You would think after almost 10 years with D I would have this down pat. But for whatever reason I don’t. I know what I am supposed to do. I count carbs. I am not a low carber but I do try to keep my carbs in the moderate range. I will never be a low carber, it just isn’t going to happen. I live alone so I only have to shop and cook for myself. I love to cook so food preparation is not an issue. I only get down the hill(mountain) once a month to grocery shop. I buy fresh fruits and vegetables but am limited to how much I can buy since my shopping trips are limited and fresh stuff just doesn’t last long. Depending on the direction we go depends on whether I can go to Trader Joes. It seems like no matter how hard I try I always fall into old habits when it comes to grocery shopping. So my question is, what is on your grocery shopping list that will get me on the right track? Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Eggs
Vegetables of all sorts
Milk
Cheese
Lunch meat (thinly sliced chicken, turkey)
Channa dal at the Indian store (extremely low glycemic index) and other pulses
Low-carb bread when available, or Trader Joe’s wheat bread ($1.99 variety)
Nuts are good too.
Oh yeah! Totally forgot - to my list, add:
Peanuts
Soynuts
Pumpkin seeds
Walnuts
Once a month you will need some frozen veggies: bean are ok. We buy a mixed frozen fruit at Costco that is nort particularily diabetic friendly but there are other issues than diabetes.
Thanks for all the suggestions. You guys have given me lots of new ideas. I have added new things to my shopping list and am ready to hit those stores tommorrow,
Hi all, this discussion reminded me of this group we created few months ago: Diabetes Grocery Shopping it has great ideas.
I cook meals for my husband (non diabetic) and I. So aside from a gazillion cleaning agents (Im a clean freak!), I get: eggs, lots of different fish (fresh shrimps, salmon, tuna or tilapia) lean beef, chicken, turkey bacon, cheese, lots of veggies and milk. I also get different nuts (my favorite), diet soda (Coke Zero), and Summit Zero (its sparkling water), bread and rice.
Just curious what peanuts and peanut butter does to your blood sugars??
Thre are a lot of really great mixed frozen vegetables you can find in the grocery stores. I keep a few on hand so that when I’m out of fresh, I can use frozen. They are great for adding to soups and stews, stir frys etc. Frozen berries are also really great.
My grocery staples are usually:
Fresh and frozen fruits and veggies
lean meats
fat free dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese)
eggs
whole grain bread, tortillas, whole grain pasta
low or no fat pasta suace
Hi Kenneth. I love peanut butter. I have some (about 1 teaspoon) with wheat crackers. It does not affect my blood sugar much. But its effects may be different for others. 
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00937222
http://peanut-butter.org/peanut-butter/Health+Benefits+of+Peanut+Butter
http://www.diet.com/g/peanut-butter-diet
Healthy semi-carb-y options:
-La Tortilla Factory tortillas (low carb (10g), high fiber (7g), delicious!)
-Alexia (organic) frozen wheat rolls and oven fries (3 oz. fries = 20g or so of carb, rolls are 19g each, and both are high in fiber)
-Pepperidge Farm 100% whole wheat mini-bagels (I had given up bagels b/c they’re 60g of carb, but these little minis are high fiber and give me a bagel fix when I need it for only 20g of carb. With a little low-fat philly cream cheese, I’m in heaven)
-Nature’s Own Honey 7 Grain or 100% whole wheat bread (free of HFCS, which I don’t see why we need in bread). 14g per slice. If you can find the Weight Watchers bread, it’s even less carb, I think. I just like the taste of my Nature’s Own.
-Progresso Light Soups (delicious, low sodium, 12-15g carb per serving usually)
-and of course, Dreamfields lower-carb pasta
I buy organic low-fat milk, cheese, and eggs when I can. I buy the processed lunchmeat and meats, but I stick to low-fat (97%/3%) beef, tky, fish, and chk.
Frozen veggies (broc, blackeyed peas, green beans, mixed veggies, limas) are a great idea and I see everyone here is suggesting them. Use them to supplement your fresh veggies. Or freeze your fresh veggies (diced onion, peppers, etc) for use in meals and dishes later between shopping trips. I have a little metal steamer basket for steaming frozen and fresh veggies that I use probably 5 nights a week.
