Questions About Diabetes
Q: I am a type 1 diabetic. I am going to the Royal Melb Show in September with my husband as a exhibitor, As food is so expensive in Melbourne, I was wanting to know what types of foods could I take for myself as a diabetic that would keep for 5 days. Cooking has a gas stove with not of room for refrigeration. From D
A: Hi D,
Planning your meals in advance is a great first step, especially when attending events which have little resources and limited/expensive food options. Are you camping in Melbourne or staying in motels? As this would affect food storage and whether power is available.
No refrigeration and only a gas stove will make it a challenge for food preparation and storage. Would you have an esky to keep some foods fresh? Have you considered buying a small portable camping fridge? They do vary in price but it may be a good investment for the future. A good camping store could help you with this.
It’s hard to give individual advice not knowing your normal eating habits and your diabetes management, so the following is only a guide to some of the foods you could try.
Breakfast: your best choices would be cereals including porridge with UHT milk (small cartons) with fresh or canned fruits (in no added sugar).
At lunch why not try wholegrain breads or biscuits with salad veggies (i.e. lettuce tomato, cucumber ect). If you have a cooler then you could store some lean roasted meats and cheese which could be added to the lunch meal. Tinned fish is another good addition to a lunch meal.
You will have to cook daily if you do not have a cooler and don’t want to buy cooked meals for the evening. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice or pasta could all be cooked fresh daily with either salad greens or other veggies (carrots, onions, corn, pumpkin, beans, fresh peas). If fresh meat, chicken or fish cannot be purchased daily, other options would be eggs, legumes or tinned fish (salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel)
Canned foods are a good alternative to their fresh counter-parts but you must always read labels to limit the amount of sugar, fat and salt. Suitable tinned foods include: peas, beans, corn, carrots, asparagus, beetroot, 3-bean mix, tomatoes, mushroom and baby corn.
For snacks: fresh or canned fruits, whole grain breads or biscuits
Your local Dietitian could discuss your normal eating habits and can give you individual advice specific for your trip. It would be a great idea to book an appointment with them to run through all your questions
Q: Hi. my son who is 9 is diabetic. We moved to Australia a year ago, and since then I am finding it very hard with what snacks and lunch to give him whilst at school to keep his glutose levels level for the day. Could you help with these snacks/meals as I’m finding it very hard to give him a variety and also especially when food is not labelled like the UK. Thank you for your time, S.
A: Hi S,
My first question to you would be: Have you linked your son into a medical centre since arriving in Australia. No advice can be taken in isolation and you should always have your son’s Diabetes managed by an GP, Endocrinologist, Diabetes Educator and Dietitian.
With regards to snacks it really depends on his overall diet, so recommendations are hard without knowing his insulin regimen, activity levels and eating patterns, as these will all affect his blood glucose control.
Most children are quite active and so it’s important that blood glucose levels are replenished with carbohydrate foods continuously throughout the day. Preferably choose low Glycaemia Index (GI) carbohydrates as these have a sustained energy release i.e. wholegrain breads and biscuits, fruit, milk and yoghurt to name a few.
It would be really beneficial if you could made an appointment with a Dietitian as they will be able to give you individual advice specific for your son needs and provide you with many resources to help you with shopping, meals and snacks.
All the very best.
Q: My husband is 62 has just been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Could you give me some health recipes for the 2 of us to enjoy together. We prefer simpler meals, easy to prepare, and also, some suggested 'snack' items. Thanks and regards, M
A: Dear M,
Thanks for your email. That is a great question.
Many people believe they have to radically change their diet once they have been diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure etc. If people are having a healthy diet it may be just a few items or a bit a menu modification with a little extra exercise which is all that is needed.
Ideally we all should increase our intake of fruits, vegetables and wholegrain breads and cereals, while reducing the amounts of fatty meats we eat.
The best rule of thumb is to look at the dinner plate. Most people will find their meal is about ½ meat with a bit of starchy veggies and salad for decoration. If this is what your dinner plate looks like, then you need to make some changes.
Ideally the meal should consist of ¼ of lean meat, fish or chicken, while ¼ containing starchy vegetable (such as potato) or a carbohydrate food including pasta, rice or legumes; and ½ the plate should be full of veggies or salad?
Ideally for individual menu changes M, it is best to make an appointment with a Dietitian.
Good luck in the kitchen.
Q: Can a diabetic eat a cake made from dried fruit and fruit juice with no added sugar or fat. From L
A: Hi L,
People with diabetes can eat anything, even sugar believe it or not. It is not what you eat, but how often and in what quantity you are eating these foods, which is the problem for people with diabetes.
If you have diabetes and find it hard to control your blood sugar (glucose) levels, then you will have to be careful about eating too many sugary foods. If your blood sugar levels are well controlled then there is no harm in having a small amount of sugar in your diet. The main thing is the more sugar based foods you eat the more at risk you are of having high blood sugar levels.
So, to answer you question eating a cake made from dried fruit and fruit juice with no added sugar or fat is fine as long as your blood sugar levels are not out of control and you do not eat large amounts of the cake. Remember fruit including dried fruits and juice contain natural sugar known as fructose. Eaten in large amounts these will raise your blood sugar levels.
