gail-r

I'm a bit overwhelmed, he now has type 2 diabetes plus some heart concerns so he really needs to be on a heart healthy diabetic diet. I'm trying to learn to count carbs but trying to figure out a weeks worth of meals and snacks is making me slightly crazier than usual.

The big problem is trying to give him a variety and control portion size. I'm going to eat when and whatever he eats so that helps with the portion size, I just make less and he knows he has to share.

He has always been a meat, potatoes and gravy, kind of guy. And if the meat and potatoes were fried then it was even better. So, trying to change is going to be difficult especially if I can't give him an interesting variety.

Any help, advise or receipes would be appreciated.

Hugs, Gail

craftybear

Hi,

I understand, my hubby was a diabetic from 4th grade to age of 36. Both of his kidneys failed at age 35, was on home dialysis for 1 year and worked a full time job. On September 18, 1990 he got a kidney and pancreas transplant and he is now no longer a diabetic.

Be sure he has a diabetic doctor. Also you can take classes at the hospital for diabetics.

We have a scale to weigh his food and I calculated his food by carbohydrates, protein and fat. now the recipes online has all of that figured for us.

How many calories diet is in to have a day?

Karen "Craftybear"

amma

Substituting basmatti rice for potates and using canned beef or chicken broth for gravy are two hints I gave my DB. He was a potato and gravy eater...

Having a bit of broiled, grilled or boiled meat with each meal helps to fill you up when you are increasing the veggies. Spread the meat out over all 4-5 meals... I cook up meat and freeze it in broth or gravy. I can pull out small portions then for each meal.

Substitute olive oil whenever possible, it is heart healthy. It does not work well with deep frying, but sauteing herbs, garlic, onions in it and then cooking your meat or veggies give them a wonderful flavor.

craftybear

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-49943-1.htm

link I started to post diabetic recipes

craftybear

http://www.diabetes.org/

virtualbernie

Check out http://www.sparkpeople.com

It's free to join and when/if you do when you fill out the info, it asks if you're diabetic and will create recipes with diabetics in mind. Like Amma said (and all her suggestions are right on the money!), I also substituted Basmati Rice for potatoes and started walking for exercise. It has helped alot!

The most important thing is to follow doctors orders!

amma

Another thought if hubby is a big eater, is to serve him a bowl or cup of soup before the meals. Canned broth as the base, add allowed veggies to it. You can add small bits of meat, it makes him think he is getting "some" LOL

Canned broth: No cholestrol, less than 10 cals per serving, veggies: few calories
Herbs/seasoning: calorie free
1/2 cup finely chopped meat: not many calories spread out over many servings.
=Healthy and low cost filler... Wear an apron when you serve it, light a few candles and he will feel like he is in a fancy restautant :wink:

Chicken broth and veggies or Beef broth and veggies, make a BIG potful...take out portions, put them in freezer containers.
While they are cooling, I add different herbs/seasonings to the containers, so each container has a different flavor. Variety IS the spice of life :D:D:D

gail-r

Thanks for the great suggestions. This is his first full day home from the hospital. I think some it is planning on 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. Let me run by you what I have done or will do for food today, I think I'm on the right track.

Breakfast.
2 slices of low cal whole wheat bread.
Can't believe its butter on toast
1 egg, (put about 1/2 tes of olive oil in pan, let pan get warm the added the egg. Then I added a little bit of water and covered the pan until egg was cooked.
2 slices of bacon, cooked in microwave, not fried.

am snack.
1 lite and creamy yogurt.
1 slice of cantaloupe

Lunch,

baked porkchop
roasted red potatoes with parsley flacks
peas

snack
fresh vegies with fat free dressing for dip
4 ritz crackers

dinner
lg. salad with fat free dressing
hamburger patty cooked on bbq.
1/2 baked apple

snack
1 glass of 2% milk
3 oreo cookies.

The dietician told me to start out a little slow but keep him well fed on good for him stuff. But to let him have a sweet 1 or 2 times a week. As soon as I can, I plan on getting some new cookbooks and a carb & calorie counter book. Gotta, seems like all I have done today is cook and clean the kitchen, Haven't even had time to sew...that has to change. I'm also planning a big shopping trip to stock the house on things that he can eat.

Thanks for the websites and for helping me.

Hugs, Gail

virtualbernie

Turkey bacon is a good substitute for regular bacon and I forgot sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes.

amma

Turkey bacon or turkey sausage patties...

Maybe swap the fruit to breakfast and one of the pieces of toast to the snack with yogurt... yogurt has a bit of sugar in it.

dinner could also include a small portion of basmatti.

whole grain carbs and a little meat are what is going to make him feel full and hold him over to the next meal/snack.

Baking the meat is good, as long as it sits on a rack :wink: so the fat drips off.

Oatmeal, other whole grain cereals are good too, with an egg or breakfast meat. He may want to eventually go with one or the other due to the cholestrol.