Also, I highly recommend signing up for emails from HungryGirl. She’s “super-excited” about every product she recommends, but after trying many of them, I have to admit I get a little overly peppy, too. She’s a big Trader Joe’s fan (we don’t have them in my area), but she has great options for those making healthier choices - and good recipes, too.
It really depends on what you like to eat and prepare!?! Things that keep forever are frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Bulk nuts (can be frozen), bread (can be frozen), all meats (can be frozen). Unless you are walking up the mountain with your purchases 
Then I think you should buy seeds and plant your own garden!
PB is so high in fat that you just have to watch for any spikes that might happen 4-6 hours after you eat it. If you notice a spike, either compensate with more insulin or less PB. Most PBs I use are low in additional sugar, but almost all PB is high fat.
Sareln: I have been diagnosed with type II for 10 years also. Being a WW member, with the blessing of my diabetic nurse who lost over 100 lbs and is diabetic and my CNP, we adapted the WW menus to be carb friendly, so I have been counting points rather than carbs. NOW, we’ve hit a snag for whatever the reason, and I am going to start to count both, points and carbs. HELP! I just ordered two carb books and hope they lead me to the place I am supposed to go with this. My fear is my 52 lbs will come back, and my numbers will be way off. I also am anxious to see what people say.
Thank you everyone for your lists and your help…Had an exciting shopping trip and got a lot of things that I hadn’t purchased in the past and for once No Junk Food found its way into my cart!!! I will post some of the things I found later but right now preparation for Vacation Bible School is calling.
Hummus and pita
eggs or the egg beaters egg whites
bananas/apples - last a long time (usually the whole week)
spinach and plenty of canned or dried beans (black beans, chick peas, lima beans)- great source of fiber and protein
lots of vegetables! some good summer ones are zucchini, corn on the cob, cucumbers and tomatoes
greek yogurt - virtually no carbs
any types of berries usually don’t have many carbs- blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
light soymilk - half as many carbs and sugar as regular milk!
good luck!!
Hi Sareln, please Do Not take this wrong but did you just admit “you will never be a low carber.” Do you know any or enough of the tasty low carb foods you can replace for the higher ones. Would it benefit you to get a book on carbohydrates so you can know the good from the bad. There are plenty of good books explaining the carbohydrates and their content. You can also go online to www…lowcarb.ca/low-carb-tools/carb_counter.html I hope this helps you!
Fonda
Don’t feel bad, Sareln, it’s not always easy! I’ve been T1 for 26 years, and I’m just getting back in control after “rebelling” for years.
I really like black beans dressed up with cumin, chili powder, cilantro, and a bit of lime juice. I add them to quesadillas with low-carb tortillas, and they’re awesome. Or, I fry eggs and serve them atop the beans with salsa and stuff.
My best trick for low carb eating is FLAVOR. Lime zest, a little honey, and some olive oil do wonders for chicken breasts. Stir fry it with some green onions, stalks and all, and it’s heaven.
I tend to make a lot of Rachael Ray recipes, but a lot of them have to be adjusted to be low carb. Dreamfields pasta holds up well in any of the pasta recipes I’ve made.
Also, keep trying stuff. If you like rice, try a rice pilaf that incorporates some whole grains. It’ll taste a little different, but you’d be surprised how well it holds up to your normal recipes.
Dried and canned beans work well to cut the amount of meat you use, and prepare LOTS of veggies in your meals. My mom, the whiz that she is, always doubled the amount of onion and bell peppers the recipe called for, and we always thought she was a fantastic cook.
Good luck, and keep us posted on what you find too!
Yes, I am aware of some of the low carb options but I am always open to new things. Thee is hadly any food that I do not like. The reason I said I will never be a “low carber” is my love and addiction to potatoes, corn, flavored coffee creamer and pasta. I love cauliflower but a substitute for taters it aint! As soon as I get some extra money I plan on tryng Dreamfields pasta and DiVinci’s sugar free flavored syrups. That will take care of pasta and flavered coffee creamer. So I am tryibg to cut down on my carbs.
Please list your thoughts on good low carb stuff you may have.