Healthy Subs

One thing that is hard for all diabetics to do is give up certain foods. Usually when I give up something I have to stop eating or drinking it entirely; doing smaller or even tiny amounts doesn't work for me. Eat just two M & Ms? Please.

Sometimes I'm able to find safe substitutes, like sparkling water for soda, or zero sugar cookies that taste like the real thing. I've also modified my expectations. Before I was diagnosed I could eat a whole pile of Oreos. Now? I eat two of the zero sugar variety. To give you more ideas, here are:

Ten Healthy Substitutes to Control Cravings:

Baked potato: A baked sweet potato with a sprinkle of cinnamon is much lower in carbs and just as satifying.

Bread: I don't care for Keto breads, but I do like chaffles as a substitute.

Cereal: Instead of sugary processed cereal for breakfast I eat oatmeal with ground flaxseed, chopped walnuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a little stevia.

Chocolate candy: The best sugarfree candy on the market is from Russell Stover. It's gotten so good I don't even crave regular candy anymore. When I want a special dessert I melt some of their sugarfree chocolate-covered caramels in the microwave and dip apple slices in it.

Fruit: Most fruits are problematic for me because they're mostly high on the glycemic index, but I can eat limited amounts of apples, bananas and strawberries.

Ice Cream: I make vegan ice cream with frozen banana or freeze sugarfree Lactose Free Chobani Greek Yogurt in my popsicle molds (the cookies and cream makes a really terrific ice cream popsicle.)

Potatoes and Rice: I gave these up for years, but then I learned that if I cook and then chill them it changes the starch which spikes my glucose. So I have small amounts that I reheat now and then.

Restaurant Meals: When we go out to eat I prefer a restaurant that has a salad bar like Ruby Tuesday's. I can eat pretty much all the salad I want as long as I don't use too much dressing. If there's not a salad bar, I order a salad from the menu that comes with vinaigrette and a protein like grilled chicken, which is satisfying and fills me up.

Salad Dressing: I make my own sugarfree dressing, but I also use Wishbone's No Added Sugar Thousand Island Dressing now and then. I think they just came out with a Ranch version, too.

Sugar: I use stevia or monkfruit.