What (outside food) can I eat while on a restrictive diet?

In my previous posts, I mentioned about going on a restrictive diet that limit carbs and sugar...but I can't follow western meal plans since we don't eat an appetiser (usually salads) and a main dish on a daily basis. So, I resorted to homecooked meals (following an Asian type of diet or what a Malaysian Chinese would normally eat) for most of my meals.

I already cook two meals a day on most weekdays (sometimes just one on days when I'm too lazy, tired or busy), so breakfast is certainly a meal that I wouldn't want to cook too.  On very rare occasions would I cook a low-carb western breakfast like this Beef Bacon, Mushrooms, Egg & Bell Peppers.

So, for breakfast, I eat out!  What then do I eat for breakfast while on a restrictive diet?  Well, I still eat a carb-loaded breakfast unfortunately!  I eat noodles and that's because there's really nothing else to eat.  All our breakfast choices are high in carbs like a plate/bowl of noodles, nasi lemak, roti canai, porridge or bread.  The only less-carb breakfast I can think of is soft-boiled eggs but I can't eat that on a daily basis.

For breakfast, most of us would either have some sort of noodles, nasi lemak, roti canai or eggs and toast which are very common breakfast meals.  Well, nasi lemak is out of the question since there's so much rice involved + the spicy-sweet sambal would have been cooked with lots of sugar.  Roti canai is also a no-no too since it's all bread.  Soft-boiled eggs is the only choice but then I can't very well pair the toasted bread with kaya and butter now, can I? >.<

So, the only available option would still be a bowl of noodles.  But the first difference I make is to ask for less noodles.  I'd ask for half the normal portion, some hawkers will do it, some won't bother and some end up giving you more than half still, so I just make sure I eat less myself and leave some unfinished if I'm given too much.

#1 - Noodles

Even though I'm still having noodles for breakfast daily, I do make subtle sacrifices differences to the way I eat.....the first is to ask for half the noodles.  Most shops however, like the regular one I go to for Prawn Mee, would hesitate to give only half portion of noodles (they'll give you less but probably a little bit more than half) so that the (scarce) liew can stand up in the bowl of noodles and not tenggelam into the bowl and make the liew look even more scarce. >.<  It took him a while before he finally gave me a smaller portion as he was afraid I'd complain if it's too little but I reassured him that I'd never complain not enough, only complain if there's too much...lol!

As for the Pork Noodles stall, his portion of noodles is not that big to begin with, so less noodles was fine (you can see the liew is practically sinking into the soup due to lesser noodles).  Of course, you can always ask for add-on ingredients for a fuller meal but I didn't need to once I got used to the smaller portions.

Another variation of pork noodles is this Sam Kan Chong Noodles.  I used to eat the dry-style but recently switched to the soup version as it has given me one of my best readings for noodles (in the lower end of the permissible range) todate.  This stall's portion of noodles is already quite little to start with, so with me asking for lesser noodles, you can see just how small the portion is.

The second difference I make is to choose the soup version over dry-style as I reckon that dry-style noodles will have more seasonings in their sauces.  Even though Wantan Mee is usually eaten dry-style, I've to opt for the soup version.  Not only that but I also go for shredded chicken + wantan instead of char siew (rather obvious since char siew is loaded with sugar to get them really caramelised).

If I want to have char siew with my wantan mee, these days I go looking for those more pinkish-type char siew aka char siew with as little caramelisation as possible....haiz! :'(  So I eat this "type" of Dry Wantan Mee for breakfast these days.

The choice of soup over dry-style is just what I think is the better option since tests from 2 different wantan mee places yielded similar results, the readings for dry style is always higher (a lot more actually) than soup. Ya, these days I tend to conduct "tests" of places I eat in...that way I'll know for sure which shops/stalls uses the least MSG/sugar in the preparation of their food.  From these tests, I learned that my favourite (neighbourhood) wantan mee stall isn't one that I should visit often as the results turned out to be higher (both dry and soup) than another wantan mee place in my taman (haiz).

Another breakfast choice is Fish Head Noodles and this one has been "test approved".  I was hesitant at first since it has evaporated milk (even though it's unsweetened unlike condensed milk, it still contains carbs and naturally occuring sugars) but my fears were put to rest since my blood glucose reading was fine after eating.

I'm also eating Curry Mee as you know it's one of my favourite noodles to eat.  Again, I opt for chicken instead of caramelised char siew.  Poached chicken is my favourite but not every place offers it.  The curry is predominantly savoury but you do get sweetness from the coconut milk (though santan is said to be low GL food). @_@  Results from tests done on curry mee are varied (from mid-range to beyond the range), so it's a noodle with inconclusive findings (need more testing) but (so far) the ones with a more pronounced santan taste tend to have a higher reading.

