Too often, as a type 1 diabetes family, food can become a huge stressor and point of contention. Here at Type Won™ Coaching, we believe food should be a source of enjoyment and family connection – all while helping the entire family maintain balanced blood glucose levels.
In fact, a 2020 study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, found that families who share meals together consistently eat greater amounts of fruit and vegetables, and have better family outcomes, such as communication and cooperation. Talk about a win win!
As a type 1 diabetes caregiver myself, I understand how many moving pieces are involved in diabetes management. From organizing diabetes supplies to monitoring blood sugar, there is a lot on the caregiver’s mind. Therefore, it’s easy to feel bogged down and uninspired to cook at home.
Why we cook at home
As a type 1 diabetes family, we prioritize cooking most of our meals at home for two main reasons. The first being greater visibility. When we purchase, assemble and cook ourselves, we have the greatest insight into what goes into our bodies.
Maintaining balanced blood sugar is the second reason why we prioritize cooking our own meals. But working to maintain stable blood sugar isn’t just reserved for our loved one with type 1 diabetes. Rather, the entire family benefits when working as a team to minimize the highs and lows of the blood sugar rollercoaster.
An example of a balanced blood sugar day from my husband’s Continuous Glucose Monitor
Luckily, you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen or have a culinary degree to make healthy meals for your family.
By incorporating the tips below, you can experience lower stress levels, vibrant health and time to truly relax and connect as a family. Let’s get started!
Tip #1: Create a meal list
Find time with your Type Won™ family to brainstorm a list of all your favorite foods and meals. The list can be captured on a physical sheet of paper, excel document or even in a note on your phone. When our family is feeling in a funk and struggling to brainstorm meal ideas, we pull out our list!
Planning becomes a breeze when you can refer to a list of blood sugar supportive meals. You can even make a game out of it. Have a family member close their eyes and simply point somewhere on your list. Where their hand lands is what’s for dinner!
I also encourage you to continue to add to your list so you’re building a wonderful library of meal ideas.
Tip #2: Purchase a menu planning board
Our family has a whiteboard that hangs directly in our kitchen. On Sundays we sit down to brainstorm our dinners for the week. We capture our plan on a menu planning white board. This takes out the guesswork later in the week. Rather than stressing or devoting lots of mental energy to menu planning each day, it’s done for you.
You simply review your board and know what recipes are in store for your family that day! And if you’re not wanting to purchase a physical board, simply write your list on paper. Just be sure to hang it in a central location where you can easily refer back.
Tip #3: Utilize grocery delivery services
As a mom, I understand you have so much to juggle throughout the week! Why not take one task off your plate like visiting the grocery store? Don’t get me wrong, there are times I actually like going to the store. There is a sense of ritual in creating a list, going to the store and being in the driver’s seat when choosing the most supportive foods for our family.
When I became a mom, it was really challenging to go to the store with an infant. Our family prioritized hunkering in at home. We quickly embraced the incredible technology of online grocery shopping.
So, why not lighten your load by utilizing a grocery delivery service too? Although there may be an extra cost, greater peace of mind is often worth it! Our family enjoys ordering from Instacart, Thrive Market, Amazon Whole Foods Delivery or Go Puff.
Tip #4: Organize your kitchen & pantry
Whether it be daily, weekly or monthly, invest the time in organizing your kitchen and pantry. The space in which we cook and prepare food can have a huge impact on our level of enjoyment. If your space is a mess it’s likely you won’t look forward to spending time there.
When it comes to organizing your kitchen, start small. I always prioritize making sure that the counters are free of clutter and wiped clean. Then I’ll move to ensuring the dishwasher is unloaded. This allows me to easily load dirty dishes throughout the cooking process and after a meal. Finally, I really like having a clean and organized fridge. Take out any food that is expired and wipes off the shelves. A clean fridge also minimizes food waste as your family can see what’s available vs. food being lost in the clutter.
Additionally, rather than view cooking as a chore, I see it as a self-care practice. When cooking, I like to be in a space I enjoy. Small rituals such as lighting a candle, putting on my apron and playing music helps cultivate the right energy. What ways can you make your cooking environment more enjoyable?
Tip #5: Pick a day to prep meals
On Sunday, we like to both plan and prep meals for the week. When it comes to meal prepping, we’ll ensure our kitchen is clean, we have all our ingredients, and fun music is playing. When we prep over the weekend, we’ve found dinners and lunches are much easier throughout the week. Here is a sample of what we’ll prepare on a typical Sunday:
- Wash and chop veggies and fruits
- Grill our grass-fed meat
- Cut up cheese slices for lunch snacks
- Bake blood sugar supportive chocolate chip cookies
- Measure, divide and make homemade, healthy trail mix (i.e., assortment of nuts, coconut flakes and low sugar chocolate chips)
- Prepare snacks my husband can take for low blood sugar (i.e., glucose tablets, dried organic banana chips, organic raisins, Simple Mills almond flour snack bars, homemade popcorn, etc.)
Always remember
Life is to be enjoyed, and we absolutely eat out as a family. But we’ve found we’re able to navigate the type one diabetes journey better when prioritizing meals at home. When we’re in the driver’s seat, we have better visibility and control when preparing our food.
So, I encourage you to have fun experimenting with your Type Won™ family! Not only is it a great time for bonding, but being in the kitchen provides a powerful opportunity to further educate your children on healthy eating.
Cheers to your health!
Allee
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