take me over the threshold.

No, I don't want to go vegan!

I'm T2 diabetic and have found out for myself a way of eating which keeps my blood glucose under control and is relatively cheap, which is important for me.

I don't eat much meat, but I do eat dairy as one of my main sources of protein. I eat a low carb diet. Most of my carbs come from veg, fruit and milk products. I hardly ever eat cheap carbs such as potatoes, bread, pasta, etc.

I've had many conversations with vegans over the years about low carb and have looked at many websites. Not one has ever come up with a solution which would be right for me.

Given that I already restrict what I eat to a great extent, I'm certainly not willingly going to give up the foods I can eat, enjoy and are good for me. As it happens, I really dislike beans and tofu, so there are almost no good sources of plant protein which don't involve high carbs.

It annoys me that people seem to think the poor automatically stuff their faces with rubbish food. They probably eat too many carbs because they're cheap and fill hungry tummies., but they often have long-term consequences. I can't believe how sanctimonious people are about food. I'm always amazed how much people concentrate on micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) but don't need to know so much about macro-nutrients (fat, protein and carbs). If people want to be vegan, vegetarian or eat the latest "wonder" food, that's up to them. However, please don't try telling others how to eat.

PS. I'm strict about keeping my total average food budget to less than £3 a day. I've been lucky in having free food available, but if anybody seriously has any ideas for cheap, low carb meals, I'd love them to share.

PPS. The ONS's own stats claim that food prices have risen by 19% in a year. For people already on very low incomes, what are they supposed to cut to eat well?

M0nica

There you all go again telling the poor how to eat.

Huh? Where now, I must have blinked?

There you all go again telling the poor how to eat.

Chocolatelovinggran

JaneJudge -I agree with you absolutely . Her bible seems different from mine. In John 21 Jesus tells us to " feed my lambs". My volunteering at foodbank is my response to this. What is hers?

Yes she is a hypocrite

Norah

choughdancer nuts

Nuts and seeds. Many delicious choices. (Hemp seeds-complete protein)

Also given Protein/portion: Tofu, Quinoa, Pulses, Beans, Chick peas, Kale, Flax, Spinach, Asparagus, Rocket, Mushrooms, Tempeh.

Yes I should have said seeds too. Tofu, quinoa, pulses, beans and chickpeas do contain carbohydrate too though, so someone who has to avoid carbs completely wouldn't be able to have them. But as Norah said, there are many different nuts and seeds available, as well as peanut or almond butter, tahini (high in calcium too), toasted nuts and seeds as a topping.

Growstuff are you wanting to go vegan? If so there are lots of websites showing how to eat low carb vegan. Also I don't think you would have to worry about nuts being high in fat. If you weren't eating meat or dairy, the fat content of your diet would be much lower and so nuts would be fine.

choughdancer nuts

Nuts and seeds. Many delicious choices. (Hemp seeds-complete protein)

Also given Protein/portion: Tofu, Quinoa, Pulses, Beans, Chick peas, Kale, Flax, Spinach, Asparagus, Rocket, Mushrooms, Tempeh.

I’m sure you can sort out your own diet growstuff.

(and relatively expensive) should have gone after "high in fat".

I agree about nuts (and relatively expensive), but they're also very high in fat.

I do eat quite a lot of nuts, but I can't survive on them. Anything else?

JaneJudge -I agree with you absolutely . Her bible seems different from mine. In John 21 Jesus tells us to " feed my lambs". My volunteering at foodbank is my response to this. What is hers?

growstuff

Norah

Dinahmo

Norah I'm impressed with what you eat, which, to most of us, is not a wide selection of ingredients. Well done to you.

I've often thought that I should be vegetarian but find it difficult to make the final step. I have cut down on the amount of meat that we eat. Probably 60% are vegetarian meals and 40% meat or fish.

Thank you.

We only became vegan about 10 years ago. Not totally for animal welfare reasons, more for our own healthy bodies.

We actually eat as varied a diet as meat eaters, different protein sources. Somehow people, mistakenly, think there aren't many delicious natural vegetable sourced proteins - but there are.

We do source many herbs, spices, soy sauces - adding flavour.

Give me an example of a vegetable protein which doesn't have carbs.

Nuts

Well said, maddyone.

I come from a well-organised family of seven (five kids). By the time I had started at secondary school (I was the second oldest) Mum wasn't up by the time I left for school. We older ones got our own breakfast of cornflakes, toast or Readybrek. We had school dinners and came home to a simple cooked tea (beans on toast/something eggy, etc). We were and still are all healthy. Nowt wrong with a carby breakfast to start you off.

Because I had been late on my very first day at the grammar school (I got the same bus as my older brother whose school was further away!), the second morning I rushed out for an earlier bus without eating breakfast.

My dad realised (no empty cornflakes bowl!) made two marmalade sandwiches and brought them in to my registration class at school for me!! So embarassing (but so Good Dad). I never went to school without breakfast again.

If I recall correctly growstuff, you have to avoid carbs. Obviously a cheese sandwich is laden with them. Most people don’t have to avoid carbs, merely limit their intake for health reasons. Why are you picking on Norah’s healthy alternative to a cheese sandwich? Of course tomatoes and lettuce have nutritional value (remember the five a day?) but they are not carbs. You seem to accuse her of lying. An apology is in order.

A slice of toast is hardly nutritious either and needs to be part of a varied diet.