Another noodle I like to eat for breakfast is Fish Ball Noodles.  The soup base of fish ball noodles is also clear (like wantan mee soup) and most offers a slightly sweetish taste (probably MSG is involved), so have to be mindful as well.

Kai Si Hor Fun, as you know, is among my top 3 favourite noodles and one (unfortunately or surprisingly) I've not gotten round to test yet.  Maybe I'm afraid of what the findings will be since the soup base is usually sweetish.  Hopefully the sweetness comes from the prawns and prawn shells...and not something else. >_<

Char Kway Teow is a noodle dish liked by many and I'm no exception.  This CKT has given me mixed results too, one beyond the range allowed and one in the mid-range, so more tests need to be taken.  This is one noodle I don't even ask for less noodles as the portion of noodles is usually small and, at times, not even enough to satisfy my hunger that I've to add on a fried egg.

In the end, if we can't run away from having noodles (since it's a staple for breakfast or lunch), the best I can do is to ask for less noodles (or pass the extra noodles to my spouse if he happens to be eating with me).  I'd also go for the soup version (but try not to drink too much of it) instead of dry but ultimately it's down to how much seasonings (especially MSG and sugar) each stall/shop puts in their soup base and sauces.

#2 - Roasted Meat Rice

When it comes to Roasted Chicken Rice, the way I go about it is to tapau just the chicken (roasted or poached) and cook my own basmathi rice.  This resulted in a very good sugar reading and that's down to choosing chicken in my opinion.  If it's not convenient to cook your own rice, then the next best thing is to go for white rice (half portion/small rice) instead of oiled rice.

I once had Siu Yuk Rice (not with homecooked rice) and the reading was not where it should be at all.  This is not conclusive, however, since I've done only one test.

As for Char Siew Rice, I think everyone knows the answer to that! :)  That's like a distant memory for me now...lol!  I've to give up this...and I've eaten it only once (and by that, I mean those well caramelised ones, the pinkish ones don't count!) in the past 6 months! T_T

But not all is lost as I recently found out that there can be chicken rice shops that meet my criteria (where I can eat the oiled rice...and I ate full portion too, mind you!) like this Poached Chicken Rice....and was pleasantly surprised (and encouraged) by the mid-range reading.

#3 - Yong Tau Foo & Chee Cheong Fun

A Yong Tau Foo (YTF) & Chee Cheong Fun (CCF) combo is definitely well suited for my restrictive diet...just make sure you take only one piece of CCF and have it with (savoury) curry instead of teem cheong (sweet sauce).

YTF is just vegetables + fish or meat paste, so this is something I rely on regularly when I don't cook.  I have this with homecooked rice and it fulfills my definition of a balanced meal with carbs, protein and vegetable (+ it also has been test approved)! :D

#4 - Pork Innards Soup & Bak Kut Teh

Go crazy with Pork Innards Soup (if you fancy innards) or bak kut teh since they're basically meat-based. Drink less of the soup (if possible lah), otherwise find one that's not too heavy with seasoning.  Between the two, I prefer the pork innards soup since the soup base is peppery.  I usually tapau this when I don't cook and eat it with homecooked rice.

#5 - Fried Noodles

Fried Noodles like Fried Hokkien Mee, Cantonese-Style Yin Yong, Singapore Fried Meehoon, Braised Yee Mee, Moonlight Kway Teow and the like are all my favourites but it's something I need to eat less of (T_T) since it's all carbs due to the large portion of noodles.  One possible way to enjoy this still is to eat it with family (or more diners) at a dai chow place that offers not only dishes but fried noodles as well.  This way I can eat less noodles and bulk up my meal with other dai chow dishes (like stir-fried vegetables, egg, tofu or meat).  If I absolutely must have noodles, my choice would be Fried Meehoon or Fried Glass Noodles (toong fun) as the sugar readings tend to be better compared to other noodles.

#6 - Dim Sum

Yes, Dim Sum is a good choice for a low sugar breakfast but you stiill need to make the right choices...steamed items are always excellent choices (but forego those steamed in a sweet/sour sauce) and you can have a field day with the fried items too.  Try not to go for (or eat only a little of) lo mai gai (glutinous rice chicken), steamed char siew buns, Hong Kong chee cheong fun, porridge or any sweet pastries (of course).

