Picky eater and high risk for diabetes

[freespirit45240]

The doctor did some tests and found my insulin levels were high and I'm high risk for diabetes because it runs in the family. I'm also overweight. I want to start eating better so that I can avoid it but i'm a picky eater and most of what I eat is pasta, mac and cheese, pizza, applesauce and stuff like that. Most vegetables I don't like. How can I get around my pickyness and eat right as to lower my insulin levels?

[bebe38]

Hi. You could try fixing the veggies with different seasonings or try out new recipes that don't add many carbs to the veggies. Sadly your favorite foods (pasta, mac and cheese, pizza) are not great things to eat, which you know. I love them all also but rarely eat any of them and then it's usually just a taste.

I don't know if you have tried different veggies lately, I have found over the years that my taste buds have changed and things that I didn't like I now like.

Hopefully someone else can give you ideas on what you might be able to do.

Good luck.

[Granny Shanny]

There are lots of things I bet you like that aren't so bad for your blood sugar. How do you feel about bacon & eggs? Cheese? Sausage like slim jims, peperoni, etc.?

What you might consider is getting a glucose meter & start testing a few of your favorite things to see just how big a jump they cause in your blood glucose. The pizza is usually a killer, but if you just eat the toppings, it's a lot less damaging.

By testing individual foods, I mean test your blood just before you eat that food, and then test again an hour later. The difference in those two readings will give you a pretty good picture of how much effect each food has. I can usually live with a 25 point elevation, but much more than that & it has to go on my no-no list, but that's just me. I'm full-blown T2, and trying to keep my levels under 140 whatEVER I eat.

You're ahead of the game already, in that you're listening to your doc, and deciding things need to change. And you're looking around to see HOW you can change things. Good for you!

There's tons of help here & people on every kind of food program, so ask all the questions you have, check the snacks & recipes threads to see if there's anything you like . . . just jump on in & get acquainted. We're glad to have you here!

[Moonglo]

I too, am an extremely picky eater. My veggies usually consist of small amounts of carrots or corn, and I like green beans, lettuce, and tomatoes. That's literally about it usually.

I don't let my low carb meals get in the way of eating what I like, though... while many here will say that sticking with non processed foods is essential, I do not have the money to eat that way. So I simply look at the nutrition labels of items I want and make sure I can afford to eat that many carbs before I buy it.

There are some lower carb alternatives to pizza, spaghetti, and just about anything else you can think of. There are some great recipes on this forum in the recipes section, and you can find many other great ones just by using google to search for low carb recipes. Don't be afraid to experiment.

[genie86333]

Try Dreamfields for pastas - although you still have to limit the quantity, it *may* cause less spikes - most have reported however, that they have to slightly undercook it (about 1 minute less than the box calls for) in order for that to be true.

Instead of Pizza, make pizza in a bowl - put all the toppings you like in a bowl with plenty of cheese and microwave. Another option is cauliflower pizza crust - you should be able to Google that (it's also here on the forum somewhere) but I find the consistancy is best if you cook it longer than the recipe calls for, flipping it over mid-way thru, til it starts to brown. It obviously doesn't taste just like a normal pizza crust, but it's actually really good. "Mac" and cheese can also be made using cauliflower to replace the noodles.

Also, open your mind. Don't label yourself as a picky eater, because then you'll continue to be one. Decide to eat what's healthy & find things you can enjoy.

[slipperyelm]

Do you want to make your self eat a wider variety of foods? That might be hard but not impossible. One thing is to try the foods you do not like cooked by someone who cooks very differently from you and your family. This is one of the things my immigrants friends (from various countries) have been wonderful for. :) Or look for recipes for those foods in cookbooks. Maybe you just have never gotten the right recipes to make those foods you dislike delicious.

But don't forget that simply eating less of what you are eating now --so that you lose weight-- may help you avoid type 2 diabetes. I'm assuming you mean that it is type 2 that runs in your family.