The low carb diabetic pantry

Wondering how to stock your low carb pantry? We asked dietician Keri Strachan to give us some advice… Here’s what she suggested.

Low carb pantry guidelines

When you start a low carb lifestyle, you’ll be struck by how you no longer visit certain parts of the supermarket, only the areas of fresh produce, and limited packaged items. When buying real food there is no need for a label, but there are some that are still worth checking: this will help you to identify which brands are better than others to suit your needs.

Buy basic food ingredients and cook from scratch and you are unlikely to be fooled into hidden carbs sneaking in. Here’s a basic list of what to eat:

Protein

• Meat (beef, pork, lamb)
• Fish (especially omega-3 rich such as sardines, pilchards, salmon, fresh tuna, salmon, trout)
• Free-range eggs
• Cheese
• Chicken

Vegetables and fruit

• Low carb veggies, excluding butternut, all potatoes, peas and corn
• Low carb nutrient dense fruit such as berries

Dairy

• Full-cream milk
• Full or double-cream plain yoghurt (but in limited amount due to natural carb content)

Nuts and seeds

• Almonds
• Macadamia nuts
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Linseeds
• Sesame seeds

Natural fats

• Olive oil (not for cooking)
• Olives
• Avocado
• Macadamia nut oil
• Coconut oil and cream
• Cream
• Butter
• Lard (no vegetable oils)

Other items:

• Olives
• Canned tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Almond flour and coconut flour (but avoid replica foods too often, they are not as low carb as you think)
• Stevia, erythritol (but try to avoid sweetness)
• Cocoa
• Coconut flakes/ desiccated coconut
• Salt
• Pure herbs and spices e.g. paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cumin, rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley
• Vinegar
• Mayonnaise made from non-vegetable oil e.g. macadamia, avocado
• Fresh herbs (rocket, basil, origanum)

Remember a few tips:

• Do not snack!
• Get enough fat to replace your carbs, and ensure that you last between meals without snacking
• Avoid over-eating protein
• Bulk meals with boldly colourful vegetables, herbs and spices
• Drink mostly water, limit milk through hot drinks

What to read next?

What are the different food groups? A simple explanation: When you’re building a healthy plate of food, it helps to know about the food groups.

Free Healthy Food Guide: This Healthy Food Guide shows you exactly which foods to choose (and which to avoid), as well as sharing which portions to eat.

Eat healthy for diabetes: The one article you need to read about diabetes and diet.