For a variety of reasons currently outside of my control or desire, I'm raw-dogging carbohydrates with the assistance of a CGM. Every time I see that line go ↗️ from as little as 20g of carb, I debate whether being fed unflavored Huel with a turkey baster like a foie gras duck is the only way to mee
Mexican Diabetic Foodie here, igotchu.
Chile Rellenos -Poblano peppers stuffed with queso fresco and wrapped with whipped egg whites and set to cook in a tomato salsa. It sounds easy and simple but the technique where the difficulty comes in. You serve it with red rice and call it a day.
Tinga- Chicken cooked in a chipotle salsa and onions. You can top it with crema or queso fresco. You can also eat it with a tostada, red rice or just alone.
Enfrijoladas- Refried beans with a fried tortilla. Eaten with queso fresco or crema. Make the beans yourself the traditional way, 3-5 hrs on a stove top with half an onion 2/3 cloves of garlic and salt. Then water it as needed. They taste best with lard or bacon grease to mash them in or blend them in but you can use whatever oil you have on ha
omg, you really do got me 😍 I live in a Mexican food desert, plus beans are a little too high carb for me, so this is absolutely inspiring me to re-explore a cuisine I'd given up on.
I love chile rellenos! I've never made them but I do love eating them. Will take any tips you have on technique!
I don't eat pork, but I do eat goat (and know where to find it here, shockingly) so that birria dish sounds pretty tasty, too. Do you have a preferred recipe for reference, since I won't really know if I've made it "right" iykwim
Chile relleno burritos are the new hit. So freaking good.
RIP burritos 😭
Beans are high carb but worth me putting them in somewhere… Lentils can probably be substituted but I’ve never tried. I know interact better with them and there’s a simple soup I make with them!
But for the chile rellenos you are going to need a gas stove or grill. Something with an open flame, I’ve never tried electric but theoretically maybe it works? You need to brown the outside of the poblano, and cook it somewhat over the flame. Then place them in ziplock bag or plastic bag to sweat them, and peel the skin off. If you do this inside, open your windows and have that kitchen fan going or else you are going to have pepper gas in your lungs and be coughing up a storm.
Next is the eggs. You need to whip the whites and add in about half the yolks or until it’s a pale yellow. Also add
You're great. Thank you so much for these tips. Definitely giving me ideas!!
For the poblanos, I'm half Moroccan so I'm actually already familiar with roasting and peeling peppers for harissa and matboucha. With an electric stove, the only solution is to put them under the broiler, then flip them once they start blistering and charring. Everything else is new to me, though, so those are incredibly helpful tips!
Birria is just awesome. Always satisfied after that
So much helpful, thanks
Duck birria - lots of flavor. I have with a slaw of cabbage, carrot, and jalapeño - minimal sugar in the dressing but some fruit juice. I don’t spike with corn tortillas (much) so I’ll have one or two tortillas and cotija cheese. Ridiculously satisfying.
alright, that's the second person who's mentioned birria, guess I have to try it! I don't eat meat and dairy together but I'll try it with avocado for creaminess.
You’re a foodie and never had birria? Dear lord.
Also everyone thinks the consume is just for dipping but it’s suppose to be a stew/soup and you are suppose to drink it.
I've been a vegetarian since I was 9 years old! and even when I do make exceptions (I currently consider myself a Bad Vegetarian lol) I live in a rural state up north -- we have the most watered-down boring bland version of Mexican food you can think of. I've never seen birria on a menu here, tbh.
I've been to China where I had fish blood rice and stinky tofu (and enjoyed both), I feel like I can still have my foodie badge haha
Birria is genuine Mexican. Most “Mexican” (I’m estimating 80% in urban areas but prolly 99% in rural ones) in America is Tex Mex. So coming from where you say you do it’s understandable to have missed out on genuine Mexican dishes. I happen to like Tex Mex too - can always be tempted by nachos - but boy when you get authentic Mexican it’s a game changer. I will just live inside a bowl of really good Tortilla Soup (though don’t because carbs - sad face) and I can genuinely eat birria daily and never get bored. And ceviche - yum. Sopes are great but another thing I’ve avoided since diagnosis because masa - though I may try making them and testing my BG eventually. I mention them as they are/can be vegetarian and I’d bet good for a type 2 diet as I eat with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and black
You know where the best Chinese food is? Tijuana, people never believe me. Also has bomb birria.