Oh I know this growstuff, you are preaching to the converted here. However, I did have a few children in my classes over the years who were not even fed toast before school. When I worked in Early Years I would ask my teaching assistant to give those children milk as soon as they arrived at school. Sometimes a teaching assistant from up the school would arrive and ask if we had spare milk so they could give it to a child in their class who hadn’t eaten. When we opened breakfast club, the children were fed free but it was indeed only toast/cereal. But as I said earlier, it was more complex than that. Often the non fed children were late for school and therefore missed breakfast club. These children’s families often led chaotic lives. Parent didn’t get up so older sibling brought them to school, or parent had his/her own difficulties and forgot to feed children. Or they had no food in the house because they bought drugs with the money. And I could go on. It’s not just about poverty, but these families were definitely poor. It’s about lack of organisation, it’s about social problems, it’s about lack of motivation, it’s about too many children to properly care for, it’s about drugs and alcohol and violence and and and . I could go on, but you get the picture. A piece of toast is actually the best some children could hope for and they didn’t even get that!

Norah

Dinahmo

Norah I'm impressed with what you eat, which, to most of us, is not a wide selection of ingredients. Well done to you.

I've often thought that I should be vegetarian but find it difficult to make the final step. I have cut down on the amount of meat that we eat. Probably 60% are vegetarian meals and 40% meat or fish.

Thank you.

We only became vegan about 10 years ago. Not totally for animal welfare reasons, more for our own healthy bodies.

We actually eat as varied a diet as meat eaters, different protein sources. Somehow people, mistakenly, think there aren't many delicious natural vegetable sourced proteins - but there are.

We do source many herbs, spices, soy sauces - adding flavour.

Give me an example of a vegetable protein which doesn't have carbs.

Norah

growstuff

Norah Did you manage all that for 30p?

I think so, wonder why 30p, why she chose cheese as filling.

Price of tomato slice, a few rocket leaves, a slice of tofu - if not a sum under 30p quite close. Sandwiches, as you know only use small bits of veg. My shop of tomatoes and rocket will last all week. I drain, press, slice tofu, marinate, spice, fry. Wrap slices. Freeze. A box makes 10 sandwiches.

I really think you have no idea.

For a start tomato and lettuce has almost no nutritional value. Secondly, I suspect tomato, lettuce and tofu does cost more than 30p. Thirdly, these items have increased in price too. Fourthly, the good thing about chees is that it's flexible and will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. You can just grate a bit when you need it.

Not only that, but you seem to be missing the point! All foodstuffs have increased in price. If a person is already budgeting and eats cheaply, an extra 19% on the whole budget makes a a huge difference.

Maddyone A slice of toast is hardly nutritious either and needs to be part of a varied diet.

I don't know why you're even trying to argue. The point is that nearly all food has increased in price and the alternatives have increased too.

I suspect there are also regional differences in costs to things, especially rent/mortgage. For example being on a 'normal' wage in an affluent area could be quite a struggle if your rent is £1500 a month compared to someone else on the same wage where rent/mortgage is £500 a month. Everything is relative isn't it?

It does really annoy me that she uses her religion to justify her views on issues she sees fit, like not agreeing with abortion and yet doesn't seem to use her religion to be compassionate and non judgemetal to others.

Luke 6:20-21 (NIV)
“Looking at his disciples, he said: 'Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. '”

Norah

I suspect if we are not poor we really have no idea what goes on in the homes of poor people with children. It must be quite hard, perhaps not judging others would do us well?

We all need basic nourishing food, heated homes, clothing, transport - everyone has those needs, or it seems so to me.

Quibbling about cheese, bread, and sandwiches solves nothing, perhaps we need to vote for people who can put good policy in place.

well said, Norah, this is the point.

maddyone

^…some of the people using food banks are nurses.^

I’m always puzzled by this. I thought people had to be unemployed and referred by a doctor or minister of religion in order to use a food bank.

nope.

Dinahmo

Norah I'm impressed with what you eat, which, to most of us, is not a wide selection of ingredients. Well done to you.

I've often thought that I should be vegetarian but find it difficult to make the final step. I have cut down on the amount of meat that we eat. Probably 60% are vegetarian meals and 40% meat or fish.

Thank you.

We only became vegan about 10 years ago. Not totally for animal welfare reasons, more for our own healthy bodies.

We actually eat as varied a diet as meat eaters, different protein sources. Somehow people, mistakenly, think there aren't many delicious natural vegetable sourced proteins - but there are.

We do source many herbs, spices, soy sauces - adding flavour.

I suspect if we are not poor we really have no idea what goes on in the homes of poor people with children. It must be quite hard, perhaps not judging others would do us well?

We all need basic nourishing food, heated homes, clothing, transport - everyone has those needs, or it seems so to me.

Quibbling about cheese, bread, and sandwiches solves nothing, perhaps we need to vote for people who can put good policy in place.

Norah I'm impressed with what you eat, which, to most of us, is not a wide selection of ingredients. Well done to you.

I've often thought that I should be vegetarian but find it difficult to make the final step. I have cut down on the amount of meat that we eat. Probably 60% are vegetarian meals and 40% meat or fish.

That’s only if they’re working Jane and I still think parents could give their child a slice of toast before school. I used to teach and although it was a poor area, there were only a very few children who came to school without food. And then we introduced breakfast club. It was free to the children. The parents who didn’t feed breakfast to their children, as I said, it was rare, were usually too disorganised to actually get their children to breakfast club in time either. Parents who don’t feed children is about a lot more than money. And if they don’t work they still get child benefit which is supposed to be used for the children’s needs ie food!

People who are in low paid employment may have to use their child benefit to pay for their childcare