As even healthy foods including low fat and sugar cakes can still be just as unhealthy as a big creamy/sugary chocolate cake if eaten in excess. If you need more individual advice on foods to eat with diabetes, an appointment with a dietitian will help.
A: Hi D,
Planning your meals in advance is a great first step, especially when attending events which have little resources and limited/expensive food options. Are you camping in Melbourne or staying in motels? As this would affect food storage and whether power is available.
No refrigeration and only a gas stove will make it a challenge for food preparation and storage. Would you have an esky to keep some foods fresh? Have you considered buying a small portable camping fridge? They do vary in price but it may be a good investment for the future. A good camping store could help you with this.
It’s hard to give individual advice not knowing your normal eating habits and your diabetes management, so the following is only a guide to some of the foods you could try.
Breakfast: your best choices would be cereals including porridge with UHT milk (small cartons) with fresh or canned fruits (in no added sugar).
At lunch why not try wholegrain breads or biscuits with salad veggies (i.e. lettuce tomato, cucumber ect). If you have a cooler then you could store some lean roasted meats and cheese which could be added to the lunch meal. Tinned fish is another good addition to a lunch meal.
You will have to cook daily if you do not have a cooler and don’t want to buy cooked meals for the evening. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice or pasta could all be cooked fresh daily with either salad greens or other veggies (carrots, onions, corn, pumpkin, beans, fresh peas). If fresh meat, chicken or fish cannot be purchased daily, other options would be eggs, legumes or tinned fish (salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel)
Canned foods are a good alternative to their fresh counter-parts but you must always read labels to limit the amount of sugar, fat and salt. Suitable tinned foods include: peas, beans, corn, carrots, asparagus, beetroot, 3-bean mix, tomatoes, mushroom and baby corn.
For snacks: fresh or canned fruits, whole grain breads or biscuits
Your local Dietitian could discuss your normal eating habits and can give you individual advice specific for your trip. It would be a great idea to book an appointment with them to run through all your questions
Q: Hi. my son who is 9 is diabetic. We moved to Australia a year ago, and since then I am finding it very hard with what snacks and lunch to give him whilst at school to keep his glutose levels level for the day. Could you help with these snacks/meals as I’m finding it very hard to give him a variety and also especially when food is not labelled like the UK. Thank you for your time, S.
A: Hi S,
My first question to you would be: Have you linked your son into a medical centre since arriving in Australia. No advice can be taken in isolation and you should always have your son’s Diabetes managed by an GP, Endocrinologist, Diabetes Educator and Dietitian.
With regards to snacks it really depends on his overall diet, so recommendations are hard without knowing his insulin regimen, activity levels and eating patterns, as these will all affect his blood glucose control.
Most children are quite active and so it’s important that blood glucose levels are replenished with carbohydrate foods continuously throughout the day. Preferably choose low Glycaemia Index (GI) carbohydrates as these have a sustained energy release i.e. wholegrain breads and biscuits, fruit, milk and yoghurt to name a few.
It would be really beneficial if you could made an appointment with a Dietitian as they will be able to give you individual advice specific for your son needs and provide you with many resources to help you with shopping, meals and snacks.
All the very best.
Q: My husband is 62 has just been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Could you give me some health recipes for the 2 of us to enjoy together. We prefer simpler meals, easy to prepare, and also, some suggested 'snack' items. Thanks and regards, M
A: Dear M,
Thanks for your email. That is a great question.
Many people believe they have to radically change their diet once they have been diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure etc. If people are having a healthy diet it may be just a few items or a bit a menu modification with a little extra exercise which is all that is needed.
Ideally we all should increase our intake of fruits, vegetables and wholegrain breads and cereals, while reducing the amounts of fatty meats we eat.
The best rule of thumb is to look at the dinner plate. Most people will find their meal is about ½ meat with a bit of starchy veggies and salad for decoration. If this is what your dinner plate looks like, then you need to make some changes.
Ideally the meal should consist of ¼ of lean meat, fish or chicken, while ¼ containing starchy vegetable (such as potato) or a carbohydrate food including pasta, rice or legumes; and ½ the plate should be full of veggies or salad?
Ideally for individual menu changes M, it is best to make an appointment with a Dietitian.
Good luck in the kitchen.
Q: Can a diabetic eat a cake made from dried fruit and fruit juice with no added sugar or fat. From L
A: Hi L,
People with diabetes can eat anything, even sugar believe it or not. It is not what you eat, but how often and in what quantity you are eating these foods, which is the problem for people with diabetes.
If you have diabetes and find it hard to control your blood sugar (glucose) levels, then you will have to be careful about eating too many sugary foods. If your blood sugar levels are well controlled then there is no harm in having a small amount of sugar in your diet. The main thing is the more sugar based foods you eat the more at risk you are of having high blood sugar levels.
So, to answer you question eating a cake made from dried fruit and fruit juice with no added sugar or fat is fine as long as your blood sugar levels are not out of control and you do not eat large amounts of the cake. Remember fruit including dried fruits and juice contain natural sugar known as fructose. Eaten in large amounts these will raise your blood sugar levels.
As even healthy foods including low fat and sugar cakes can still be just as unhealthy as a big creamy/sugary chocolate cake if eaten in excess. If you need more individual advice on foods to eat with diabetes, an appointment with a dietitian will help.
