# Ready made meals from supermarkets?



## Chriso (Dec 3, 2020)

Hello,
Hope you are all staying well!

I have recently been diagnosed with type 2. 
I am a very busy hard working person, but a lazy cook! 
Could anyone let me know if there are any supermarkets that stock sugar free desserts (tins of rice pudding, etc.) that I don't have to cook myself.i.e. open a tin, shove in the microwave, add sweetener required and eat? Everything I find seems to require some form of cooking!
Also the best retailer for diabetic products, please?
Thanks
Chris


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## grovesy (Dec 3, 2020)

Chriso said:


> Hello,
> Hope you are all staying well!
> 
> I have recently been diagnosed with type 2.
> ...


Companies should not be selling products labelled Diabetic,as it is against the law.


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## Sally71 (Dec 3, 2020)

Sugar free jellies are available in most supermarkets, they are basically just water though.  There isn’t really any such thing as a diabetic friendly dessert, because it's not just sugar you have to avoid, but all carbohydrates, because they all turn to sugar in your stomach.  Rice pudding contains rice, which is carbohydrate, so it isn’t any good for you whether it has sugar added or not.  Which is why nothing can be labelled “diabetic” any more because apart from meat, cheese, eggs and green veg there isn’t anything which has no carbohydrate in it at all.  (And even the veggies have a tiny bit!) So I’m afraid the only way you can have a healthy diabetic diet is by putting a bit of effort in.


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## Ralph-YK (Dec 3, 2020)

I'm not aware of any diabetic products. There used to diabetic jam. It's something like 40 years since I last saw that. (That's the only diabetic product that I've ever seen.) Apparently there's been other diabetic products up to quite recently. I heard they weren't very good cause of the sugar replacement they used.
What you need to do is check the label for low or now sugar, and the amount of carbs. The total carbs on the back of the label also includes the sugar, so it's possible to check just that.


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## rebrascora (Dec 3, 2020)

Hi and welcome Chris.
I'm afraid you are in for a bit of a shock and I am not sure there is any way of softening it.....
Diabetes, contrary to popular belief and what the media says, is not just about sugar but all carbohydrates..... so the obvious added sugar, but also natural sugars in fruit including dried and fruit juice and all the starchy foods like grains and grain products including bread, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals and root vegetables like potatoes and parsnips. So a tin of rice pudding is a problem both in terms of the rice and any added sugar. They are no longer allowed to market food as "for Diabetics" as it can be a marketing ploy and misleading.

Many of us use Creamy (not low fat) Greek Natural yoghurt with a few berries (which are the lowest carb fruits) as a dessert or have it with sugar free jelly, but you need to learn to read nutritional information labels usually in small print of the back of packaging, and look at the total carbohydrates to see which products are better than others. Ready meals are generally high in carbs because they are cheap. Cooking simple meals from scratch is not as difficult as it might seem or buying foods that are low carb and eating those.... so a bag of salad with some cheese coleslaw and a couple of boiled eggs or some ham or tuna and mayonnaise, but avoid the pasta salads and potato salad etc. Meat, eggs, fish and cheese are all low carb and green leafy veg. etc


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## Chriso (Dec 3, 2020)

grovesy said:


> Companies should not be selling products labelled Diabetic,as it is against the law.


Thanks for your prompt replies, everyone, I am very new to this, and I am learning very quickly that it doesn't sound much fun on the food front!!!


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## grovesy (Dec 3, 2020)

Ralph-YK said:


> I'm not aware of any diabetic products. There used to diabetic jam. It's something like 40 years since I last saw that. (That's the only diabetic product that I've ever seen.) Apparently there's been other diabetic products up to quite recently. I heard they weren't very good cause of the sugar replacement they used.
> What you need to do is check the label for low or now sugar, and the amount of carbs. The total carbs on the back of the label also includes the sugar, so it's possible to check just that.


They were made against the law to be labelled as such a number of years ago.


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## Chriso (Dec 3, 2020)

rebrascora said:


> Hi and welcome Chris.
> I'm afraid you are in for a bit of a shock and I am not sure there is any way of softening it.....
> Diabetes, contrary to popular belief and what the media says, is not just about sugar but all carbohydrates..... so the obvious added sugar, but also natural sugars in fruit including dried and fruit juice and all the starchy foods like grains and grain products including bread, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals and root vegetables like potatoes and parsnips. So a tin of rice pudding is a problem both in terms of the rice and any added sugar. They are no longer allowed to market food as "for Diabetics" as it can be a marketing ploy and misleading.
> 
> Many of us use Creamy (not low fat) Greek Natural yoghurt with a few berries (which are the lowest carb fruits) as a dessert or have it with sugar free jelly, but you need to learn to read nutritional information labels usually in small print of the back of packaging, and look at the total carbohydrates to see which products are better than others. Ready meals are generally high in carbs because they are cheap. Cooking simple meals from scratch is not as difficult as it might seem or buying foods that are low carb and eating those.... so a bag of salad with some cheese coleslaw and a couple of boiled eggs or some ham or tuna and mayonnaise, but avoid the pasta salads and potato salad etc. Meat, eggs, fish and cheese are all low carb and green leafy veg. etc


Thanks Barbara, that's a great help!


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## rebrascora (Dec 3, 2020)

Eggs are one of the best foods for us diabetics because they are low carb, quick and easy to cook. I tend to boil a dozen at a time and have them when i need a quick fix with a spoon of regular mayonnaise....low fat products are almost always higher in carbs, but the fat also helps to keep you feeling full and provide slow release energy. Omelettes make a great quick meal and you can vary the filling. Cheese is a good alternative to a sweet dessert and I find it hard to feel badly done to if I start the day on a coffee with real cream and end it with a chunk of my favourite cheese and a small glass of red wine.... not every night of course. hic!


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## rebrascora (Dec 3, 2020)

Not much fun.... you are kidding!! 
I had steak and salad with fried mushrooms and courgettes and celeraic chips last night..... OK... making the celeriac chips was a bit of a faff .... but tasted good.


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## Ralph-YK (Dec 3, 2020)

grovesy said:


> They were made against the law to be labelled as such a number of years ago.


I heard something about that not that long after I was diagnosed. 6 years ago this month. Not that I knew they even existed at the time.


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## Ljc (Dec 3, 2020)

Chriso said:


> it doesn't sound much fun on the food front!!!


You are wrong there .  How about some fruit that has berry as part of its name, with a nice dollop of cream, yum,   I’ve always got some frozen berries in my freezer.

We have no problems with protein or healthy fats.

It’s honestly just carbohydrates our bodies can no longer handle too well.
You can buy cauli rice in most supermarkets , you could do a nice tasty stir fry.
If you eat meat you can have high meat content burgers and sausages.
Dairy is fine as are eggs cooked anyway you like.

I never bother looking at the sugar content of things I just check the carbohydrate content which is on the nutritional label usually on the back of packs and tins,

Sadly ready meals are usually high carb.


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## Paulbreen (Dec 3, 2020)

A good start Chris is remember Carbs-Carbs-Carbs, 
Check labels of everything you think you might want to eat, I would say 100% of everything your thinking about eating will do it’s best to make you go blind or cause a foot or leg to drop off if it’s processed in any way. Unfortunately your life is in your own hands, that’s how serious mis managed diabetes can be. 
sorry to be the bearer of bad news, it’s not all doom and gloom, bacon and eggs is a pretty good meal to have a go at, not too many beans or tomatoes though 
Good luck on your journey sir!


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## Annette&Bertie (Dec 4, 2020)

I love tomatoes and always have they have 3.9 gms carb, so what am I missing?


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## silentsquirrel (Dec 4, 2020)

Tomatoes are technically a fruit, though one of the lower carb sort.  If you are ultra low carb you may need to cut them out, but if you are moderately low carb they shouldn't be a problem.  However, the carb content may vary considerably depending on the variety.  Supermarkets are selling sweeter varieties than they used to, and some of the cherry tomatoes are higher carb than larger ones.


