Where can i buy low GI snacks?

[nobodysfool]

Hello,
I have diagnosed with gestational diabetes and have been told to follow a low GI diet.
I really need to find some snacks like oat bars or something i can eat on the go.
Any ideas where i can buy them?I have tried Sainsburys, Holland and Barrets and don't know where else to try.
TIA.

You will find it very difficult to find snacks that are not carb based. You could try snacking on meat, nuts or cheese. Fancy a babybel?

Rice cakes? H&B do them.
Hoummus and wholemeal pitta?
Oatcakes - Nairns do them in boxes divided into little packs of about six; I often keep some in my locker at work for when I get the munchies.

Thanks for replying pigleto.
Tell me about it.
Looks like Babybel for me.I can see me craving a flapjack very soon.

Hoummus and wholemeal pitta sounds good to me.
Anything else?

Oat bars generally have a fair amount of sugar in them. Oatcakes would probably be a better choice, or a couple of ryvita, both are fairly readily available. Also very dark chocolate (eg Green & Blacks 85% dark) can be quite low GI but still gives a good boost. You would need to check the ingredients though as chocolate that uses cheap cocoa will have more sugar to disguise the bitterness of the cocoa, good dark chocolate uses naturally milder flavoured cocoa.

You could put cereal in little containers to eat in the way you would nuts, again you need to read the label as some of the 'healthy' ones are very high in sugar. Quaker Oat Crunch is one of the lowest sugar cereals that I've found that is also edible.

if you have a waitrose then have a look for walkers oat biscuits, the ginger ones are really nice and not too sugary. i think rice cakes are not low gi.

the best thing is to eat really solid dense wholemeal bread / pasta / rice with some protein, it will last longer. of course lots of fruit and veg but you need some ballast.

those oaty bar jobs are usually too sweet. i'm not diabetic btw, just have dodgy blood sugar. there used to be a gd support thread, have a look in health or pregnancy topics.

rice cakes are just about the highest GI food in existance.

and they smell like wee!

OK im getting a list now...keep them coming.

Really? Oops - they are always touted as a healthy snack. Ignore me then! Oatcakes are nice though!

I have a lot of weight to lose, has any other mum, or grannie, actually lost weight on the GI diet!

Oaty bar jobs generally not good with GD.

I tended to eat

• nuts
• slice of rye bread or plain oatcake with sliced cheese on
• half a multiseed bagel with cream cheese on

and my blood sugar stayed beauuuuuuuuuuuuuutifully stable.

Key things, from memory, are

1. ALWAYS include protein every time you eat, whether a snack or a meal
2. As few refined carbs as possible
3. Avoid rice in any form if you can help it. And probably potatoes (sweet potatoes are fine, though)
4. Avoid anything with high sugars if you can help it (look at the nutritional information list on the label for "carbohydrates... of which sugars...")

"has any other mum, or grannie, actually lost weight on the GI diet! "

Yes... Stones! And I'd recommend that the best way to approach it is to eat 'real' food, wholefood, rather than anything processed or ready-made. So for snacks go for things like hummus with raw vegetable sticks or a banana sliced onto a very grainy crispbread. You can also try making these High Fibre Muesli Bars which contain a relatively small amount of sugar but get most of the sweetness from apple puree and dried fruit. Tip... Keep well in the freezer

Nuts and seeds are a good option.