I Miss Cereal!!!! [Archive]

R2112

03-16-2008, 09:38 PM

Kim, I'm with you, I like cereal in the morning and sometimes at night. Ah the good ole days with Capn Crunch... Well, Shredded Wheat, Cheerios and Fiber One don't really have a reaction to my BG and somewhat take care of my cravings. Add a little fruit like strawberries on the Cheerios and it's not bad.

I know there's a Toasted Crunch with 75% less sugar with lower carbs but I haven't tried it or even found it in our local stores.

Kashi GoLean Crunch is suppose to be good but I'm just not a fan of that.

Dave

labob

03-16-2008, 09:47 PM

Special K Protein Plus has 14 grams of carbs for a 3/4 cup serving (use a measuring cup so you don't go over!). Five of those grams are fiber, so if you subtract, the net carbs are 9 grams.

Have you considered trying soy milk? The soy milk I use with my morning cereal has 4 grams of carbs for one cup, which is way lower than cow's milk (I buy Silk soymilk unsweetened; I used to get another brand that I liked a little bit more, but my grocery store stopped carrying it). Soy millk is a bit of an acquired taste, at least in my experience -- I'm fine with it on my cereal, probably because I add cinnamon and some berries to the mix. I don't think I could drink the stuff straight.

In sum, I do pretty well with 3/4 cup of Special K Protein Plus, some berries (usually with half a banana thrown in) and soy milk as my breakfast staple. Your mileage may vary, of course.

shabbie

03-17-2008, 02:16 AM

try a soya milk on your cereal instead of cows milk, you can sweeten it with splenda if you like it that way ;)

gambi

03-17-2008, 03:16 AM

The vanilla flavored soy is pretty good. Fiber 1 is probably your best bet. I'm not a big cereal eater. I like a hearty breakfast :) cereal for me usually left me hungry after about 2 hours. So I try and stick to protein. Hope you find something that suits you, I know how frustrating it is to give up the things you like, especially when it actually is good for you!

mho357

03-17-2008, 03:46 AM

I like Flax Plus - it is BG friendly for me.

FlaxPlus® Flakes (http://www.naturespath.com/products/cold_cereals/flaked_cereals/flaxplus_r_flakes)

I have it with skim - it is naturally sweet enough for me so I don't add sweetener.

Mark

Jill-O

03-17-2008, 05:14 AM

When I really want it, I have whatever cereal I like and just take the Humalog to cover it :)

princesslinda

03-17-2008, 05:17 AM

I eat the Kashi Go Lean Crunch, but add lots of cinnamon and Splenda to make it sweet. Sometimes i'll have 1/2 Go Lean Crunch and 1/2 Kashi Heart Smart (its like cheerios)....these are the only cereals i've had that are blood sugar friendly for me....and they are nothing like the Cocoa Pebbles or Honey Nut Cherrios I enjoyed pre-diagnosis.

If milk bothers you, try the Hood Calorie Countdown, as it has much less carbs than regular milk.

fgummett

03-17-2008, 05:23 AM

Until you "acquire the taste" for Soy milk you can always mix it with ever decreasing amounts of skimmed cows milk :)

kgm0612

03-17-2008, 05:39 AM

I eat either Special K Protein Plus of Cheerios Crunch. I've tried the Glucerna cereals but find I don't do as well with them for some reason or another.

If your fortunate enough, your local grocery store will carry a milk called Hoods Calorie Countdown. It has 3g of carbs in one cup of milk. It also comes in chocolate flavor (4g).

Karen

morrisma

03-17-2008, 06:14 AM

I miss grape nuts. 48g of carb for 1/2 cup. And then you add milk. I tried the soy & other stuff but the 48 was a tough number to get over.
Mike

patricia52

03-17-2008, 08:01 AM

Kelloggs - All Bran and General Foods - Fiber One are also diabetic friendly. not much flavor but lots of fiber.

Larry H.

03-17-2008, 08:21 AM

Good topic.. I think people just automatically give up too many things. You still have choices, just make the right ones. According to the ADA you can have up to 50 carbs for breakfast. I find what I eat with it makes a difference too. If I have a scrambled egg or usually egg beaters with a bit of onion and green pepper and a little ham, or bacon, and then my cereal or lately even with my high fiber muffin I get good readings.

I admit my numbers are not those of some, and perhaps my system is still operating better than most. So it may be a totally individual thing.

Here is the cold cereals I have found at walmart and the local IGA, there are others, but this is what is in the house;

Natures Path, Organic Flax Plus Multibran Cereal.
7 grams of fiber per 3/4 cup.
Total carbs 23. (that makes it 16 carbs for the cereal)

Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat Cereal.
25 grams per serving, 4 from fiber so about 21 per 3/4 cup.

Kashi 7 whole grain Puffs.
15 carbs per cup. 1 fiber so its 14 total.

Natural Nutrition Brown Rice.
14 grams per cup. 1 fiber 13 total
(they also make another whole grain puff that is even less)

As linda said, after It was pointed out that skim milk has 12 carbs a cup. Hoods low fat has 3! And its way better tasting than skim milk. (although I normally would like no fat milk)

So the moral to this is as I began it.. Read the labels and see what is in it and then see how you react to it. I even found that cooked steel cut oats seems to have enough fiber to keep a spike to a minimum. I think others have said the same.

volleyball

03-17-2008, 08:50 AM

Funny thing is I started eating cereal after I found out about my diabetes. I like Kashi. the cruch is my favorite, I sprinkle some grape nuts on them to mix it up. Cascadian farms makes some good cereal too.
You can mix some vanilla soy powder with water and use that for milk. lower carbs and the protein helps with the glycemic index. I never sweeten my cereal but do use lots of cinnamon and some fruit if I have it.

Alice

03-17-2008, 08:56 AM

I eat pretty much any kind of cereal...definitely add the milk carbs. I also do a slight sprinkle of sugar...so I add a few carbs to the total for those...I just bolus as usual and if needed, I add an extra bolus an hour later if I see I'm not dropping at all. Also remember to measure your sugar. Some carbs servings are as small as 1/4 cup on the packages...so beware of the serving size.

Look at a box of "healthy" GrapeNuts for example! I think they are 50 something carbs for a serving. Equal to almost two KrispyKremes...add milk and fruit...you're having a carb party for sure!

But, I don't avoid cereal...I just know I may have to adjust the bolus.

notme

03-17-2008, 09:05 AM

Happily, I hate cereal. I don't know how that happened. I will eat a bowl of Cheerios when I can't think of another darn thing to eat for breakfast. That is one cereal that doesn't bother my blood sugar to badly.

Oh wait. I lied! I absolutely love Trix as a snack. LOVE EM. No milk, just a snack. Drives my blood sugar into oblivion so I never buy it. :(

jerryn

03-17-2008, 10:27 AM

Sure.. Look for Kaschi!

Kim_in_TN

03-17-2008, 11:06 AM

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I go through the cereal aisle and just get overwhelmed and have a pity party because I love cereal so much! LOL! I will try some of the ones you all have suggested. Not sure about the soy milk, but I could probably try the Hoods Countdown.

Dimes

03-17-2008, 01:06 PM

I eat granola from the bulk bin, with dried cranberries. It's unsweetened and works well for me.

volleyball

03-17-2008, 01:40 PM

Grape-Nuts is a lot of carbs. But it is whole grain carbs which is different from kid's cereal. They are carbs and a big bowl will raise your BS but it won't be like Captain crunch.

Sheralyn

03-18-2008, 04:52 PM

Kim_in_TN

03-19-2008, 07:42 PM

Oh Kim, I miss cereal too but haven't found ONE that isn't high in carbs. I even searched through the baby food cereals. I used to love my Cheerios!

Doctor just adjusted my Lantus AGAIN, and all day my sugar's still been hovering around 250. I am SO disgusted.

You know, I was never really that much of a sweets eater, mostly chips and ummmm, carbs!:eek: But cereal was something I loved to eat especially at night ... it was my sweet fix! I admit that I was really bad about pouring tons of sugar on it. I would enjoy scraping it off the bottom of the bowl with the bit of milk that was left!:o

Scrabblechick

03-19-2008, 07:54 PM

And if I'm going to have THAT kind of carb party, I'm just going to hit the Krispy Kremes and say pppbbbfftthhh! to my BG for a while. LOL.

