This weeks blog is all about foods that could be contributing to high sugar levels, and some alternatives that are delicious and better for health and sugar levels!
I would never advise anyone to completely cut food groups out of your diet. This is not sustainable and can be very detrimental to your relationship with food. That’s why we want to only limit some foods, and have them as a treat!
Keep reading for some suggestions of foods to limit, and remember people can react differently to foods, so if it doesn’t work for you, I’m sure there will be another alternative out there for you!
1. Ready-made Sauces
- A lot of packaged sauces and condiments contain added sugar because it’s cheap and a preservative.
- Some examples of products include pasta sauces, stir-fry sauces, ketchup and BBQ sauce.
- The best alternative I can suggest are home-made sauces! Making pasta sauces and stir-fry sauces is super quick and easy, especially when you repeat recipes and learn them off by heart.
- For condiments, there are reduced-sugar versions out there which are definitely worth a try!
- It is a lot easier to keep track of how many carbs you have eaten, and obviously will not contain additives and preservative making it more beneficial for your health.
2. Chocolate
- I know what you’re thinking, and I’m not saying you can’t have chocolate! But of course milk and white chocolate can contain a huge amount of sugar, which we might want to limit!
- I wanted to share some alternatives to try if you’re obsessed with chocolate like me! I usually have some chocolate everyday, but i like to have darker chocolates because they are lower in sugar and high in iron.
- My favourites are Lindt orange intense and Lindt dark hazelnut. For people who aren’t keen on dark chocolate, definitely give these a try. The Lindt dark ranges are full of flavour and there are so many different flavours!
3. Refined Crisps
- What I mean by ‘refined crisps’, are brands that have a high salt and saturated fat content. Try and opt for brands that bake crisps to reduces the saturated fat content.
- Another alternative could be lentil chips, which are great! Lentil products contain slightly more protein, meaning it will leave you feeling fuller, and you will digest slower.
- Some brand names are PopChips, Eat Real and Walker’s Sunbites– be sure to check these out! https://www.popchips.co.uk/, https://www.eatreal.co.uk/
4. Fruit Juice
- I love fruit juices, but I tend to save them for when I am treating low sugar levels because they contain so much sugar.
- I would always opt for fresh brands over brands that are made from concentrate because fresh contains less refined sugar, and more fibre.
5. Brown Bread & Pasta
- White carbs contain more sugar than brown versions. This means white products are digested faster, and might cause a rapid glucose spike. Brown bread and pasta also contains more fibre and minerals, adding more beneficial nutrition to your diet.
- Give brown carbs a try and see how your sugar level readings change. Some people may notice a huge difference, whereas some may not, so why not give it a try!
Thank you so much for reading my blog! Here are some similar blogs you might like! 5 foods diabetics should be eating! and 5 Easy ways to lower your HbA1c!