Managing Type 2 Diabetes For People That Are Eating Donations From Food Outlets

We understand it can be difficult to prioritise Type 2 diabetes when you do not have access to a kitchen or the means to buy food.

This guide is designed to provide some basic dietary tips to help you manage your Type 2 diabetes if you are eating food that has been donated by a food outlet.

The key is not having too much sugar or carbohydrates in your meal at any one time

  • If you only have access to one meal per day then try to eat half straight away and then save half of the meal to eat throughout the day. This will help you to not have too high blood sugar levels at any one time. 

Ideas to help with this:
  • Keep a plastic container or sandwich bags in your bag to store food in
  • Keep fruit or cereal bars in your pockets
  • Have tinned food if available
  • Try not to eat more than 2 slices of bread at any given time
  • Try using sweeteners or ‘half and half’ instead of sugar in your tea and coffee
  • Below are some food options that can help you manage your diabetes and what can make it worse
​Better food options and tips if you have Type 2 Diabetes

Sandwiches:
  • When possible choose Whole meal or seeded breads, maximum 2 medium slices at one time. Aim for a high protein filling such as meat, fish or egg with salad vegetables if available.
  • Avoid having additional carbohydrate snacks at the same time as a sandwich to help avoid high blood glucose (blood sugar)
​
Snacks:
  • Fruit (one portion at a time spaced throughout the day)
  • If the options available are pastries, deep fried snacks such as doughnuts, croissants, eat 1 portion at a time spaced throughout the day to prevent high blood sugars.
 
Drinks:
  • Aim for tea or coffee with milk and sweetener. Low sugar hot chocolate if possible. Diet or zero sugar fizzy drinks and squash
​To be avoided if possible if you have Type 2 Diabetes

Sandwiches:
  • Thick cut white bread or more than 2 slices of bread sandwiches
  • Large baguettes/ciabatta or chapattis/naans, eat ½ at a time
 
Snacks:
  • High sugar sweets such as candies, jelly beans, chewy sweets and chocolates
  • Cakes, biscuits
 
Drinks:
  • Adding sugar to hot drinks such as tea or coffee
  • Full sugar energy drinks
  • Large portions of fruit juice
  • Full sugar fizzy drinks
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Diabetes diet guide for people that are eating food donated by a food outlet
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