Managing Type 2 Diabetes for People who are Street Homeless
 
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 leaflet is designed to provide some basic dietary tips to help you manage your Type 2 diabetes if you are street homeless.

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

• If you are 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 is 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 if you have Type 2 Diabetes

Carbohydrates:

• Any canned beans including bean salad, canned chickpeas in water (one can at a time)
• Baked beans (cans or pots, one at a time)
• Packet dried fruit (1/2 palm portions spaced throughout the day)
• Baked crisps
• Wholemeal/wholegrain crackers and crispbreads (3 at time)
• Popcorn packet snacks (1 bag at a time)
• Oat based cereal bars or high fibre bars (1 at a time)
• Rice cakes or oat cakes (3 at a time)

Proteins and fats:

• Packet nuts and seeds (unsalted, palm full portion)
• Canned oily and non-oily fish such as tuna, mackerel, herring, sardines in flavoured sauces (1 can per portion)
• Canned lentils in water or lentil soup (1 can per portion)
• Canned stewed steak/spam/corned beef
• Beef Jerky

Vegetables and fruit:

• Any canned or pickled (jar) vegetable in water or vinegar
• Any fruit, eat 1 handful portion at a time spaced throughout the day.
• Canned fruit, try to get them in their own juice rather than syrup and drain the juice before eating. Eat 1 can at a time or if possible ½ a can at a time

Drinks:

• Bottled still or sparkling water or any diet/zero sugar fizzy drink

To be avoided if possible if you have Type 2 Diabetes

Carbohydrates:

• High sugar sweets such as candies, jelly sweets, chewy sweets and chocolates
• Cakes, biscuits
• Thick cut white bread or more than 2 slices of bread sandwiches
• Large baguettes/ciabatta or chapattis/naans, eat ½ at a time

 
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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