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## rebrascora (Dec 4, 2020)

Tomatoes are a fruit and like any fruit they contain sugar. I am always careful with cherry tomatoes as they are sweeter and I only have 2 on my salads cut into quarters to make them go further. Tomato puree and passata are a bit like fruit juice.... more concentrated sugar from the tomatoes than there would be from the fruit alone and I have to bolus for the likes of ratatouille even though there are no really carb rich foods in it, mostly because of the tomato.


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## Annette&Bertie (Dec 4, 2020)

I find the whole thing for me to be very confusing.  I’m specifically talking of course in my own case.  I will be 72 on Sunday, diagnosed type2 in Feb 2016.   Since the age of 5 I was for many years strictly vegetarian, but around the age of 50 only partially because I started adding  chicken and shellfish, occasionally whole fish.  All meals cooked by me at home, never had takeaway food, McDonalds, KFC etc.  You get the picture.
The reason I get upset and confused is that there appears to be no definitive answer as to how many carbs a diabetic should consume.

I have always been a big fruit and veg eater, all my life I have adored tomatoes in all forms.  We know tomatoes and fruit have sugar of course, but if I was  to limit these things, it leaves little choice for my meals without getting completely bored.  I remember when I was first diagnosed being told to have a very small handful of fruit, mainly it is berries I eat as I don’t like apples, pears and oranges.   Telling me this was like telling someone who likes sweets and chocolates not to have them.  Fortunately I don’t have a sweet tooth.

I am running out of ideas!  I was brought up on the Mediterranean diet, my family being Italian/Maltese and we never had any food that was not home made.   I no longer have rice or pasta which
I miss.


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## rebrascora (Dec 4, 2020)

Not saying don't eat tomatoes (I still do), but just be aware that they contain carbs too and bear that in mind when you are doing post prandial tests... or struggling to reduce your HbA1c. Particularly if you use a lot of cherry tomatoes or passata in your meals. As with all foods, it is finding the portion size that your body can cope with.


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## grovesy (Dec 5, 2020)

Annette&Bertie said:


> I find the whole thing for me to be very confusing.  I’m specifically talking of course in my own case.  I will be 72 on Sunday, diagnosed type2 in Feb 2016.   Since the age of 5 I was for many years strictly vegetarian, but around the age of 50 only partially because I started adding  chicken and shellfish, occasionally whole fish.  All meals cooked by me at home, never had takeaway food, McDonalds, KFC etc.  You get the picture.
> The reason I get upset and confused is that there appears to be no definitive answer as to how many carbs a diabetic should consume.
> 
> I have always been a big fruit and veg eater, all my life I have adored tomatoes in all forms.  We know tomatoes and fruit have sugar of course, but if I was  to limit these things, it leaves little choice for my meals without getting completely bored.  I remember when I was first diagnosed being told to have a very small handful of fruit, mainly it is berries I eat as I don’t like apples, pears and oranges.   Telling me this was like telling someone who likes sweets and chocolates not to have them.  Fortunately I don’t have a sweet tooth.
> ...


Welcome back!
For many years I could eat a small amount of rice or pasta, have you tried having just a small portion? With regards to tomatoes I find some times different types of tomatoes can have more impact, than others.


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## Annette&Bertie (Dec 5, 2020)

rebrascora said:


> Not saying don't eat tomatoes (I still do), but just be aware that they contain carbs too and bear that in mind when you are doing post prandial tests... or struggling to reduce your HbA1c. Particularly if you use a lot of cherry tomatoes or passata in your meals. As with all foods, it is finding the portion size that your body can cope with.


I agree about the tomatoe issue, actually I stopped eating the cherry ones because I could eat a whole punnet knowing full well they were hard to resist, and not what I should do.   I now only buy the larger vine ones, and beef toms.  I would always class myself as a “foodie”  because I love cooking, and whilst I realize a lot of people diabetic or not,  love takeaways etc. I  have never caught on to that form of eating.  I love to watch chef’s cooking, my favourite is actually James Martin (he’s getting plump) but none of them ever mention diabetics!

I think what irks me most is that every food fad is catered for, and every food allergy is catered for, with the exception of the very serious nut allergy, and it’s implications, but here we have an ancient life threatening condition which is a progressive condition.   It is hardly mentioned.  I am very much a logical thinker, this makes no sense to me.

