Cheerio! And, A Coupon

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast.  And, I normally do not have the time to prepare steel cut oatmeal in the mornings.  Sound familiar?  So, I have had to find foods I like, are light in fats and carbs, and are easy to prepare.  I'm still half-asleep when fixing breakfast - it has to be EASY.

I've had peanut butter sandwiches on low carb, high fiber toast - a breakfast that I truly enjoy, but a bit high in fats.  I have eaten granola type cereals - a bit too high in carbs - and some are really high in fats.  Still like it sometimes, though.  But the favorite day-in-day-out go-to breakfast food is...wait for it...Cheerios.  Low fat.  Low carbs.  Taste pretty good.  Just watch the portion control.  Did the picture at the top of the page give it away?

You might find you like it, too.  So, to make it a bit easier, I found this coupon at the Betty Crocker (another General Mills brand) site.  Go ahead, go get it.  The Cheerios coupon is located in the left column a little way down.  Click on the clip it, then go down to the bottom the the page on the right side and click Print Coupons.  Not a huge savings, but it will help.

The facts: : For a 3/4 cup portion (measure it) there are 22 - 26 carbs (based on flavor) and 1.5 grams of fat.  Not bad. Plus, the family will eat them, too.  It's important to me to eat the food my family eats as much as I possibly can - and it works most of the time.  I don't want to have a separate shelf for 'my food' or separate myself from my family because of diabetes.

You can start with the 22 carbs, add about 6 to 8 carbs for milk, maybe a slice of toast or piece of fruit for another 15 to 20 carbs and a cup of coffee with milk for about 3 carbs.  What does that add up to?  53 carbs at the most.  What do I have?  Cheerios with milk, low carb yogurt and coffee.  Total carbs are under 45.  And, my hunger is satisfied.

How do I know it works for me?  Well, my average glucose reading for the last 90 days taken at various times of the day is 99.  If the Cheerios work for me, they might work for you.  Use the coupon and give it a try.

By the way, I actually called General Mills to find out if there was a coupon I could offer here.  They directed me to the site I gave you a link to above.  Of course, that won't stop me from asking again and again and again when I think you might like some of the foods I eat.  Remember, the goal of this blog is to help you "survive and thrive" while controlling diabetes.  You can.  I know it.

By the way, the coupons change at the Betty Crocker site every month, or so.  Check back. I will try to remember to remind you to do so.

Just a reminder that what works for me might, or might not work for you.  Body chemistry is different.  So, always remember to take your glucose readings to know how you are doing.

As always, thank you for reading.  I think about you everyday and how I might help you.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Your Best Friends in the Kitchen

If you are at all like me, after being diagnosed with diabetes, you are kind of afraid of the ktichen.  Afterall, that is where it might have all happened.  there is no need to be afraid of the ktichen - it's one of the best rooms in the house to win the war on diabetes. 

I remember before I heard those words, "You have diabetes." I loved kitchen tools.  Why?  I had to make sure I was putting enough sugar in the cookies...and butter.  Can't forget the butter, can I?  I am not kidding.  Measuring cups were used most of the time to measure sugar.  In just about everything.  I even found out a little bit of sugar made pasta sauce better!

Well, now I have new uses for the measuring cups, spoons and even a scale - to make sure I am getting the right portions.  I know, you can eyeball what three or four ounces of meat look like without a scale (kind like a deck of cards), but if you have a scale you will know exactly.  Okay, I am going on about a scale, but to tell you the truth, I learned the visual clues on some items, which can be found here.  I am actually a bit too lazy to weigh my food.

However, I have used measuring cups from Day One for a lot of foods like berries and cereals.  Look at cereal boxes to determine what a real portion size is - or at least what they use to base the nutrition information.  I have found it to be somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of a cup.  Measure it out and put it in a bowl - and that's it besides a bit of milk.  You don't get to add more cereal.  Add a piece of whole wheat toast (I never, ever thought I'd be advocating whole wheat anything!), if you need to add food, or add a 1/4 cup of berries.

Whatever you do read labels, know what you are getting nutritionally and get in the habit of measuring everything until you can eyeball it.  But, beware of CREEP.  What is creep, you ask?  It's when you subconsciously make the portion sizes bigger as you eyeball portion sizes.  I found I need to check the portion sizes every couple of weeks just to make sure I am still adhering to the portion guide lines.  It's way too easy to make them bigger than they should be if you aren't using a measuring cup.

I can hear you now, "I don't have a measuring cup."  Go out and get one either at a Target or Walmart, or you can even go to your local thrift store.  Wherever you get your measuring cups and spoons, make sure you wash and sterilize them prior to using.  Yes, you will need the spoons, too.

Learn the portion sizes.  Use measuring tools in the kitchen - they will become your new best friends.  Learn visual clues to portion sizes.  Learn carb counts of the foods you eat.  Lots of learning going on, but it will pay-off very quickly as your glucose levels and weight drop.

You are in a war - make you sure have the right weapons.  Your fight starts in your kitchen.

And, if you eat out often, learn what you can eat at the places you enjoy by looking at nutritional guides that most places have easily available.

This is such an exciting time for you as you start your battle in earnest.  You can win the war and control diabetes.



Measuring cups. Measuring spoons. Maybe a scale.