Sugar Turned On Me

It’s been more than once that my stomach and wallet are equally empty and the former waits impatiently on the latter so that they both might again be full. When I at last go from having no money in the bank to having some, I make an oath that, the Flying Spaghetti Monster as my witness, I’ll never go hungry again. When next I shop, I’m going to stock up on some basics.

The problem now is that, thanks to diabetes, my basics have changed. Emergency rations like box mac n’cheese or Ramen noodles are no longer at the top of my menu. But knowing that hunger will one day come again at some time when I have negative cash flow, I’ve asked myself what items I can keep in the pantry that are low carb, diabetic safe and that will keep.

Some things that I either recommend or have done myself include:

• Soup: A few cans of soup in the pantry will take up little space and will stave off hunger quite handily. Even just chicken broth is good to have around for when your stomach isn’t feeling good. Always read labels to make sure they don’t have excess sodium or preservatives.
•  Veggies: Canned vegetables are good both for side dish purposes and as ingredients for larger dishes. Frozen veggies also are good, cheap and keep for a fair amount of time. Even single serving dishes are not bad. Avoid sauces or added flavoring
• Oatmeal: Keeps a long time, has fiber and is quite filling. Buy plain varieties and add your own seasoning and sweeteners (if you use them).
• Spices: Getting some spices is a good idea because, while the initial investment is a little high, a pinch of rosemary or oregano means the difference between a palatable meal and one that is suffered. They don’t keep for ever though, so if anything on your spice rack is over 6 or7 months old, consider throwing them out.
• Nuts: If kept in a cool, dry and dark place, nuts in the shell can be good for up to four months. Even once you’ve cracked the shell and made them all naked, nuts will store in the refrigerator or freezer for much longer (pack them so they stay dry). Peanut butter is also a good thing to have on hand, though get the no added sugar, natural variety and keep it for no longer than a month once opened or until the expiration date if kept closed.
• Dried Fruit: The good thing about dried fruit is that they keep for a good, long while if stored properly. The downside is that their sugars are concentrated, so must be used sparingly by the blood sugar conscious. That said, an unopened box of raisins the size of a postage stamp can seem like a cornucopia on a lean day.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but gives you an idea what I look for: cheap, good shelf life and as unadulterated as possible. This is not to say that I’m an expert when it comes to squirreling away cheap eats, but these are what have worked for me in the past. If you are looking to build up a reservoir of food against cashless dry spells, take stock of your pantries current contents. I’m willing to bet it won’t be hard to determine a short list of items you’d prefer to keep as your last line of defense against hunger. And with a little tweaking, you can make that list very diabetes friendly.

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