Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Food gift for a Diabetic

21 replies

Wingletang1 · 23/11/2023 20:32

My MIL has just been diagnosed with diabetes. I would normally buy her nice biscuits, chocolates etc for Christmas. Can anyone recommend anything that would still be suitable to give as a gift? Thanks

OP posts:
DumboHimalayan · 23/11/2023 20:35

Cheese selection? Or cured meats?

SawX · 23/11/2023 20:36

She can still eat those things if she's sensible. Unless she's going to scoff the lot at once, carry on.

Don't buy anything labelled as diabetic chocolate - it tastes awful and has a laxative effect.

If you're really uncomfortable giving her biscuits and chocolate, nuts and cheese don't affect blood sugar.

DumboHimalayan · 23/11/2023 20:36

Or if you want something non-refrigerated, a nice selection of roasted salted different-flavoured nuts, maybe. Or flavoured drizzling oils.

MeshNoMore · 23/11/2023 20:40

Luxury olives and nuts, some interesting dried herbs and spices if she enjoys cooking

DumboHimalayan · 23/11/2023 20:41

SawX, depending on the person, some people would really struggle with a gift like that, especially early on following diagnosis. For some people, it's psychologically far easier just to say to themselves "I don't eat chocolates/biscuits/cakes" than to try and limit themselves to a single chocolate or biscuit now and again, and I think it's wise of OP to steer clear of anything that might be uncomfortable or difficult for MIL to manage until she and the MIL know more about what works for her. I'm diabetic and I would just instantly give away any present like that, as I find it far easier to maintain good control if I just don't take that first "little bit that can't hurt".

SkyFullofStars1975 · 23/11/2023 20:44

I'm diabetic and my family don't get me chocolate/sweets. I wouldn't get someone newly diagnosed a food gift full stop - it's too hard trying to get your head round a lifestyle change as it is.

I'd explore something else.

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 23/11/2023 20:45

I'm going to assume type 2 diabetes (if it's type 1 you can get her what she usually has and she'll give herself insulin).

Does she like the kind of posh good quality dark chocolate where you only have a little bit at a time? Because that's still ok.

Otherwise, low-carb stuff, cheese, nuts (not dried fruit).

or make her a hot chocolate basket - cadburys highlights hot chocolate is low-carb which is what you want, with cream and a nice mug, maybe some cocoa in a shaker for on top?

Peanutbutterbar · 23/11/2023 20:45

Type 1 or 2? If type 2 is she on insulin ?

Fawbs89 · 23/11/2023 20:49

I'm diabetic, insulin dependent...nuts really do alter blood sugar they are pure carbohydrates!

SawX · 23/11/2023 20:53

Fawbs89 · 23/11/2023 20:49

I'm diabetic, insulin dependent...nuts really do alter blood sugar they are pure carbohydrates!

There are no carbs in nuts.

DsTTy · 23/11/2023 20:55

If she likes Italian you could choose some fancy pastas, nice sauces, premium olive oil in a tin etc. If she likes an Indian you could visit an Indian supermarket and put together a recipe hamper.

Peanutbutterbar · 23/11/2023 20:56

SawX · 23/11/2023 20:53

There are no carbs in nuts.

Show quote history

There are carbs in nuts ! My dd is type 1 and she has to weigh them and give insulin accordingly (eg 100g of peanuts is approx 16g carbs)

DumboHimalayan · 23/11/2023 20:57

Nuts are not pure carbohydrate Hmm

100g Sainsbury's almonds contains around 49g fat, 29g protein, 13g carbs of which 5g is sugars, and 7g fibre. All that other stuff that isn't carbohydrate slows down the digestion so that the carbs aren't released to the bloodstream quickly.

Having said that, they do contain carbs so can obviously affect blood sugar, but most people aren't going to get massive spikes from them like they would from a box of chocolates (and it's a lot harder to down 500g of nuts than 500g of chocolate over the course of an afternoon).

fortnumsfinest · 23/11/2023 21:03

What type of diabetic? If type 1 get her what you'd normally get her as type 1's can eat anything

DumboHimalayan · 23/11/2023 21:12

I'm type 2, but TBH most type 1s I know seem not to bother with high-sugar food a lot of the time, as apparently the quick blood sugar changes makes keeping tight blood sugar control trickier. Some do, of course, and I know technically it's supposed to be all the "dose adjusted for normal eating" stuff, but if MIL is a new type 1 and just getting to grips with it, a sugar-based gift that's not usually eaten as part of a meal might be tricky for her to manage. But statistically, it's more likely MIL is a type 2.

LemonadeQueen · 23/11/2023 21:34

Etsy do a lovely diabetic hamper, I brought one for a friend during her pregnancy. Her own diabetic dad enjoys one every Christmas now!

AllAroundMyCat · 23/11/2023 21:44

Don't buy anything labelled as 'diabetic.'
They'll be containing sugar substitutes that can cause diahorrea .

Have a look at the Diabetes UK website.

Original poster
Wingletang1 · 23/11/2023 22:19

Thanks for all the messages, i’ll buy her something different just to be on the safe side.

OP posts:
abbey44 · 23/11/2023 22:26

For those saying nuts don’t affect your blood sugar, this is what it does to mine… (Type 1, I had 75g of pecans earlier….see that spike?) You can see I had to have an injection o bring it down, and it’s taking its time…

Food gift for a Diabetic
DumboHimalayan · 24/11/2023 03:47

Of course they have an effect on blood sugar. They're just not "pure carbohydrates".

Mammydiamonds · 29/03/2024 19:59

Peanuts aren’t nuts which is why you have to have carb to insulin ratio. Hope that helps! My daughter is also a Type 1

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread