Prepping safely for Diabetics

[Ancient Armored Fish]

I was just curious as to what foods would be safe for me to stock considering I am diagnosed borderline diabetic ? I know white bread/flour pasta...ect are out for me anyway...I just want to be safe so I don't go full blown after SHTF and there probably be little or no medical services for who knows how long

[robertov416]

Nuts?  Dried/Canned meats? Sweet potatoes?  Anything that would not promote insulin resistance or cause an insulin response. 

Perhaps investigate foods that are encouraged on a Paleo or Primal diet and focus on storability of those items.

[PorcupineKate]

If you are controlling you blood sugar with diet you need to find ways to store what you eat.  I am assuming low carb with lots of veggies.


Meats, cheese, and butter can be purchased canned.

Nuts are a great one as long as you don't have allergies.

Many veggies will keep well in a root cellar. if you have a basement you can create one in the corner of a basement. Apples, winter squash, carrots and other root crops store very well this way.

Learning to can with a pressure canner is a great way to set aside meat and veggies.

Dehydrated veggies are another good way to store veggies that you would cook.

[JoshRonin]

I'm a type 1 and just after I started back into a food storage program I stepped back and thought about this same question.  Lots of the easy to get, easy to use foods aren't necessarily great for diabetics.  I went on the Paleo diet about this same time and decided it was time to store foods accordingly.

Meats and veggies have already been suggested.  Look at carbohydrates of the foods you store, you want low carbohydrates in your foods, as these will give you a lower blood glucose spike.  Sweet potatoes are better than white potatoes, but even they can pack a lot of carbohydrates, so I lean to winter squashes.  Cup for Cup, squashes have 1/2 the carbohydrates of sweet potatoes.  I've found you can buy chopped butternut squash in the freezer section and dehydrate that, or look for sales in the produce department.  Can it, freeze it, dehydrate it. 

I'd do both canning of pre-made soups that are made with low carb veggies, or make dehydrated mixes. 

Nuts are a great in moderation.  Nut butters taste awesome, but come packed with added sugars for taste.  These are fats and will go rancid if not rotated every few months to 1/2 a year.

Fats are important.  They will help fill you up, and keep you energetic longer than meals high in carbohydrates.  Coconut oil is one of the few fats that will last a few years in storage, though I would still rotate it earlier. Fats are high in calories.  I will sometimes add it to my coffee on mornings when I skip breakfast. I know that sounds strange, but it doesn't affect the taste and it does work fin.

Hope that helps you some.

[robertov416]

I'm a type 1 and just after I started back into a food storage program I stepped back and thought about this same question.  Lots of the easy to get, easy to use foods aren't necessarily great for diabetics.  I went on the Paleo diet about this same time and decided it was time to store foods accordingly.

Meats and veggies have already been suggested.  Look at carbohydrates of the foods you store, you want low carbohydrates in your foods, as these will give you a lower blood glucose spike.  Sweet potatoes are better than white potatoes, but even they can pack a lot of carbohydrates, so I lean to winter squashes.  Cup for Cup, squashes have 1/2 the carbohydrates of sweet potatoes.  I've found you can buy chopped butternut squash in the freezer section and dehydrate that, or look for sales in the produce department.  Can it, freeze it, dehydrate it. 

I'd do both canning of pre-made soups that are made with low carb veggies, or make dehydrated mixes. 

Nuts are a great in moderation.  Nut butters taste awesome, but come packed with added sugars for taste.  These are fats and will go rancid if not rotated every few months to 1/2 a year.

Fats are important.  They will help fill you up, and keep you energetic longer than meals high in carbohydrates.  Coconut oil is one of the few fats that will last a few years in storage, though I would still rotate it earlier. Fats are high in calories.  I will sometimes add it to my coffee on mornings when I skip breakfast. I know that sounds strange, but it doesn't affect the taste and it does work fin.

Hope that helps you some.

Great idea on the squash.  Also... love me some heavy whipping cream in my coffee in the morning.  With it, I can easily make it until lunch.  Without the cream, lunch is a must.

[Bonnieblue2A]

Consider sweetener alternatives like Stevia or Agave instead of sugar in your preps, including if/when you do your home canning. If you are a MSB member, check out the free publication on the Glycemic Index.