#7 - Nasi Lemak

One of my top favourites for breakfast is Nasi Lemak which I've to give up almost entirely (I've only had it twice in the last 6 months).  It's very obvious why this is in the forbidden list coz you tend to go overboard with the rice when it comes to eating it with sotong/kerang sambal or rendang beef/chicken and you top it with even more sambal (as Malay sambal is almost always sweet-based).

The funny thing is when I have Chinese Nasi Lemak (even with rendang chicken or pork), the reading is well within range (mid-range even) as opposed to the readings with Malay Nasi Lemak (which is on the higher end of the range or out of the range!).  That tells me it's all down to the sambal, that's why Chinese-made sambal is more savoury and never as sweet as those sambal cooked by Malay vendors...but also not as nice! :D

#8 - Malay Food or Nasi Campur

Seeing how nasi lemak affects sugar levels, it's safe to say Malay Food (which I absolutely love) is something that should be avoided or eaten less of coz it always involves lots of rice and sweetish sambal (practically everything is cooked in some kind of sambal)...which makes me wonder how the Malays cope with managing their sugar levels since their daily meals almost always involves sambal (and all kinds of kuih muih).

I will still eat Nasi Campur ocassionally by controlling the rice portion and making smart choices.  I go for stuff cooked in a (fresh) chilli paste instead of something cooked in sauce-like sambal (like this fried ikan keli) or something fried (like fried chicken or fish...yes, you heard me right, I've given up so much that I think I'm entitled to some fried food...lol), omelette or salted egg and vegetables not cooked in sambal.

#9 - Indian Food

Similarly, Indian Food (like Malay food) should also be eaten sparingly since banana leaf rice will tempt you to load on the rice but, at least, the curries are savoury, not sweet.  This banana leaf rice is one of our go-to dinner venues where I can partake in their all-you-can-eat vegetables but limit my rice (but still a little bit more than my usual 1/2 bowl lah). ^_~

#10 - Chinese Food or Dai Chow/Chap Fan

Chinese Food is what I (and my family) eat the most often and again, like Malay nasi campur, I just have to make the right choices at dai chow and chap fan places by staying away from anything that's cooked in a sweetish sauce like sweet/sour, marmite, salted egg, butter milk, assam, lemon, etc.  Funny thing is, there are still some ignorant people who thinks that controlling sugar intake is merely abstaining from desserts, pastries and all...but continues to partake in savoury food (carbs) that's cooked in a sweet or sour sauce.  

#11 - Western Food

It's not surprising to find out that Western Food is well suited for a low-carb/low-sugar diet though my homecooked version still achieved a better reading than one eaten outside.  The main component of a typical western meal is protein concentrated (be it a beef, chicken, pork or lamb) with small sides of potato (usually fries), salad (usually coleslaw) and bread.  Just go easy on the bread and potatoes when eating out (or pass the extras to your someone).  These days I eat western food more regularly than I used to.

#12 - Japanese Food

Japanese Food is another top choice for me when dining out since their food is much more subtle in taste and not heavy on sauces.  The only two things I've to be mindful of is mentai and teriyaki.  Choose options like tempura, cawanmushi, salt grilled fish like salmon, saba or sanma, kaarage, sashimi, yakiniku, yakitori, tonkatsu, even sushi (just not too many pieces, I keep to 2 plates or 4 pcs).  As you can see, Japanese offers a lot more variety, so it's no surprise that Japanese and western are now my preferred choices when dining out.

#13 - Korean Food

Korean Food like a Korean BBQ (test approved too!) is also very suitable as a low-carb meal since it's practically mostly meat that you'll be consuming.  I just try to omit the ramen (or eat a little if I've to) and be selective of the banchans that I can eat.  Most of them are fine since they're kimchi-based, the only two I needed to avoid/eat less of were the pickled radish and sweetish nuts.

#14 - Thai Food

Thai Food isn't a cuisine I eat often though I do enjoy it for its tart flavours...and for that very reason, it's something I've to eat sparingly since Thai food is known for its flavours of salty, spicy, sour and sweet.  That means sugar features regularly in their food to balance those flavours (especially the sourish flavours).

#15 - Snacks

Snacks?  What snacks?  I've to give them up entirely!  I was very kwai over CNY...no cookies, no kuih kapit, no pineapple tarts, no crabstick crackers, no nothing! T_T  I didn't even eat one single piece of bak kwa, not even a Mandarin orange.  The only snack I've not given up is prawn/fish crackers.  I think I'm entitled to one since I've given up so many already, don't you? ;D  The other snacks I have at home are plain cream crackers (these are almost sugar-free, they taste more buttery) and vegetable crackers (the latter is for times when my sugar is too low and I need some carb intake fast).    

