...and I'm having a heck of a time finding things that aren't expensive that don't have sugar! It's crazy-I never read the ingredients on things before (I didn't want to KNOW) but now that I have to, I'm pretty shocked. I mean, there are almost literally NO cereals without sugar in them. Rice Crispies? Really? 

I've been doing research and looking around, and I'm not really happy with what I'm finding. Yes, yes, I know, eat more veg. *shudder* I'm working on it. But some of the other advice is confusing.

I've been forcing myself to eat...*shuuuuder* oatmeal....every morning. It is nasty. NASTY. But it's supposedly good for you.

Anyone have any other super-awesome diabetic food? I could use some help varying my diet a bit. Bland chicken and spinach is getting rather old. Keep in mind I live in the middle of bum-fart nowhere. No fish markets, no fresh veg, nothing like that. And I'm poor, so I can't afford to shop at those super-special health food markets.

Also, I appear to be...sensitive...to those fake-sugar additives. So I can't even have no-sugar candy. *sigh*

Seriously, I could use some help guys. Please?

Your profile says that you are 35. If that is true then you should go save up money and live in a place where you can more readily find food. This is especially important when your blood sugar is low. I understand if you have a family and if you cannot just up and move but a change in scenery will help in so many ways. Depending on the type of diabetes, you may only need exercise to combat it as well as having a healthful diet. 

I agree with the whole nasty oatmeal thing though. I normally eat anything but oatmeal is not my forte, even the flavored ones. Here are two tips that can help you I think:

1. Get into tea. Sugarless Tea. Tea is naturally high in antioxidants and you can get decaf if you need. That aside, Tea tastes great, you just need to find the flavor for you. My personal favorite is Chinese oolong Ti kuan yin and jasmine tea. Exotic as it may sound, it isn't unless you don't live close to any Asian supermarkets. There are very expensive varieties for the connoisseur but honestly I think the cheaper tea of any variety will taste very similar to its super high quality counterparts. You can get them online if need be. Remember to drink it for its original flavor, try not to add any sweetener.

2. Use honey. By that I mean real honey without any added sugar. Honey will add a natural sweetness to your food and you can store it indefinitely if you know how. 

I personally eat more salt than sugar in my diet. I grew up not eating a lot of sugary food or candy and gradually I ate less saltier also. I think some things take time. If you bare with it enough, your taste buds will adjust and things wouldn't be as bad later on. Good luck dude.

TitaniumOxide : Thanks for your reply!

As much as I'd love to, moving isn't really an option, lol. That would be so nice...

I'll take your advice on the tea, though. Someone else said that too, but I've never been a tea kind of person (I love coffee, alas). I'll have to look into trying some different teas.

Honey is a good idea too. Super-sweet but it can't be as bad for you as sugar, in moderation, I would assume. 

I'm glad you're eating less salt-that's just as bad for you, they say.

It is tough to get that sweet craving covered, that's for sure.  I keep a low glycemic index chart handy in the kitchen for helping select some foods, since some of the more refined carbs, even if they don't have "sugar" per se on the label, are still going to hit you hard on your blood sugar. 

Luckily for sweetness, some fruits, like strawberries, aren't too high up, and if you eat 'em with almonds, all the better.   Honey's not too bad, but look into agave nectar, if it fits the budget. 

For breakfast, however, instead of cereal, you've gotta get into some eggs (or even an omelet with some ham and vegetables) and try to throw out the carb craving. 

Dfsg : Thank you for your reply!

Yeah I've been trying. Breakfast is difficult because I just don't want to eat then. But eggs and ham sounds pretty good actually. And not too hard to cook. The thing about forcing oatmeal down is that it's not just good for you, it's actually really good for diabetics period-something about helping your body regulate insulin. Maybe a cup of oatmeal and a little omelet? Best of both worlds?

I tried agave nectar. I don't know why but I remember not liking it. I'll maybe give it another shot now though. 

As for fruit, I try to get it when I can but it's expensive off-season. Canned fruit is loaded with sugar and frozen fruit is nearly as expensive as the fresh. And I recently found out that dried fruit is bad for you? Not sure why yet, gotta look more into that.

Yeah, agave nectar isn't the best sweetener for taste, it's just the best for diabetes.  I'm wary of all the artificial stuff for sweetness.

Too bad they can't cross breed oatmeal with agave .  I eat a lot of oatmeal, too.  You can't deny its value.  You can make it taste even worse and make it better for you by adding a spoon full of flax seed.  I'm not over with my mom as often as I used to be for breakfast, but I'd say she still eats it every day.  Over the years, she's been the one who can do without Metformin, and my Dad has to take it daily, but he's terrible at keeping up with all the "diabeetus" rules. 

Dfsg: LOL I have to take a weekly shot, but it seems to be doing pretty good. I'm getting better at the 'rules' but it's so haaaard. CHOCOLATE GOD I'M SURROUNDED BY CHOCOLATE ARGGHGHGHGH

*cough* Anyway....

I have heard of flax seed-does it really taste that bad? I heard you're supposed to like, grind it up and sprinkle it on stuff. One of the books I read said it expanded in your stomach and made you feel like you've eaten more than you actually have. 

Oh, and on the subject of artificial sweeteners-DON'T. I did some research and it's terrible! Most of them have the worst side-effects. Like, horrible intestinal bloating and gas and nausea. I'm shocked that so few people notice it. Maybe it doesn't affect everyone that way, but I don't want to even try it. My dietitian said to stay away from pretty much anything labeled 'sugar-free' or 'low calorie' because all they did was take out the sugar and stuff a bunch of chemical additives to it. Blegh. 

Yeah, I have a Diet soda every now and then, even though I know I shouldn't. I wish I could find the study, but something came out this year about how saccharin, aspartame, and I think one other sweetener did something like changing your gut flora around. It apparent makes it worse for insulin regulation and for developing diabetes in the first place than just having some regular sugar.  Man- I wish I could find it now. 

 As for the flax, it is pretty sprinkleable.  I don't know if it's ever made me feel more full, but I don't eat it too often.  All I know is it won't solve the chocolate craving

One trick: cut sugar AND starch (i.e. cereal products) as much as you can. It doesn't look like it, but eating a bowl of pasta is like eating a bowl of sugar - starch is simply a long chain of simple carbs weakly linked together. Not only will you lower your blood glucose, you will also likely lose weight. 

Also try to limit your fruit intake. It doesn't look like much, but eating 10 apples is like ingesting 160g (1/3 pound) of sugar. However, you can indulge in non-starchy vegetables (excluding corn and potatoes, mainly) and get all the vitamins, minerals and fibers you need.

Cinnamon (so I read) also helps controlling your blood sugar.