NUTS AND SEEDS
-Macadamia Nuts
-Hazel Nuts
-Chestnuts
-Cashew Nuts
-Almonds
-Chia Seeds
-Pumpkin Seeds
-Sesame Seeds
FATS
-Avocados
-Avocado oil
-Olive oil
-Coconut oil
-Clarified butter (ghee)
-Nut butters and Seed butters (Make your own or buy from the supermarket or online. Stick to organic brands that only contain ONE ingredient- the nut itself! Brands like Meridian, Pip and Nut, Biona, Keen and My Protein are all great. They are amazing in baking, have a teaspoon as a snack, enjoy in my famous nut butter curry, dip crudités in them or drizzle with some chilli and seasalt on a salad- tahini is amazing for this with a little olive oil and lemon)
-Nut oils (walnut, macadamia)
-Coconut flesh
-Coconut Milk With coconut milk always try to buy premium quality coconut milk with at least 60% coconut extract, free from added preservatives and stabilisers.
-Full fat dairy. Whole milk, cream, full fat yoghurt etc. Just be mindful that if you go low fat, you will be increasing your carbs and need to adjust insulin, if you are diabetic.
EGGS
Eggs are NOT DAIRY. Enjoy them for breakfast, lunch or dinner and don’t limit yourself to 2 a week. Contrary to belief eggs are one of the most nutritious, affordable, protein packed sources and are known as a “perfect food”, they are very very good for us
. The white provides us with protein, the yolk contains all the vitamins and nutrients. Always try to buy free range. Eggs one of the most nutritious, affordable, and easy-to-prepare protein sources that there is.
-Chicken eggs
-Duck eggs
-Quail eggs
SPICES AND OTHER
I could not imagine a meal without using one or two (at least) spices from my kitchen cupboards. They are vital in giving food flavour and can completely transform a dish.
Don’t be scared of them, use them and enjoy them in abundance. They also have incredible health boosting properties, are high in antioxidants, vitamins and have anti-inflammatory properties.
You will find all spices in your local supermarket. A few of my favourites include:
-Black pepper
-Cardamon
-Cayenne pepper
-Cinnamon
-Cloves
-Chilies
-Cumin
-Cumin seeds
-Fennel seeds
-Ginger
-Nutmeg
-Paprika
-Pink Himalayan Salt
-Smoked paprika
-Sea Salt
-Turmeric
-Vanilla
FRUITS
It’s important to note that most fruits are very high in sugar. They will have an effect on your blood sugar and should be enjoyed in moderation. However, things like berries are much lower in sugar and are high in antioxidants.
They can be enjoyed daily as a healthy snack, add them to omelettes smoothies, baked goods and eat raw. As a Type One diabetic I am very wary of fruit and know only too well what effect it has on my sugars if I eat too much.
By all means enjoy all fruit, just don’t go over board! Here are some of my favourites:
-Apples (Make apple sauce, dehydrate apple rings, or add 1/4 of an apple to a juice or smoothie for a little added sweetness)
-Apricot
-Bananas (Great in baking, but I would be wary if you are diabetic as they have a big effect on blood sugar)
-Berries ( blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, raspberries, strawberry)
-Cherries
-Coconut (dried, fresh, milk etc)
-Figs
-Olives
-Oranges
-Prunes
-Tomato
-Medjool Dates (Best to be avoided if you have diabetes that isn’t well controlled. Great as a high energy snack with some nut butter, or in some homemade energy balls with cacao, macadamia nuts and orange zest but they are VERY high in carbs. I actually use them as a hypo treatment! Buy from your local supermarket)
-Watermelon
VEGETABLES
My list of favourites includes, but is not limited to:
-Acorn Squash
-Artichokes
-Asparagus
-Aubergine / Eggplant
-Bell Peppers
-Beetroot
-Bok Choi
-Butternut Squash (sparingly)
-Brussels Sprouts
-Broccoli
-Cabbage
-Carrots
-Celery
-Celeriac
-Cauliflower
-Cucumber
-Courgette
-Kale
-Leeks
-Onions (of any kind)
-Parsnips
-Radish
-Rocket
-Seaweed
-Spinach
-Sweet Potatoes (sparingly)
-Swiss Chard
-Tenderstem
-Watercress
MILK ALTERNATIVES
So, we all know that you can’t “milk an almond”, however, if you would rather avoid dairy then you can make your own milk or you can buy it from most supermarkets.
Always go for the “original, unsweetened”, not a low fat one or a sweetened one. It’s a lot easier to make these yourself, and I urge you do, as you’ll get much more goodness out of it. However, it is a lengthy process and their shelf life (homemade) isn’t very long.
-Almond milk
-Coconut milk (different to the tins/ cartons)
-Macadamia milk
-Cashew milk
-Tigernut milk
OTHER (CHOCOLATE AND SUGAR ALTERNATIVES)
-Cacao (A Superfood and Cocoa in its rawest form, great for adding to smoothies, desserts, cakes etc to give a rich chocolate flavour.
-85% Chocolate (If I feel like a square or 3 of chocolate, I will have them and enjoy them. I like 85% chocolate brands like Lindt, the higher the % the lower the sugar content. Buy from any supermarket). My favourite EVER chocolate though is Godiva 90%….it is super smooth and tastes sweet rather than bitter. Try it, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
-Cacao Butter
-Coconut Sugar (Great for baking, I add this instead of sweeteners as sweeteners can really ruin a dish or leave you running to the loo if you don’t get the balance right. 15 or 20g in a baked dish of coconut sugar which has several portions, goes a long way).
-Dried Fruit – In general, be wary as a lot of it is coated with sunflower oil which is not good for you. If you can either dry it yourself, or buy whole, organic with no added ingredients then use it sparingly.
Leave a Reply