One dish that probably contributed to saving my life when my glucose was still sky high, and everything I ate tasted terrible.
Steamed Brussel Sprouts. They need to be cut in half. Get a microwave safe dish, add a little water to the bottom of the dish (I was using a 1/4 cup), lightly cover the spouts (I have sealing containers, and would snap down one side, the key is to let the steam escape gradually), and microwave it for ~6 minutes. (You want the sprouts coming out fork tender, with the water vaporized.) (In my case, the grocery store I was buying from sold them pre-cut, mixed with bacon bits, so if those work for you, feel free to microwave some bacon bits in there.)
Once they're steamed, add enough butter to coat them, then salt and pepper to taste, and let the butter melt over th
steamed brussel sprouts? why?!? this feels like brazen disrespect for the humble brussel 😵💫
salad kits are pretty convenient tho! I usually throw out the dressing they come with and make my own. turns out if you blend a rehydrated medjool date into a foamy paste, it acts just like an emulsifier for the dressing without any of the ultraprocessed emulsifiers like xanthan gum or guar gum. I think those might be the reason store-bought dressing drives up my blood sugar more than the carb count would generally have me expecting.
steamed brussel sprouts? why?!? this feels like brazen disrespect for the humble brussel 😵💫
At least in theory, it keeps the fiber intact to tie up carbs.
In practice, it is surprisingly edible.
is that better than roasting, fiber-wise?
Yeah. Assuming I wasn't misinformed, roasting and grilling breaks down some of the fiber.
well, I'm not willing to give up better-tasting food for a fragment of increased nutrition! but thanks for the info.
Prepare them how you'd like. Even if you're getting carbs from roasting them, it shouldn't be too crazy, just keep an eye on how much they spike.
The thing that surprised me about microwave boiling (with the melted butter) is that it is pretty tasty, and surprisingly convenient. But, obviously, that's to personal taste.
My childhood favorite spaghetti meat sauce served with precooked, chilled, reheated spaghetti still works very well for me. You can adjust as you desire. I use a pound of ground beef (85/15; you could sub in ground turkey), an envelope of dry spaghetti sauce mix (it’s basically a seasoned base), can of Italian tomatoes; small can of tomato sauce and same amount of water; can of chopped black olives, small can of drained sliced mushrooms (I use stems and pieces); chopped onion and garlic. Brown meat with onion, garlic, and garlic salt and pepper to taste; drain and the add all the above. Bring to boil, cover and simmer. I precook my spaghetti so it changes to a resistant starch. Serve with salad and sourdough garlic toast.
Is it just regular pasta? Doesn’t that spike your sugar? It definitely does for me
Not if I cook it in the morning - or day before - and chill it until I reheat it in the evening. The chill and reheat process changes the carbs to a resistant starch. It works for some people, but apparently not for everyone. Some people say it works for them with Rice as well, but I have not been successful at that one yet.
My doctor had said the same that I can eat overnight rice because it’s less starchy but I still have some rises
Is that your fanciest, tastiest, maximum-effort dish?
hm. Maybe! Or baked salmon with lemon butter and roasted broccoli. I am but a simple woman...
That's fair! Thanks for sharing :)
Unfortunately even "resistant" starches break down faster than my pancreas can keep up, but I'll keep this in my back pocket for if I ever get meds.
I love to do shakshuka from scratch! For me I cut some corners and use a frozen bell pepper & onion mix and canned chickpeas for extra protein but bc I make it from scratch I control how much sugar is in the tomato sauce (0 added sugar). And the fennel and cumin can help with insulin absorption (not a ton, but I saw a slight decrease in my morning spike!).
Also really love roasting riced cauliflower with butter and green onions in a pan until golden so it soaks in the delicious flavors. I add pepperoni for a kick but I think spiced chick peas or lentils would also be delicious.
Ooof, you're speaking my language. Diagnosis was devastating to my foodie self.
That said, here goes:
Chana Masala from scratch. Get yourself some ghee, good spices, etc. Use a Vitamix for that silky, silky smooth sauce. Don't forget a splash of cream for that extra satisfaction. I would never use it for East Asian dishes, but I've found that riced cauliflower does actually work as a decent rice sub with Indian food.