#16 - Fruits

I've also given up eating fruits because of the naturally occuring sugars in them even though my doctor never told me to.  He only made a reference to go for fruits that are hard (aiyah, all the fruits I love are soft like mango, grapes, watermelon, banana, ciku, pineapple, etc.).  So, which fruits are hard then?  Very few, I can only think of apple and guava.  This is the first time I've heard of such referencing.  Some health websites list berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries & blackberries) as low GI...but aren't these fruits soft (and sweet)?  Some even list grapes as low GI.

So, what is what leh?  If we were to google what fruits are high or low GI, we get very conflicting information (for example, one website will say certain fruits have low GI but another will tell you the opposite)...haiz. I've only eaten fruits twice in these past 6 months, guava and rose apple, but hope to re-introduce them back into my diet in small portions because of the fibre content and range of essential nutrients they provide.

#17 - Drinks (Specifically Coffee)

Sugary drinks are a definite no-no (I've given up carbonated drinks a long time ago), even fruit juices without the addition of sugar (eating whole fruits is better than having fruit juices).  If you must, I guess apple juice would be the best bet.  I've also given up coffee altogether since my doctor says it's better for me to drink tea instead....as in teh-o kosong.  If there's one thing I don't like to drink...it's tea (teh tarik excluded!).  If I must, I could drink kopi-o kosong but black coffee I can only drink it less sweet but not without any sugar. I'd rather have Chinese tea or green tea, which is now my drink of choice, besides barley-ping kosong (and these drinks are what you see in the background of my bowl of noodles now)...unlike previous photos which have a kopi-o-ping, teh tarik ais or iced white coffee lurking in the background...lol! >.<

When we're subjected to a diet...any diet....there's always a craving for something we can't eat whilst on that diet (usually carbs...and sugary stuff lah).  There's no such thing as not having a craving.  The only way we don't feed that craving is we resist all temptation to indulge in that craving...lol (but we're only human to fall into temptation).  So, it's only right to have some days off and have a cheat eat every now and then.

These days I do blood glucose tests rather frequently (my doctor wants to see at least 2 readings a week) though I do more than that but I also can't do finger pricking on a daily basis (otherwise I'll end up with sore fingers!).  I've to give him a combination of readings...2 fasting readings and 2 after-meal readings (taken after breakfast, lunch and dinner respectively) for a total of 8 readings a month.  For the uninitiated, although the permissible range for blood glucose levels is 4.2 - 6.1 (for fasting) and 4.4 - 8.0 (for after meals), you're expected to score at the lower end of the range if you're not suffering from high blood sugar (or aren't diabetic) coz anything towards the higher range is considered pre-diabetic already.

These tests will take time but slowly and surely, I will know eventually which food (and which stalls/shops) is suitable and good for me by offering me lower glucose levels.  That's the only way to ensure the food doesn't cause unneccessary sugar spikes.  These days, the food I eat is not only determined by (good) tastes but also by the use of less MSG and sugar in their cooking.

There's no denying that homecooked food gives the lowest blood sugar readings (at lower end of the range) but it's not possible to cook all meals as I'll get bored with my own cooking + it doesn't taste as good as eating out, so outside food still have to feature in my diet.  Ultimately, outside food does yield higher readings (usually middle of the range) but some are in the higher range while some were beyond the range (!)...those that obviously don't use "real" ingredients to make their sauces and soup base but resort to MSG-laden stock cubes to flavour their food.  I just have to be conscientious to make the right choices and pick the right stalls/shops.

Since embarking on this diet change (along with other measures), my blood glucose level has come down to 5.1 (fasting) from a high of 11.3 (scary, isn't it?).  Not only have my sugar levels improved significantly, I've also lost a total of 6 kg in 6 months (which is a bonus!...2 kg each in the first 2 months and 1 kg each the following 2 months).  The weight loss is slow but I've maintained that weight for the last 2 months (most importantly, I didn't pack back the kilos).  Hopefully, the weight loss will continue even if it's at a slow pace.

As for my blood glucose levels, it's now at its best since 12 years ago and I've only been on this restrictive diet for 6 months.  Ultimately, weight loss and exercise can improve your blood sugar readings (but not significant enough) coz what we put into our mouths do matter...and this has given me the encouragement to continue this way as changes to our diet clearly works.