Type 2 Diabetes

Since having any type of illness is a motivator for changing lifestyles and ways of eating, we are already making changes in our diet! Hoorah! It may be easier than you think to begin changing your palate, too. Introduce new foods one at a time. Try to make a goal of 'eating the rainbow' over the course of a week to start, then work on seeing how many different veg and fruit you can add on a daily basis. As a diabetic, your 'easy' choices will be the leafy veg
(spinach, lettuce, cabbage-also celery, rhubarb, mustard) and things like summer (crookneck or yellow) squash, zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans You are looking for things with low glycemic index. You can include things like the root veg-sweet potato, beets- and winter squashes, but they are higher in glycemic index, so eat these but less of them and less often. Generally, they have more fiber and nutrients which mean they are a better choice than white potatoes, corn, and peas. Print a list of glycemic loads of different veg and choose those with lower loads more often.

There are even several different varieties of green beans to try! Go to local farmers markets, or ethnic markets-like Indian, Hispanic, Asian- if you have them, and explore! There is a group on here that talks about veg I have never heard of! I make it an adventure to seek out new things to try. My palate is 'adventurous', but you will be surprised at how quickly yours will expand as you try new things. For me, I work better off of positive motivation than negative, so I try not to think of what I didn't eat/do correctly, but of what I did right/how far I've come. Maybe keeping a list on the fridge of veggies with low glycemic load by color and check them off when you have tried one?

For me, I like trying new things as simply dressed/seasoned as possible. It is healthier, and gives me a better idea of how that food tastes. Then I can decide what other flavors might make it tastier next go-around. Some foods are better and better for you raw, and others need to be cooked to help us get best use of their nutrients. Experiment with new foods, new recipes, and new places to find foods.You might be surprised! I have been surprised twice-1). durian fruit is stinky, but tastes like a mix of onion and sweet potato to me (and I'd rather have onions and sweet potato, but still want to try it fresh off tree if I get a chance). 2) Bitter Melon. Tried it first time-very bitter. It was in a small fresh side salad of onion, cucumber, and tomato. I ate it mainly because my host was Asian and I did not want to hurt her feelings, and because it is supposed to help get glucose where it should be. I have found myself wanting this several times after because it was quite refreshing.

Wishing you luck on your new adventure!

Honestly, I think the way to go is to try really hard to be less picky. Take the foods you already like that work for your needs and try slightly different methods of preparing them to start, or try new foods that are similar but just a little bit different from what you already eat. Give yourself several times to try something before you decide not to try it again. The "eat the rainbow" advice above is a good idea to work up to.

I grew up eating food prepared by a very picky person and it was seriously to my detriment. I've made up a lot of lost ground as an adult and am working on my kids now to prevent pickiness (with varying success, I'll admit that some of it definitely seems to be a temperament thing not just environment). But pickiness can be a really serious hindrance when it comes to health if your "yes" list is very short and your "no" list is very long. So I'd start by working on getting your "yes" list to be longer!

kshama2001 wrote: »

My favorite cooking advice I've ever received was, "Don't be afraid to experiment."

Sometimes processing/preparation makes a big difference. For example, I'd be called a picky eater if the only vegetables I were offered came out of a can. But I eat tons of fresh veggies, and some frozen.

Some people here swear by roasting non-starchy vegetables like broccoli. I've tried this several times and it just doesn't work for me. Not for green beans either. But I eat both of them steamed all the time.

Acid, fat, and salt can transform a dish. My library carries "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking" - maybe yours does too.

I used to enjoy watching Rachel Ray's cooking show. These days I am finding inspiration from Ethan Cheblowski on YouTube. You could find a show or channel dedicated to diabetic friendly cooking. If your library system is like mine, it has dozens of diabetic cookbooks.

Enjoy the experimentation!

Great advice for a picky eater. cheers.