Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Possible lock-downs and some diabetic pantry related Q&A

I'm a little late writing today after what was to be a "quick trip" to the grocery store for a few items I needed for dinner.  I haven't seen the store that packed except for the days leading up to a Holiday.  They had most of the cashier lines open and even then, the people waiting to check out were five and six carts deep at each line. 

The local news was reporting grocery stores being busy with people stocking up, not only for the Holidays but "just in case".  I hadn't seen it before today.  One grocery store representative said that if you need some specific item, for instance spices for your Holiday cooking, you should get them now.

I have to admit that while I had another lock-down on my radar, I was thinking more after the Holidays as a possible time frame.  Within the past week, our COVID numbers have started spreading "like wildfire" in our state after steadily but slowly increasing for awhile.

New guidelines are being put in place to decrease the size of groups allowed in places like restaurants, bars, etc.  The University is increasing steps to keep students and the community safe.  While no one has come out and said there will be a statewide lock-down, there are enough hints here and there to be prepared.

The possibility of a trucker's strike is still on the back burner and I hear about it off and on.  Of course, such a strike added to possible lock-downs would definitely bring the possibility of shortages at stores.  The possibility of civil unrest remains high, too.  We live in interesting times.

The two stores I go to the most have been well stocked since they have been preparing for this possibility.  There are pockets of shortages here and there, though.  I've mentioned a few of them already.  I hadn't budgeted for pantry stock up at this time but I decided to add a few cans of Essenhaus chicken when it was back in stock (it only contains chicken and salt). 

Q&A

I had a comment with someone confused how I would use vodka.  When I wrote that a friend reminded me (it was in a comment) that alcohol like vodka can be used in place of the 91% isopropyl alcohol that I can't find, it was to use it for cuts and wounds.  The leftover vodka that I had used to make vanilla is cheap so it wouldn't bother me to use it on wounds at all.

I have also been asked questions about stocking up for diabetics, some people are surprised at what I keep in my pantry.  I don't want to give medical advice that would conflict with what others have been taught.  This is what I was taught in a series of nutrition classes over a few years.  I learned that there are very few things a diabetic cannot eat.  It has to do with portion size, when a food is eaten, what is eaten with it, etc. 

Remember that there is a difference between Type 2 diabetes (which most diabetics have and is controlled by diet and medicine, some Type 2 diabetics eventually require insulin) and Type 1 diabetes (which is an autoimmune disease controlled by insulin and diet).

However, the recommended diet would be good for the general population, not just diabetics.  The main difference would be that people with Type 1 diabetes like I have and insulin dependent Type 2 diabetics must be more careful about avoiding low blood sugar, which is highly dangerous.  My favorite diabetic educator died from low blood sugar while she was sleeping and she was a professional in the field!

I learned that most sugar free products are not worth it (except sugar free soft drinks, Jello, etc.) because their carb count tends to be just as high as those containing sugar and it is total carbs that are important, not just sugar.  I learned to avoid most fat-free products because they often contain more sweetener to make up for a reduction in fat.

Diabetics do have to be careful with white bread (can be eaten with butter, meat, etc.) and white rice eaten eaten alone but one of my doctors, a diabetic specialist I saw about fifteen years ago, told me brown rice is very good to have in moderation because of its high fiber content.  I buy Birds Eye frozen brown rice and use it at least a couple times a week.

However, white rice mixed with say... dried or canned beans... are good for diabetics and beans are a great pantry food.  The beans actually help lower blood sugar (it's that high fiber content again) so people taking insulin may need to eat a carb with them like beans and rice or cornbread/corn muffins.  I have to do the same with my chili recipe by usually adding some crushed corn chips on top of the bowl. 

Having such knowledge helps when buying for the pantry.  Having cans of refried beans in the pantry can be used to make a low carb taco or burrito for the entire family, they are especially good warmed with some cheese if one is not a vegan.  I always keep flour tortillas in the bread box to make a quick roll up "sandwich" or burrito.

I make Cowboy Casserole by browning ground beef and adding a large can of baked beans along with onion powder, a little ketchup, a dab of mustard, and sometimes other seasonings.  Sometimes I add chopped onions... sometimes I don't.  It is that kind of recipe.  But I always have ground beef in the freezer and large cans of baked beans in the pantry.  Bush's baked beans have sweetener but when mixed with ground beef (and onions!), the carb count is much lower.

