Hello, my husband has recently been very ill and now has steroid induced diabetes (and will be on steroids for 4 months minimum). We've gone from eating 'normally/unhealthily' to having to watch for sugars and do glucose testing multiple times a day.
We've managed to figure out suitable main meals
I am a big time snacker. I started making a list in Google keep of what I like. Here is my list so far! Hope you are able to find things ya'll like!
Refrigerator Snacks
Crunchy Snacks
Sweet Snacks
Thank you for this post.
I've missed chips the most, I've got a box of quest chips incoming!!!
If you've never had a protien chip before. Just keep in mind that they're not quite the same. They're not bad just different.
You can also do meats: Ham, turkey, chicken, etc ..
And nuts: Pecans, Walnuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts - I usually buy these at Costco in 1-2lb bags and mix them to make my own bag of mixed nuts.
Jalapenos or sweet peppers can also be made with cream cheese for epic jalapeno poppers. More of a dinner thing but definitely good to reheat as well.
FYI carrots are a no go for me, too much sugar.
I love the Snack Pak No Sugar Added Dulce de Leche puddings.
What about low sugar or sugar free beef jerky? Deviled eggs are a good snack too.
He does love jerky so I'll definitely have to find some sugar free - thank you!
Tillamook is a good zero sugar brand
Just about to say this! I have their beef sticks for snacks at work.
Ahhhh good to know this!
Quest brand makes tons of zero sugar low carb snacks that are good too, atkins brand peanut butter cups are amazing
I've not heard of them but I'll definitely check it out, thanks!
I slice chicken breasts into tenders, grill or cook them with seasonings then just dip into rays brand sugar free bbq sauce, pork rinds are usually like zero carb, cheese n salami, some beef jerkys, skinny girl brand makes lots of zero or super low carb sauces n dressings I use them to make small salads when feeling snacky, your local grocery store probably has some “keto” ice cream, these are made with allulose a “carbs but it does not impact blood sugar or affect it, sugar free jello, deviled eggs, jalepeno poppers, ground chicken mixed with pulverized pork rings, form into nuggets- bake, zero carb chicken nuggies
He definitely loves meat based snacks so a lot of these would be perfect for him, thank you!
Eggs, berries, prunes haha, protein bars although have to watch out for fake sugar reaction on guts, popcorn.
Hmmm prunes has low enough sugar? Constipation is an issue for most of us that also have low thyroid (Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that often goes with T2D for many of us).
No. But it is to help with constipation issues. Dietitian said to exercise portion control.
I eat nuts and berries and a lot of delicious veg. I learned the hard way , if I eat carbs I am insatiable. If I stick to healthy fats I don’t get the cravings for more carbs
I am only a couple of months in so excuse dumb question. I have been bolusing for berries like raspberries with meals. Are they ok for no carb snack?
They have carbs, and it varies by ripeness & type of berry etc. There are online carb guides, that someone here might recommend?
I need to do more nuts!
Dry roasted edamame is my go to or some sliced cucmber with a sprinkle of Tajin and a splash of lemon juice.
Pork rinds are also good.
Think protein! If he likes eggs, that's a great choice. I don't know your budget, but if you can afford ostrich meat, it's nearly fat free and very healthy. Both of these things will keep him satisfied so far as feeling full! Personally, I'd I have an egg or two, they keep me full for hours. And ostrich? You can get the ground ostrich meat and it cooks just like hamburger. It's a red meat but it tastes like a filet mignon that's been chopped....it's that good!
Yogurt can be good and some of it is high protein, zero sugar. Just watch it make sure that it doesn't inadvertently spike his sugar levels. Sometimes fake sweeteners can do that! Think somewhat keto in a way. One time I made the mistake of buying oat milk for my husband. Wrong answer! Oats of any kind are filled with carbs. Good
You can do a research on low carb or keto food and select a bunch of items and determine what he likes. They are not always keepers but I got some gummies, bread, bagels, granola, burger buns, weerthers caramel, jam, etc. I am from Canada and go to: keysnutritions.com.
Veggies, like carrot and celery sticks.
Olives. Vegetables. Eggs.
