Prediabetes - please hit me with some snack and lunch ideas

[TheHorneSection]

I know why, I’ve spent 30 years being one of those people who metabolises fast and doesn’t put on the weight her diet suggests, and it’s catching up with me now. And I know much of it will come from snacking on crisps and cake, and having a lunch that’s little more than toast…

I want to make real long term changes and I know that rushing headlong into a carb-free, intermittent fasting diet just won’t do that. Dinners are reasonably ok as DH cooks and was already talking about making better choices as a family (though our meals are pretty good anyway). I want to tackle each issue on its own - so I’m starting with snacks and lunch.

Any advice on your go-to snacks? I’ve done some reading and have some good ideas but would welcome stuff I can just grab while busy, or take into the office. Lunches also need to be reasonably quick, I don’t often have long and can’t always stand and cook.

Any and all suggestions welcome!

I am terrible for snacking, so to try to be a bit healthier I have things like babybels, nuts, carrot sticks, hard boiled eggs, rice cakes and peanut butter etc.

Probably not all ideal, but better than the chocolate and biscuits that I would really love to have!

Eating a good lunch helps reduce snacking mid afternoon. So healthy fats and lots of veg and nutrient dense food. Healthy snacks - hummus and carrot, or fruit or a small version of a meal (chopped cold new potatoes & cold cooked chicken & avocado & salad leaves with a bit of mayo)

Salads are my go to for lunch. I just go for a combo of leaves, then add 3 out of grated carrot, cucumber, celery, peppers, radishes, tomato, sweetcorn, then either red onion or spring onion, either a fruit (apple/grapes/pear) or a pickled veg. Then I add a protein ( loads you can choose from but I mainly go for chicken with some kind of flavouring, tuna, eggs or flavoured, roasted chickpeas). Add a dressing, I use mostly vinegar based or just balsamic or a fat free yoghurt dressing. A sprinkle of toasted seeds or a Brocken up crisp bread for crunch.

If at home egg and tomatoes on toast, an omelette or stir fried veg with a protein.

Nuts, cheese, dark choc, Cheesies, Skips snack wise. I will also have a rice cake as they are low carb and give a welcome crunch.

i’m eating a lot of salad at the moment - but you do need to be careful with the carbs there. The suggestion of hummus and new potato salad above would have my blood sugar levels in double figures!!

Just be careful to be balanced. Mother in law was slightly in the pre diabetes range and changed her diet radically. She got quite ill

Hummus and carrot sticks
Cheese cubes and olives
Nuts
Dark chocolate

plain yoghurt
berries
babybel
boiled egg
soup for lunch

Look at the Michael Mosley books.

See, this is where I turn into that internet arsehole who picks at everything - I don’t like avocado, nuts, olives… 🤦🏻‍♀️ I’m a terrible cook and so I see some of the suggestions above and my brain starts defaulting and saying, yes, but where does that cooked chicken come from and, really, just plain tinned tuna and some leaves…?

I have a long way to go here!

I’m going to be honest, I know suddenly eating no carbs and all that has a high chance of making me either freak out or end up going too far and dropping too many calories or something stupid…

Cooked chicken can be bought ready cooked from any supermarket or just buy some chicken breasts, flavour with what ever you enjoy - lemon, herbs, garlic, paprika etc etc. I'm not sure anyone has suggested only eating plain tuna and leaves. If you don't like tuna plain try adding a splash of vinegar or lemon or lime juice, black pepper, and finely diced red onion and peppers.

Try looking at or listening to Zoe podcasts regarding sugar/carbs. It's all explained very simply.

If you fill up on meals then you shouldn't really need to snack. Each time you eat you spike your blood sugar, so grazing is far worse than 3 or 4 set meals.

Try replacing very carby things with more protein based alternatives. Eg M&S do flatbread that are made with mostly seeds, so very low carb. Snack on cheese, cold meat and nuts if you really have to. Replace crisps with nuts.

Also, eat vegetables before carbs as the fibre helps to slow down sugar spikes too

The worst risk factor for diabetes is being overweight so try to bring your weight down and it should help.

Look up the Glucose Goddess, some good tips for keeping your glucose down:
a) Food ordering - line the stomach with fibre, protein and fat before ingesting carbs as it slows the absorption of sugar. Don't eat sugary carbs as a standalone snack, e.g. have fruit/pudding only at the end of a meal

b) Apple cider vinegar before meals (or even as acid dressing) reduces glucose spikes

c) Do a short walk after meals or if you don't have time soleus push ups or a set of 10 squats to get the glucose moving into muscles.

d) Cool and reheat starchy carbs e.g. rice, potatoes, pasta. It increases resistant starch which reduces sugar spikes. Tilda microwave rice is great as it is pre cooled.