•Blood glucose, medication – blood glucose readings and medications such as insulin and diabetic tablets can determine the distribution of meals during the day and the choice of food types.
•Financial circumstances – cheaper substitutes for certain types of food may have to be chosen.
•Personal circumstances – having a family, the size of the family or limited cooking and cooling facilities can influence meal planning.
It is clear from the above that it is impossible to provide meal plans, menus and portion sizes that will accommodate all circumstances and meet the needs of everyone, within the scope of a book like this. Even if you use this cookbook it is still important to consult a registered dietitian for a suitable menu plan and portion sizes for you and/or your family. If you have a good meal plan at your disposal you can choose recipes from the book and make meals (and their consequences) a pleasant experience.
Guidelines for adapting your meal plan and menus
Read this section together with the information about healthy eating habits and the guidelines for good nutrition provided.
To control your blood sugar effectively, having “regular meals” means spreading three meals – consisting of a variety of foods – of more or less the same size, throughout the day and having snacks as required between breakfast and lunch, again between lunch and supper, and then once again before going to bed (when necessary).
Sometimes it may be necessary to have a more substantial breakfast to help you get through a very busy morning and to eat less food later in the day because your level of activity tends to decrease then and your energy requirements are therefore lower. In such a case the energy value of your breakfast would possibly be closer to 40% or 50% of your total daily intake.
An adequate volume of liquid must be included in the form of water, rooibos tea, green tea, Ceylon tea and, less frequently, coffee. Drink a limited amount of artificially sweetened cold drink (not more than 500 ml per day) and always try to first quench your thirst with water. Fruit juice should preferably be diluted with water and also consumed in limited quantities because the carbohydrates in the juice are absorbed rapidly and can therefore lead to a rapid rise in blood glucose. Avoid fruit juice if your blood glucose is not well controlled.
Make fruit lollies for children by diluting unsweetened fruit juice with the same amount of water (this helps it to freeze harder) and freeze the juice in suitable lolly containers. Alternatively, put 200 ml cartons of juice (like Ceres) in the freezer and cut off the top seam of the carton of frozen juice before serving. A lolly like this will keep a child busy for ages, whereas the juice would have been gulped down in a flash!
Some of the rapidly-acting types of insulin which are injected before each meal are available in the bloodstream within minutes, but the half-life or period during which the insulin is active in the bloodstream is also much shorter, which means that it will no longer be effective when the between-meal snack is eaten. In such a case it is not necessary to have a snack between meals. A liquid such as a cup of tea or a diet cold drink is regarded as adequate, and this contributes to a lower energy intake, which is an advantage for healthy slimming. People who use this kind of insulin are also inclined to be less hungry between meals and find a between-meal snack unnecessary.
When longer-acting insulin is injected at bedtime, it is important to have a snack before going to bed to prevent low blood sugar in the early hours of the morning. If you regularly wake up in the morning with high blood glucose values, it is important to take a blood glucose reading in the early hours of the morning, in other words three to five hours after injecting the late-night insulin, because in such a case the body makes its own glucose from stored glycogen to prevent low blood glucose levels. It is also important to pay attention to the amount of fat and the type of starch you eat at night, as this can contribute to the high blood glucose before breakfast. If the problem persists, discuss it with your dietitian and doctor so you can find a solution together.
The value of a cycle menu in busy lives
It is a general complaint that there is just not enough time to prepare proper meals.
Fast foods and high-fat dishes are often chosen as quick solutions.
I work full time in my career as a dietitian, which is why I understand this dilemma associated with having to cook at the end of a long working day. The best way to solve this problem is to sit down and plan your family’s meals and menus according to your unique needs and circumstances for a specific period of time, ranging from one to four weeks or one calendar month. When you know what you are going to eat, the next step is to compile a shopping list so that the necessary fresh produce and groceries are available when you start preparing meals.
There are many ways to plan your family’s meals. The example of a seven-day menu cycle is shown below, and is just one method you can use. Once you have planned the basic cycle menu, you can work out another three to four variations for each menu day.
Start by changing the page layout on your computer screen to “landscape” and create a table with seven columns and seven rows for the menu.
EXAMPLE OF A CYCLE MENU FOR 7 DAYS
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
| BreakfastMuesliYoghurtFruit | →Seed loafEggTomato | →PorridgeMilkFruit | →Brown breadFishCucumber | →CerealMilkFruit | →ProvitasCheese /eggFruit | →PorridgeMilkFruit |
| In between | → | → | → | → | → | → |
| Light mealProvitasCheeseCucumberCherry tomatoes | →PastaCold meatFruit | →Seed loafRed meatSalad | →ProvitasCottage cheeseFruit | →Pasta salad with legumesLettuceFruit | →PotatoesFishSalad or vegetables | →Rye breadCold chickenGreen salad |
| In between | → | → | → | → | → | → |
| Main mealRed meatBrown riceGreen vegetables | →FishPotatoesBeetroot/carrots | →ChickenBarley/ riceMixed vegetables | →Soup (winter)Quiche /pasta(summer)Green salad | →Red meatSweet potato/potatoGreen vegetables | →ChickenRiceGreen/ yellow vegetables | →Free choice |
| Late evening | → | → | → | → | → | → |
•Choose vegetables and fruit according to the season and availability.
•Plan between-meal and bedtime snacks according to your personal meal plan.
•Provitas can be replaced with any other low-fat, wholegrain crisp biscuit or cracker.
•Sauces, spreads and drinks are not indicated.
EXAMPLE:
VARIATION FOR DAY 3 IN THE CYCLE MENU
| Day 3 | Day 3 Variation 1 | Day 3 Variation 2 | Day 3 Variation 3 |
| BreakfastCooked porridgeMilkFruit | Oats porridgewith oat branLow-fat milkOrange slices | Maize porridge with oat branLow-fat milkStewed prunes | Maltabella porridgewith oat branLow-fat milkFresh apple |
| Light mealSeed loafRed meatSalad | Seed loafHam slicesMustard sauceLettuce | Toasted sandwich with savoury minceSliced tomato | Pita breadMinced meat pattyLettuceSliced tomato |
| Main mealChickenBarley/riceMixed vegetables | Apricot chickenBarley or crushed wheatMixed vegetables with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, baby marrows | Chicken stir-fryBrown riceVegetables in stir-fry | Chicken curryBrown riceGreen beans or peasBeetroot salad |
Shopping list
A detailed shopping list makes food shopping much easier, reduces unnecessary purchases and ensures that the correct ingredients are available for each day’s menu. It also helps to stick a copy of the shopping list on the inside of your grocery cupboard or pantry door so that the supplies can be marked off or listed as they are used up. The shopping list shown below is only a guide and can be adapted according to your circumstances.
INGREDIENTS
Starch