Olives! Definitely need to add those to my list, along w/ nuts, boiled eggs, and of course… 🥕 carrots!
Just posting to commiserate a little bit because I went through steroid induced diabetes last year after an extreme allergic reaction to the dye used in a pre-cancer operation scan. I was actually on insulin for about 4 months after the operation--quite a ride, that was.
I'm off meds entirely now and my stats are probably better than they were before, though I still watch what I eat. Here's hoping things go just as well or even better for your husband.
I'm glad to hear that you're doing well and managed to get off the meds! The hope is that everything can return to normal, or hopefully he will be the same and actually improve now he's thinking more about what he's eating and the effects it can have. It's just been a bit of a shock to the system to suddenly have to think about and change every meal, snack and drink!
I was given steroid induced diabetes in 1997. Never went away. No one else in my family, mother or father side has diabetes. Was given a massive amount of steroids after a spinal cervical injury and after surgery. Hopefully his goes away. Diabetes sucks later in life.
Mine subsided as I weaned off steroids, but was already an underlying issue, that worsened w/ age + Covid weight gain.
Always good to see if your primary Dr. will refer you to a dietitian.
I like pickles! Paired with cheese and deli meat (my fave combo is brie and sopressatta) and some fruit for sweetness.
We all need snacks sometimes and some of us like snacking more than others. But I find im less snacky if I eat a more voluminous meal.
For instance ive been liking dishes with lots of cabbage in them, its cheap, plentiful, and low carb so I can eat a lot of it to fill my stomach without causing a spike. Plus the fibre is great too. Eating meals that are big while still being low carb/calorie is my preference. I like to saute it with onion and keilbasa/smoked sausage and then serve it with a small serving of mashed potatoes (made the night before to create resistant starches if i have the time). I also recently made it with ground beef and taco seasoning, sort of like
Yogurt, blueberries, and walnuts - combined or separate, but they're really good together 🙂 Beef Jerky is good ,too. I also like Posh Praline Maple Almonds. Hearty Tamari is yummy too. Basically, if you combine almonds or walnuts with sweeter items, they help inhibit a spike (almonds coated in dark chocolate are okay for me, in moderation).
Nut mixes, medium boiled eggs, sardines, olives, cucumbers, sliced apples (not all diabetics can eat these)
Pork Rinds are 0 carb but need to check label to ensure no sweeteners are added. Of course the are high in fat so not good if cholesterol is high.
High protein ice cream made in the Ninja Creami. A whole pint and my blood sugar barely moves. I’ve started adding ⅓ cup keto granola just to add calories and chew. If you want a website that will work well for him, try alldayidreamaboutfood.com/.
Peanuts, cashews,and pecans.
Dont be afraid of the honey roasted options
Celery sticks with garden veg cream cheese or Aldis spinach and artichoke dip.
1/2 c cottage cheese with peach, pear, mandarin oranges or applesauce.
Sugarless candy once in awhile.
I buy small individual sized cottage cheese w/ a tiny portion of pineapple included on the side.
Also, green apple snack oaks (watch out for the Carmel on the side although it’s a tiny portion.)
Yeah… I gained HUGE amounts of weight on steroids, which in turn led to T2D🥴
Fruit
I think it’d be easier to help if we knew what he liked to eat?
But for snacks…
Cheetos puffcorn is one of my favorite snacks. Along with popcorn and multigrain chips w cheese dip. I also enjoy pork rinds, jerky, cucumbers w dressing/hummus or whatever is around. Potato chips overall tend to be not super terrible as long as you don’t eat the entire bag.
When I want a sweet treat I’ll make pb kisses, and sorbet. Recently I discovered trufru milk chocolate/white chocolate dipped strawberries and they are addictive, or I’ll make a ‘milk shake’ with shamrock farms protein chocolate milk, a spoonful of pb, and a frozen half banana (can be full depends on how much he spikes, just make sure it’s not super ripe). I also discovered Johnny pop recently and they are pretty good along with most
He's definitely more into meat snacks than sweet treats so I think pork rinds, jerky etc would be great for him. I'll definitely show him the sweet treat suggestions too for when he gets a craving!