Seriously, Target sells in it's store brand an Archer Farms High Protein Cinnamon cereal that is yum-yummy. 15 grams of protein and 30 carbs for 3/4 cup. I don't eat it often, but it is really tasty.

With a good-flavored cereal, soymilk works fine.

Kim_in_TN

03-20-2008, 01:21 PM

Don't even mention DONUTS!!!!!!! THAT is one sweet addiction that is very hard for me! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!

Axel Slinger

03-20-2008, 09:58 PM

I asked my CDE about that and he says eating most cereal is fine, as long as you don't go "Jethro Bodine Mode" and eat a normal sized bowl. I usually go for about 2 servings of Honey Nut Cheerios and a 1\2 cup of 2% milk, which is about 50 Carbs and 310 Calories, and he says that's fine.

That is with Honey Nut Cheerios strait out of the box too. To cut out some of the sugar I sometimes mix Honey Nut Cheerios with regular Cheerios about 65% \ 35%. That way it still tastes good and it doesn't instantly go soggy as soon as you add milk to it. Doing that saves a few pennies on the grocery bill too. Specially if you have coupons...:D

princesslinda

03-21-2008, 05:08 AM

I'd encourage anyone trying cereal to make sure and check your blood sugar 2 hrs after eating, just to make sure it doesn't cause a big spike.

I, too, was told by the dietician/nutritionist that it would be okay for me to have it, but 2 hrs after a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats, I was at 180...too high for my comfort. I also had problems with Corn Flakes (w/splenda) and Rice Krispies.

We're all different, so some of us may better tolerate cereal than others...the only way to be sure how it affects you is to test after eating it.

Kim_in_TN

03-22-2008, 06:56 PM

Axel, that is a good idea about mixing cereal! That way if I do find a healthier one that is good with my BG then I can add just a spoonful of something more yummy for taste!

Linda, I will most definitely test afterwards. Also, since I am watching my calories right now I know I won't be splurging on cereal too much just yet.

metafizik

03-23-2008, 05:39 AM

Jill-O

03-23-2008, 10:37 AM

I'm not sure this is the right answer, or right for everyone, but when I want something with more carbs than I usually eat, I take more humalog to cover it. I still count calories, but I am not low carbing (just aware of the carbs and try to cover it ... still learning how).

Kim_in_TN

03-23-2008, 07:18 PM

They gave me corn flakes when I was in the hospital and I was on a very strict diet. I put some sweet and low on them and a small quantity of the milk they gave me and it was very tasty. Did the hospital kitchen make a mistake by giving me this? I still know next to nothing concerning dietery things. My wife has taken the lead on the diet so far but I am going to master it as time allows.

It doesn't sound like a great thing for them to give a diabetic to me ... but sometimes hospitals don't follow the doctor's suggested menu plan. :confused:

I'm not sure this is the right answer, or right for everyone, but when I want something with more carbs than I usually eat, I take more humalog to cover it. I still count calories, but I am not low carbing (just aware of the carbs and try to cover it ... still learning how).

Jill, this seems like sort of living dangerously. It sure would be nice to feel like I could eat anything I want and just take more or less medication, but my goal is to hopefully need less medication by getting my body back to working properly on its own. It will never be non-diabetic again but I don't like being dependent on any sort of drug if I can keep from it at all.

volleyball

03-23-2008, 08:14 PM

95% of the cereals available are not what I would consider acceptable. I would rather Jethro Bodine a bowl of quality carb cereal over a small bowl of corn flakes.
Corn flakes = processed flour, processed corn and sweetener, don't see anything good in that.

Jill-O

03-24-2008, 02:21 AM

Actually, I don't think it's living dangerously... My doctor is aware, my weight is okay and my numbers are good. If not on insulin, I could not do this but since I am, I do think it's okay. I do not think it is a reasonable or realistic goal for me and my situation to ever expect to be off the medicine.

