diabetic sweets

Ophidion · July 2013

I have a diabetic friend with a sweet tooth and would appreciate if anyone could provide me with links to obtaining sweets that are safe for diabetics as I do not see this person curbing their intake but I would like to provide healthier alternatives. We are in Australia and either have little options and the ones we have are severely overpriced.

Any help would be appreciated.:flowerforyou:

annwyatt69 · July 2013

I have several recipes for lower calorie, lower sugar, sugar free, fat free things that use Crystal Light, sugar free jello, or sugar free pudding in them. One is a pie that uses sugar free Crystal Light Lemonade and Sugar Free Cool Whip to make an "icebox lemon pie." I'm in the U.S. so I'm not sure what products you have there, but there are many sites on line to search for diabetic friendly sweet recipes. If something calls for sugar substitute, 9 times out of ten you can substitute other things for it like the puddings, jellos, or sugar free drink mixes. I have been a type I diabetic for almost 30 years, so I know it's hard and you have to get creative. Good luck!

BigG59 · July 2013

You'll possibly get more answers posting in the diabetic group on the forum

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1789-type-2-diabetes-support-group

Carbs are the enemy of diabetics. It is not true that it is sugar, sugar is just another carb, one which spike your blood sugars a lot quicker than say eating a bowl of oat meal and BTW potatoes are just as bad as sweets!!

In my view Foods sold as "Diabetic" are a marketing gimmick to get the gullible to part with their money. If you understand what causes the blood sugars to spike ( and each diabetic is different) you can eat accordingly.

As the poser above suggests it is better and a lot cheaper to make your own.

hookilau · July 2013

That depends on the diabetic a bit.

My goal is tight control, I'm only 44 yrs old, T2 and I am unsure of the pathology of my particular diabetes, sooooo, I'm after very tight control of BG numbers. This being the case, I'm aware, through diligent pre and post meal testing that anything with maltodextrin jacks up my blood sugar. Lots of 'sugar free' products marketed as sugar free have this, like powdered splenda, powdered Jell-O etc.

That being said, if the person is T1, you have a little more lee-way as tight control is not the safest way to go for most folks due to the law of small numbers. If this is the case, stuff made with splenda, xylitol, maltodextrin and other artificial sweeteners are ok. I think sugar alcohols are too as well as low sugar/low carb treats because a T1 person will be compensating with insulin injection as long as the carb count is listed on the packaging.

T2 folks are a little different. If not correcting with insulin injection, and only controlling with food, things made with sucralose (liquid splenda) and some sugar alcohols xylitol, or other artificial sweeteners should not raise blood sugar if tolerated well.

Something else to consider...my mom still hasn't gotten over my diagnosis & I swear she thinks it's contagious. The other day I told her of a cheesecake recipe I made that turned out well.

Me: I made a really nice strawberry cheesecake last night
Mom: was it GOOD?
Me: well, it was a reasonable...ma, when you eat diabetic foods, they're not really good, more like, not bad :drinker:

I hate to be a negative Nelly but if your friend is used to eating regular stuff, the diabetic substitutes just don't compare in my opinion. As always, all of this stuff is variable & your mileage may vary.

Good luck

Ophidion · July 2013

Thanks everyone I re-posted in the diabetic group as suggested.

Also i know it did sound a little like the ole"So I have this friend" line but he is a 62 yr old male friends father.

Gearjammer71 · July 2013

I hate to be a negative Nelly but if your friend is used to eating regular stuff, the diabetic substitutes just don't compare in my opinion. As always, all of this stuff is variable & your mileage may vary.

This. ^

I find that stuff terrible and not worth eating.

Ophidion · July 2013

I hate to be a negative Nelly but if your friend is used to eating regular stuff, the diabetic substitutes just don't compare in my opinion. As always, all of this stuff is variable & your mileage may vary.

This. ^

I find that stuff terrible and not worth eating.

That maybe truth but not an option in the sense need to find a middle ground as I care dearly about this guy and would like him to maintain he's health. just would appreciate some links to affordable options even if they are not as tasty.

Ophidion · July 2013

bump hoping for a little more help

hookilau · July 2013

I hate to be a negative Nelly but if your friend is used to eating regular stuff, the diabetic substitutes just don't compare in my opinion. As always, all of this stuff is variable & your mileage may vary.

This. ^

I find that stuff terrible and not worth eating.

That maybe truth but not an option in the sense need to find a middle ground as I care dearly about this guy and would like him to maintain he's health. just would appreciate some links to affordable options even if they are not as tasty.

Got it

Anything that has a low carb content is diabetic friendly. I look for stuff that is less than 10 grams of carb per serving but that is extreme, so I think closer to < 20 g of carb might be more reasonable (hopefully someone who has more beta function or using insulin can chime in here as it's untested ground for me).

You'll likely have better luck with recipes than stuff you purchase but it's a place to start anyhow.
Good luck :drinker:

amykathleen2005 · July 2013

What kind of diabetic? A diabetic can eat sweets in moderation and cover it with insulin without much issue.

diabetic sweets

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