Spanakorizo, but instead of rice, use grains like barley, quinoa, millet, farro. A ton of spinach, feta, dill, mint, etc. You could serve with grilled halloumi, or grilled chicken thigh or lamb.
Korean food is your friend, full stop. Yes, they do put sugar/rice syrup/honey in various things, but you can reduce the quantity while still maintaining a balance of flavors. I ma
I just took a brace of casseroled partridge out of the oven - seared partridge, mushrooms, carrot, celery, cabbage, onion, garlic and black pepper plus a veggie stock cube. The liquid tastes incredible.
Big-ass ribeye with pan sauce and roasted mushrooms, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, shallots
CHEESE
at this point my body is probably 40% cheese by volume 😍
what's your favorite cheese?
Probably epoisses, although I do have a soft spot for Mimolette, my namesake
I was wondering if see and type 1s here.
Red bell pepper is at the top for me.
I've been doing well with chickpea pasta, but it's not for everyone. I'll saute a bunch of chives (I basically get them for free) add canned mushrooms, butter, and a bit of water once thats all cooked, and toss the pasta in when that comes to a boil, I only add enough water to cook the pasta and let it simmer down, add my spices like garlic, salt, pepper, spinach if I have it goes next to last, then a hand full of shredded cheese finishes it off. Idk why I ever ate Mac and cheese from a blue box when I could make this.
Also a big fan of soups, my crock pot can do all the heavy lifting with broths, I just add a ton of veggies, tofu, etc. Again likely some of my beloved chickpea pasta goes in near the end, and soup is always good.
oof, chickpea pasta is not friends with my tummy! idk if it would be friendly to my blood sugar because it makes me too sick to even try, but plain chickpeas/beans I can only have ~1/3 cup at a time without going 200+
Well there's also lentil pasta or whole wheat, but it's important to know what you can't have and work from that knowledge.
oh, I see a lentil pasta made only from lentils, maybe I'll give it a shot! I'll be honest tho, if it doesn't taste like real pasta I'd probably rather just give up pasta entirely.
Lol, I was that way too, and did give up pasta for like 8 months. After that though the bean based pastas tasted pretty good tho.
delulu really is the solulu, isn't it 😭😭😭
it's been 2 years since I had 1/2 cup of pasta which was such a depressing serving size that I just gave up pasta entirely
I tried the chickpea and lentil pastas. Decided pasta is off my list. It’s the carbs that make it good.
Do you have a picture of this pasta? Super dumb, I know but I wanna try it and I’m a visual learner! I can’t do chick pea either but can do whole wheat!
I love a good roasted veggie. My go tos are broccoli and cauliflower. A little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder/salt, and maybe some onion. Oven on 375 F until cooked. Simple but tasty
Is that really it?? Are roasted veggies that easy, I feel like I’ve been missing out on this, how long do you put them in for?
20 minutes at 425°F and don't skimp on the oil, otherwise they just get dehydrated + limp instead of juice + crisp. also make sure they're spread in a single layer on the pan so they don't steam in their own juices, i usually use two half-sheet pans.
Is that your fanciest, tastiest, maximum-effort dish?
The thing you hate about protein powder may be the artificial sweeteners. I buy unflavored, unsweetened whey isolate. The goal for me is to have it be an invisible ingredient, and that means mixing it in very well. (It requires more aggressive mixing than some other powdered foods.) It also means keeping the amount low enough that it doesn’t make textures gummy or weird.
Having said all that, there’s a high chance that it’s not your thing.
That's what I thought, too! So I got the isopure unflavored whey protein. Turns out it smells/tastes like wet cow to me TT___TT
The only way I can not-taste it is to add a negligible amount, which kind of defeats the purpose of having it.
HOWEVER instead of fighting the wet cow flavor, I just leaned into it and mixed it with ryazhenka, which is an Eastern European fermented yogurt drink made with baked milk. Because baking the milk caramelizes the sugars and enhances the cow-y flavor of cow's milk, the whey isolate actually blends in very well with that.
Only downside is rhyazhenka is hard to find, I have to make a special trip to our local euro-mart to get it.