I have to be honest I’m fed up eating


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## Annette&Bertie (Dec 5, 2020)

grovesy said:


> Welcome back!
> For many years I could eat a small amount of rice or pasta, have you tried having just a small portion? With regards to tomatoes I find some times different types of tomatoes can have more impact, than others.


Thank you!   To be honest, in my cupboard I do have wholegrain rice, which I like.  I probably only have it once a week, a small amount.  I only occasionally have a small amount of potato, most nights or lunches, I don’t have that kind of carb.  I actually have the “Carbs and Cals” book which arrived a couple of days ago, so I shall look at it.   As everyone is aware most books have a section on various things like, lamb, pork, beef etc. which in a million years would never enter my mouth, in fact as I mentioned in a previous post way back, I have never tasted. Lamb, beef, pork and mamy more, so we are still after all these years chicken and seafood.  Before I was diabetic, life was different because I didn’t have to be so aware of what I added to these dishes to make them tasty, but now I do.

Perhaps, with the help of the book, I will once more enjoy cooking!


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## grovesy (Dec 5, 2020)

Hope it helps, you find ways to find suitable options, to get back to tasty dishes. I think it is more difficult for none meat eaters to adapt a Low Carb option. I personally eat on the upper end of low carb.


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## Browser (Dec 5, 2020)

Sally71 said:


> Sugar free jellies are available in most supermarkets, they are basically just water though.  There isn’t really any such thing as a diabetic friendly dessert, because it's not just sugar you have to avoid, but all carbohydrates, because they all turn to sugar in your stomach.  Rice pudding contains rice, which is carbohydrate, so it isn’t any good for you whether it has sugar added or not.  Which is why nothing can be labelled “diabetic” any more because apart from meat, cheese, eggs and green veg there isn’t anything which has no carbohydrate in it at all.  (And even the veggies have a tiny bit!) So I’m afraid the only way you can have a healthy diabetic diet is by putting a bit of effort in.


A while ago I remember Drummer mentioning a dessert mixture he makes with sugar free jelly, mixed with plain yoghurt. He occasionally adds berries and some chia seeds. I’ve tried it and have it with berries, fresh fruit or home-made sugar free banana loaf. It’s very tasty and (for me) BG friendly. I hope Drummer doesn’t mind me mentioning this.


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## Paulbreen (Dec 5, 2020)

rebrascora said:


> Not saying don't eat tomatoes (I still do), but just be aware that they contain carbs too and bear that in mind when you are doing post prandial tests... or struggling to reduce your HbA1c. Particularly if you use a lot of cherry tomatoes or passata in your meals. As with all foods, it is finding the portion size that your body can cope with.


I had a tin of “Mutti brand fillet tomatoes” this morning with my bacon and eggs very luxurious and tasty and wait only 3g of carbs per 100g


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## Annette&Bertie (Dec 5, 2020)

Anitram said:


> I've disliked raw tomatoes and even ketchup since I was a kid and still don't eat them but I'm OK with tomatoes in a sauce like a Bolognese. My wife also has a chicken escalope recipe (Chicken Parmigiana) that uses passata and we often have that too. I was also OK with pizza, though that's something I don't eat any more . Luckily I haven't found tinned tomatoes or even a Dolmio or Lloyd Grossman sauce to be a problem so far.
> 
> Martin


You have done very well in a relatively short time.  LC/HF is good but not if you need to lose weight, of course Martin I don’t know if you need to.


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## Annette&Bertie (Dec 5, 2020)

I lost weight before I was diagnosed, however, that wasn’t unusual for me as I was on diets all the time over the years.   What amazed me was that, here was I eating whatever I liked, yet I said to my friend “this is great never in my life did I lose weight eating what I wanted”,  the following week the reason was that it was a sign of diabetes,  and my numbers were very high.    I still maintain now that I was diabetic about a year beforehand.   I had a series of what was for me, very unusual falling into a deep sleep about 20 minutes after food, in fact so unusual was it for me that this was the reason I went to my GP.


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