McDonald’s McMuffin

I love fast-food restaurants. They all provide nutrition specifics on their websites so we can make informed decisions. We might not make the best decisions when faced with all their tempting choices, but they can be informed ones.

My favorite fast-food breakfast, by far, is the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin. With only 300 calories, it’s certainly not the worst choice you can make in the morning when you’re feeling stressed and hungry. With plain black coffee, you can continue your day relatively guilt-free. Just compensate for the sodium (840 mg!) and fat (12g, 5 of them saturated). It’s got a total of 27 g net carb, so combined with the egg and slice of Canadian bacon, it doesn’t spike my blood sugar.

However, I try to do better. I love the taste of an Egg McMuffin, and with the Western Alternative English muffin, I can re-create the McDonald’s version and freeze them for easy grabbing on my way to work. The sodium is still high because I like to use Kraft 2% slices to emulate the McDonald’s taste, but it’s not quite as bad as the original. If you use a Western Alternative English muffin (or substitute the Thomas Lights), one egg white with a streak of yolk, one Kraft 2% cheese slice, and one slice Canadian bacon, here’s the approximate nutritional breakdown: Calories 182, fat 4g, sodium 650mg (yikes), net carb 18g, fiber 5g.

Daily Menu 1

Daily menus are provided to demonstrate a good balance among carbs, proteins, fats, sodium, and nutrients. Managing sodium is important because often diabetes comes hand-in-hand with high blood pressure. Combining carbs with fiber, proteins, and/or fats ensures that the sugars will enter the blood stream more slowly.

Breakfast: Egg white and cheese sandwich (1 egg white, 1 Kraft 2% cheese slice, 1 Western Alternative English muffin, toasted)
Approximate nutritional values: Calories 182, Sodium 650mg, Fat 3g, Fiber 7g, Net Carb 18g

Snack: Small apple
Approximate nutritional values: Calories 55, Sodium 1mg, Fat 0g, Fiber 2.5g, Net Carb 12g

Lunch: Chicken salad sandwich
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half, 1/8 cup Canola mayonnaise, 1/4 cup finely chopped celery, 2 slices Orowheat double-fiber bread

(bread fiber = 12g, celery fiber = .5g), plus carrots and olives with dressing (fiber = 2g)
Snack: 2 South Beach cookies (fiber = 3g)

Dinner: Grilled sirloin steak, asparagus, and blueberry crisp for dessert (asparagus fiber = 2g, blueberry crisp fiber = 4g)

Total grams fiber 32.5

How much fiber is good?

According to the ADA, all people should consume from 25-50 grams of fiber each day.

“People should eat 25-50 grams of fiber every day. High-fiber foods include oats and barley; whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas; brown rice, dry beans, peas, and lentils; nuts, fruits, and vegetables. ” http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-research/summaries/anderson-carbs.jsp

Those of us with diabetes must balance our diets carefully to control blood sugars, which often means keeping carbs low. This effort makes getting our daily recommended fiber even more of a challenge, because of the sources of fiber. My personal goal is to get 25 grams of fiber each day, while limiting carbs to between 100 and 150 grams, as well as consuming at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day for the nutrients.

High fiber is important to mitigate the effect of carbs on blood sugar spikes. You might have heard of the term “net carb.” This is a simple equation to help diabetics determine the effect of carbs on their blood sugar. You just subtract total fiber from total carb. For example, a Western Alternative plain bagel has 25 grams of carb and 7 grams of fiber. Therefore, the net carb is 18. Counting net carbs is just one way diabetics manage blood sugar, but it’s a pretty basic and simple way for beginners to begin counting their carbs.

The high-fiber products that help me reach my goals are Orowheat Double Fiber bread, Western Alternative bagels, pitas, and English muffins, Mission low carb tortillas, and–believe it or not–Benefiber powder. I get the bulk of my fiber (pun intended) from bread products, supplemented by fruits and vegetables. The Benefiber powder ensures that even when my diet is lacking, I can add to my daily fiber intake easily. I’ve incorporated all these bread products into my daily diet because they fit with what I would typically eat anyway. Example: http://diabeticchef.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/daily-menu-1-chicken-salad-sandwich-sirloin-steak/

People who love salads can get a lot of fiber from vegetables, but if you can’t (or won’t) eat salads every day, then these bread products really help. And if you’re going to have a low-fiber day, just add 2 tsp Benefiber powder to your morning coffee. You won’t notice it, I promise, and it will add 3g fiber just like that.

Kung Pao Chicken

This is a delicious blend of a slightly sweet undertone with a piquant heat. This is not a saucy dish. The sauce flavors the chicken mixture and then cooks away. Serves 2.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into small pieces
2 green onions or scallions, chopped finely
1/2 can sliced water chestnuts, chopped finely
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
1 packet Splenda
3/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Spray olive oil or canola oil in a medium frying pan, and stir fry the chicken pieces until desired doneness. Then add green onions and water chestnuts and stir fry a few minutes, retaining their crispness. Shake the remaining ingredients (except peanuts) in a sealed Tupperware-type container and add to pan. Stir and cook until liquid desolves; throw in peanuts and stir.

Serve with stir-fried pea-pods for a completely righteous meal, or serve with stir-fried rice. I’ll provide that recipe later. It’s also easy and delicious.

Approximate nutritional values per serving: 258 calories, 6 grams fat, 635 mg sodium, 10 grams carb, 3 grams fiber

Western Alternative Breads

My first product review is for my absolute favorite diabetic-friendly convenience food. I hated giving up bagels. But this company allows me to incorporate a bagel into my daily diet, and so I love them. The sodium is fairly low and there is a lot of fiber packed into each serving.

 The Western Bagel company has been in the bagel business for years, but now offers what they call their Alternative line: bagels, pitas, and English muffins with much lower carb counts and high fiber counts. For example, their cinnamon spice Alternative bagel is 110 calories for a 2-oz bagel (a little larger than a Lenders), 25 grams carb, 7 grams fiber, and 210 mg sodium. Unbelievable!

As a diabetic, even that low net carb count would raise my blood sugar too much, but teamed with healthy peanut butter, it’s a great way to enjoy a bagel and coffee. I have also used their pitas for pizzas, and the English muffin is delicious, as well. Check out all the flavors on their web site. Be sure, though, to order the Alternative breads, because they also continue to sell their original product, which is good, but not what low-carbers are looking for. http://www.westernbagel.com/products/grocery.php

I buy off-the-shelf at our local WalMart Superstore or our local Sprouts. If you can’t find them locally, you can order from their web site.