There is a complex formula one can follow that combines the fiber content of food, along with the fat content, serving size, etc. but honestly, that stuff drives me nuts.  Over time and experimenting with combinations, I know what works and what doesn't.

That is why I have things like pasta, white flour (as well as whole wheat flour and wheat), baking supplies, etc. in my pantry.  My A1C numbers have been below 7 for awhile now, which is very good.  Good numbers are from a combination of what and how I eat as well as the mixture of two kinds of insulin.

I can fairly easily get away with eating something high carb in the morning.  That is when I have a pastry treat or make pancakes to serve with real maple syrup (which is better for diabetics) sometimes.  I cannot get away with a high carb meal at night.  

When I make a pasta meal, I have already mentioned that I learned to add vegetables to the mix and unless it is a specific recipe, I use less pasta.  You really have to experiment to see what veggies work best in your recipes but if a recipe already calls for vegetables, you can easily just add more.  

I found out by experimenting that a bag of frozen cauliflower (especially cauliflower "rice") added to the macaroni and cheese recipe is delicious and cuts the total carb count.  I used to not be a fan of frozen cauliflower because of its' texture but when adding it to recipes, that doesn't matter.

Diabetics can eat potatoes but must be careful at the kind of potato and serving size.  Because the skin on potatoes helps with blood sugar spikes, I use mainly very small Yukon gold potatoes with the skin on and they tend to work well, especially served with meat.  

I usually roast them in the oven but sometimes I boil them in just a little water and then dry them off to cook with onions, one of my husband's favorite side dishes.  I especially like to boil them in the morning and then cut them in half and saute with onions just before dinner.

Potato skins with cheese and sour cream on top (and maybe some taco meat?) are good because of the higher skin to potato ratio and the added fat.  Hey, I didn't say it was low calorie! Veggies like chopped tomatoes and/or salsa can be added.  I always have salsa in the pantry. But if you are tired of celery and peanut butter as an appetizer, go with potato skins or something similar in moderation.

Sweet potatoes with butter and just a tiny bit of brown sugar are allowed but cut in half if they are very large. I always add cinnamon, which is great for blood sugar.  I still fix Idaho baked potatoes from time to time but my portion is half of a large potato and always with butter and sour cream, which slow down the carb spike.

I keep packages of Idahoan mashed potatoes in the pantry, they are just enough for two people.  They are served usually with meat and gravy which, you guessed it, slows down any carb spike.  I also make shepherd's pie with the top being one package of the Idahoan mashed potatoes made according to direction.  There is a balance of potato to meat mixture.

I was taught that diabetics are even allowed a treat off and on but they should be planned.  I love pastries of various kinds and I can eat a pastry, or a piece of pie, or even a small piece of cake.  However, it must be combined with protein and/or fat to control carb spikes.  Portion control means a couple cookies to enjoy with coffee or tea and not five or six... even chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven!  

My first nutritionist told me she recommends diabetics have a planned "cheat" once a week.  Especially of their favorite food whether it is a dessert or another high carb food.  She said to have it at the end of a high protein meal where no other carb side dish is served, which helps prevent carb spikes.  She found that patients are far more likely to stay on a diabetic diet if they know they can have a treat to look forward to each week.

Having written all of the above, there are some things I am never to eat or drink and alcohol of any kind is one of them.  Absolutely no mixed drinks and I don't even drink wine at a nice dinner since I'd rather have my allowed carb in some form of chocolate.

Other things I am never to eat or drink include non-diet soft drinks and fruit juice of any kind.  Which means, I have to be careful about my favorite apple cider.  A very small cup of hot cider is fine as long as it isn't enjoyed too late in the day. 

I have kept small cans of orange juice on my bedside table off and on for when I develop dangerously low blood sugar at night, that is how quickly fruit juice adds sugar to your body.  Which I assume is why pediatricians now warn against too much juice for children.

I hope this answers some of your questions about the diabetic pantry.  Once again, we purchase for the pantry what we actually eat and when you are cooking for more than one or two people, it helps to know how to cook for a diabetic as well as everyone else without making two different meals.