Instead of.....(Food Substitutes)

From: Joslin Diabetes Center Website
http://www.joslin.org/info/



healthy_alternatives_to_your_favorite_foods.html


When you want something sweet...

Instead of cake, cookies, or ice cream, try:

  • Sugar-free jello or hard candies (but always read the Nutrition Label on every food for serving size information)
  • Sugar-free hot cocoa
  • Fruit with cool whip
  • Lower fat cookies like ginger snaps, vanilla wafers, graham crackers, animal crackers (again, observe serving size)
  • No sugar added pudding or fudgsicles
  • Eating very small portions of your favorite treat

When you want something salty and crunchy...

Instead of potato chips or tortilla chips, try:

  • Low-sodium pretzels
  • Air-popped popcorn
  • Baked chips or baked tortilla chips
  • Cut raw veggies with low fat dip, salsa, or low fat cream cheese
  • Pickles

When you want something to drink...

Instead of soda or fruit punch, try:

  • Diet soda
  • Crystal light or other sugar-free beverages
  • Seltzer with just an ounce or two of fruit juice
  • Water with lemon juice

When you want fast food...

Instead of hamburgers or hotdogs, try:

  • Grilled or broiled chicken sandwiches
  • 1 slice of thin crust veggie pizza
  • Low fat sub sandwiches

When you want "comfort food"...

Instead of high-fat, high-carb choices, try:

  • Macaroni and cheese cooked with fat-free evaporated milk, low fat cheese, and egg substitute
  • Mashed potatoes made with trans-fat free margarine and fat-free milk, or replace part of the potato with pureed cauliflower
  • Meatloaf made with ground turkey and egg substitute
  • Beef stew made with round cut beef, fewer potatoes, and more non-starchy vegetables like carrots, onions, green beans, and spinach

I must say, I look at this list with some shock and dismay. I find most of these alternatives a depressing selection and often misguided by fat paranoia. To suggest that macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes is an appropriate diabetic “comfort food” just makes me shake my head in dissappointment. I expect better from Joslin.

On the other hand, there are some good points. I eat lots of raw veggies (altho with blue cheese dressing), pickles and I drink lots of plain water with lemon juice. I also make a wicked low carb meatloaf and awesome beef stews, I just leave out all the carby items.

In my view, if you want something like fast food, then just make appropriate choices. Have your Chipotle burrito in a bowl and get double meat and extra veggies and cheese, skipping the rice and beans. Have your burger without a bun and get a salad instead of fries. Don’t fear the fat, fear the carbs.

here, here!

I don’t care so much about fat content, but my carb intake is really low. This is the only thing that’s been able to keep my BG under control. (what little control I have anyway)

Are all these “substitutes” good for you.???..aspartame,stevia…sugar fakes and fatty free which are usually filled with some other fillers, fake eggs and margarine…I tend to think that from the real source may be better and who knows what
these “fakes” may cause 30 years down the road. Just a thought

Anyone know about “fakes” and “substitutes”…please share

my nutritionist said that they are okay, as long as you don’t “guzzle” them down constantly

I agree. Am rather surprised to see mac & cheese recommended. Making it low fat makes it even a higher carb version. Mashed potatoes, pretzels, cookies, chips?

All they’re recommending is low fat.

Real food is preferable to lab created alternatives. There are many studies done showing the pitfalls of diet sodas that show these increase hunger & weight gain.

This is extremely disappointing.