TheKnight571

03-26-2008, 08:58 AM

xMenace

03-26-2008, 09:05 AM

I should have looked it up before I ate it... but I just ate (well 2-3 hours ago) a "good sized" bowl of Corn Flakes and sure enough... my sugar is through the roof.

I can eat Shredded Wheat without problems and Cherrios... but will now cross Corn Flakes off my list.

What type are you and what meds do you take? There are ways to eat these nasties, especially with insulin.

Keep in mind once is not a trend ;) It could be a bad DP day. You might try a smaller bowl too, and measure the size accurately.

davef

03-26-2008, 09:44 AM

Corn flakes = processed flour, processed corn and sweetener, don't see anything good in that.

Oh but with cold milk it tastes sooo good ;)

Pity my BG meter doesn't like them as much as I do :(

Ah well, just have to stick to meat and eggs, yum :D

Kim_in_TN

03-26-2008, 10:10 AM

Ah well, just have to stick to meat and eggs, yum :D

That is exactly what I have decided! I pass the cereal ailse and just say "eh, it's not worth it". Funny ... I'm doing that to a lot of things I used to think I couldn't live without! :D

davef

03-26-2008, 10:39 AM

I'm so happy that having Diabetes doesn't stop me eating meat, that would be just too hard, for a confirmed carnivore like me.

derf

03-26-2008, 11:17 AM

I'm so happy that having Diabetes doesn't stop me eating meat, that would be just too hard, for a confirmed carnivore like me.

Amen brother! :D

MClark

03-26-2008, 11:59 AM

Hi,
I find that I can eat the Kashi Go Lean Crunch as long as I eat it with yoghurt or soy milk. If I have regular milk I shoot up to 160+...crazy.
Good luck!
Mylene

Kim_in_TN

03-26-2008, 12:51 PM

Hi,
I find that I can eat the Kashi Go Lean Crunch as long as I eat it with yoghurt or soy milk. If I have regular milk I shoot up to 160+...crazy.
Good luck!
Mylene

Hmmm, I might have to try a bit in some yogurt. Granola has too many carbs so I have avoided it. I wouldn't do it too often but maybe for a bit of a sweet treat! Thanks for the idea.

David_S

03-26-2008, 05:33 PM

Special K protein plus is the only one we eat.

TheKnight571

03-27-2008, 06:13 AM

What type are you and what meds do you take? There are ways to eat these nasties, especially with insulin.

Keep in mind once is not a trend ;) It could be a bad DP day. You might try a smaller bowl too, and measure the size accurately.

They were plain old Kellogg's Cork Flakes... and admittedly I ate a big bowl of them.

I'm a type 2, currently on Glucovance (2.5/500) twice a day, and it does a good job. This was the first time I've been over 150 in a long time.

It's not like I'd miss them, they were in the house and sounded good at the time. :)

Jill-O

03-27-2008, 07:04 AM

When I was on oral meds and even when I started on insulin because I was on a pre-mix, I couldn't have "extra" carbs when I wanted w/o my glucose going too high because I could not adjust my meds to cover it. I said it basically before but I think if you are on insulin, it's "fine" to have more carbs when you want to so long as you cover it with insulin and are not out of line in the calorie department for the day.

bkburns

04-11-2008, 02:50 PM

That is exactly what I have decided! I pass the cereal ailse and just say "eh, it's not worth it". Funny ... I'm doing that to a lot of things I used to think I couldn't live without! :D

Kim - I totally agree. I just wish I had my willpower to do this BEFORE I made it into the diabetes club ;)

Brian (also in TN)

Kim_in_TN

04-13-2008, 04:10 PM

Kim - I totally agree. I just wish I had my willpower to do this BEFORE I made it into the diabetes club ;)

Brian (also in TN)

Exactly! Wouldn't THAT have been nice? :T

derf

04-15-2008, 07:40 AM

I can eat Shredded Wheat without problems and Cherrios... but will now cross Corn Flakes off my list.

I just tried Shredded Wheat this morning.

My fasting BG was 155 this morning (still recovering from the weekend).

But what surprised me is that 2.5 hours after eating the Shredded Wheat, I'm at 322! :eek:

I wonder if I can eat any cereal at all...