Just wondering if anyone has any good meal ideas, plans, cookbooks or websites that I can look at for Diabetic recipes? I'm really struggling trying to get good food prepared and I need to find more that will fit in our tight food budget and we're still getting used to the diabetic friendly way of eating. Ideally I want easy recipes that my hubby and I can eat with our 2yo when possible and definitely need lunch and snack ideas for when at work and no microwave etc and sandwiches everyday are not the best option. It's a challenge just understanding the lingo. Thanks in advance.
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Ugh I know your pain I really do! My husband has a few months ago been diagnosed with type 2, non insulin dependent but the tablets made him violently sick, so we are doing this completely with diet and exercise. It is hard, I will be completely honest. We only buy fresh fruit and vegetables and meat. Had to cut out carbs because he is 'Hyper', meaning he makes too much sugar in his system, so also limited fruit. We spend a lot more time cooking, but it does benefit in the long run. I still use a lot of legumes, dried and in cans, dried pulses etc this fills up meals instead of carb based like bread/pasta or potatoes. I troll the internet, and any diabetic recipe I find that we like I print and keep. It is very much a full family life style change (or has been in our household). I cannot have 'naughty' food in the house otherwise we eat it! So we just don't buy it anymore. I have also signed up to online diabetics groups through facebook, they are great to just vent or get advice, and I have also subscribed to a diabetic magazine. All very helpful, but have spent a lot of time reading. Knowledge is power! We allow ourselves one naughty night a week, this gets the urges out of our system and most times after we don't crave anymore. I am not diabetic but this has helped my skin and I have also lost some extra weight yay. So it has been beneficial. My 10 yr old daughter is fussy, so I cook and freeze meals for her, anything that has pasta or rice is always wholemeal, and I freeze so I can reheat if she doesn't like what we eat (we like our asian meals as they are packed full of green veg and very yummy). For lunches, salads! But the trick is pack it with protein, and keep it interesting - for example mix through some roast pumpkin from the night before into a can of chickpeas, with some tomato and cucumber, coriander and parsley, some spices, a little wholemeal couscous, drizzle some olive oil and have it with some boiled eggs, or some left over cold meat/ham/chicken. We freeze soups so if we get hungry for a snack we pull out some soup and it gets you through. Minestrone/chicken and leek etc, all good for you and take the edge off. The longer you do this the easier it becomes. You basically have to retrain your body. When my hubby wants naughty food I remind him that it could be worse and he could end up type one injecting, so this is a sobering reminder to keep on the straight and narrow. We also go for walks, any exercise will help the body, and if the weight comes down then so does the diabetes. Sorry for the novel! But I found it really hard in the beginning so I know how you feel. Push on through, you can do this! And it only helps everyone's health in the long run. Good luck and don't be afraid to use your imagination mixing things up. :-)