After seeing my doctor in December, she laid out some specific guidelines for snacking.  Since then, I’ve been looking at “snacking” in a whole new light.  It’s stressful reading those nutrition labels but they are important if you’re trying to meet dietary needs. It’s also important to know exactly what’s in your food.  I’ve been eating about 70% clean but let’s face it … everything is processed to some degree, so it’s always this push-and-pull that I feel when I’m shopping.  Through this process, I’m trying to train those receptors in my brain to …  “you don’t need this”, you’ve just been dependent on it for so long that you don’t know any better.

My task was simple, do some fun research to find out what I can eat that’s packed with protein, that’s not super-processed, low in carbs, and something that I would enjoy because I’m [a bit] picky.  My growing list is …

• Peanut butter energy bites [I made these last year]
• Boiled eggs
• Cheese on wheat crackers
• Handfull of almonds
• Apple with peanut butter or cinnamon
• Turkey Roll Up w/ light cream cheese, bell pepper
• Tuna on wheat crackers
• Black bean salad
• Egg muffins
• Homemade pita chips and hummus

NOTE:  To get the actual number of carbs your consuming, you take the carb total, and minus out the dietary fiber total.  For this label, which is a recipe I made for Cornbread Sausage Stuffing it’s a total of 26 carbs, which is great for dinner, those meals should be 30-50 max. [Thanks for breaking this down “B”!] You can create your own nutrition facts label for all your personal recipes on HappyForks.com.

You’re probably thinking … Wye … there’s so much more you can eat like yogurt, and avocados, or cottage cheese.  My reaction to those is… eek! … Ok, that’s child-like so let me say it this way.  I’ve never been able to stomach those foods.  I could eat yogurt if I pinched my nose so I can’t taste it going down, but that’s a lot of trouble, so I just rather avoid it.  Eating is supposed to be pleasurable, and not just for sustenance.  We connect memories to food, so I want to enjoy what I have and not treat food like it’s medicine I have to take.  I feel that if I enjoy it, I’ll want to eat it — and that other junk in the grocery isle’s won’t be enticing.

Now I’ve touched on what’s good, let’s dip into what’s bad.  My doctor says that these are things that I should avoid [if possible] …

• Soda and fruit juice [I will have juice if I’m sick]
• White Bread
• Pasta, Rice [I’m still eating these but in small portions, a few times a month]
• Sweetened breakfast cereals
• Flavored coffee drinks [I’m proud of me because this one is on my 30-day challenge and I’m sticking to it … No Star-bezzies]
• Honey, Agave Nectar, Maple Syrup [this is a struggle]
• Packaged snack goods
• French Fries

To think about, what you eat, whenever you eat … is daunting.  Diabetes is not a prison sentence, it just means that my body doesn’t produce enough insulin to break down food … and I’m ok with that. I’ve been through the “why does everything happen to me” or “I can’t catch a break” phase.  It’s time to put my big girl pants on and do the damn thing.  I love food, and there are so many things I can enjoy, so I just focus on that, and I don’t always dwell on what I can’t have, or I would be miserable.

Are you struggling with eating, dietary needs, or weight loss? Comment below on how you plan to attack these temporary struggles and let’s help one another.  Don’t forget to “like”, and “follow”.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog today!

[header image | Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash]