Quick lunch under 30 g of carbohydrates in type 1 diabetes

The quickest lunch is a simply cooked source of protein plus vegetables [1]. A pan-fried chicken breast with a salad of tomatoes, cucumber and fresh herbs has under 10 g of carbohydrates. Canned tuna, drained and mixed with tomatoes, cucumber and olives, also stays under 8 g of carbohydrates. Both are made from what you already have in the fridge, without cooking for a long time.

An omelet made from two eggs, with mushrooms and a little hard cheese, has under 6 g of carbohydrates. You can easily cook pieces of chicken in a pan with a little oil, together with 200 g of frozen vegetables. A mix of broccoli and cauliflower adds 5-6 g of carbohydrates, but one with peas and corn climbs toward 20 g of carbohydrates [2]. All these options are ready in the time it takes the pan to heat up, with no recipe and no complicated weighing.

You start from a base that is not counted, 150 g of chicken breast, which brings no carbohydrates [3]. You add 300 g of non-starchy vegetables, that is, peppers, courgette, tomatoes, broccoli or green beans, which means 10-12 g of carbohydrates. Adding olive oil, salt and spices does not change the carbohydrate total. You put the meat on the plate first, then fill the rest with the vegetables.

That gives you a fairly full plate with under 15 g of carbohydrates. There is even room left for a 30 g slice of bread, which adds 15 g of carbohydrates. The alternative is a 100 g portion of boiled potatoes, with 15-17 g of carbohydrates. In both cases the meal stays under 30 g. Weigh the side dish, because the portion usually looks smaller than it really is [4].

Yes, and the main reason is simple: tuna, sardines and mackerel in oil or in water bring practically no carbohydrates. What remains is protein and fat, so the meal relies on vegetables for its carbohydrates. Sardines in tomato sauce are the exception, with 2-3 g of carbohydrates per can. A plain can goes onto the plate without any calculation.

Drain the can and weigh the fish, not the contents together with the liquid. Check the label on the versions with sauce, where added sugar sometimes appears. Even a meal with almost no carbohydrates but rich in protein and fat can call for an insulin dose, sometimes later on [5]. You settle this together with your doctor, following the information from the glucose sensor.

You replace the side dish with cooked vegetables, which fill the plate without adding many grams of carbohydrates [6]. Pan-sautéed cauliflower or broccoli, courgette, mushrooms, sautéed cabbage and green beans go with any kind of meat. Cauliflower purée looks like mashed potato, but a portion brings only 5-7 g of carbohydrates. It still tastes like a hot meal, not like a diet.

Vegetables are weighed in the form in which they are eaten. Cooking shrinks the volume of some vegetables a great deal, especially the leafy ones [7]. A generous portion of sautéed vegetables means 5-12 g of carbohydrates, depending on the vegetable and the amount. A sauce thickened with flour and breaded vegetables change the arithmetic, however. Onion and carrot push the carbohydrate total up a little, especially in a stew.

A small portion, 60 g of cooked pasta, means about 15 g of carbohydrates. For 100 g of cooked pasta you reach about 25 g of carbohydrates. Weigh the pasta after cooking, because it roughly triples its weight [8]. Dry pasta has far more carbohydrates for the same weight on the scale.

Whole-grain pasta has slightly fewer carbohydrates than white pasta, because fiber takes the place of part of the starch. The difference remains small, however, a few grams of carbohydrates per portion. In practice you count it the same way, and the real gain is a gentler rise in blood glucose, especially if you cook it al dente [9].

Usually, yes. An ordinary side of pasta, rice or potatoes goes past 30 g on its own. Half of it comes to 15-20 g of carbohydrates. The space left on the plate is filled with vegetables and a source of protein, so that you leave the table full [10]. The method also works in the canteen, where you ask for half a portion of pasta or potatoes.

Watch the dose. If you cut the carbohydrates in half but take the same insulin dose as usual, you will have a higher risk of hypoglycemia [11]. The dose follows the meal, through the insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio set by your doctor, so the dose inevitably drops along with the meal [12]. Any long-term change in the amount of carbohydrates is discussed with your doctor [13].

The most convenient are cold meals, built around a source of protein [3]:

• two boiled eggs, with roasted pepper and a few olives — no more than 7 g of carbohydrates;
• cottage cheese with raw vegetables — 8-9 g of carbohydrates;
• tuna salad, in a box — if you keep it cold until lunchtime.

If you want something more substantial, you add a small chickpea salad: 100 g of canned chickpeas, drained, means about 16 g of carbohydrates [14]. With vegetables and a little oil, the meal comes to around 20 g of carbohydrates. In winter, a flask of unsweetened tea can round off this meal very well.

The pattern is always the same: you choose a source of protein, two vegetables and a source of fat [10]. You can choose, for example:

• chicken with green beans and garlic;
• oven-baked fish with courgettes;
• fried eggs with sautéed spinach;
• mushroom stew with turkey meat.

The total for a plate like this usually stays at 5-15 g of carbohydrates. Change the source of protein from one day to the next, so that the meal does not become boring. What pushes the carbohydrate total up quickly are ready-made sauces, flour for thickening and starchy vegetables, such as peas or corn [2]. A very large portion of meat can raise blood glucose later on, so the trend is worth following on the sensor and discussing at your appointment [15].

You choose something ready-made, but with a predictable structure [16]. These work well in this case:

• a chicken or tuna salad from the shop;
• a rotisserie chicken without a side dish;
• a tub of cheese with vegetables.

A clear vegetable soup adds 8-12 g of carbohydrates per 250 ml. You can find all of them in some nearby shops, almost wherever you are. On the label you look for the "Carbohydrate" line, which shows the carbohydrates in the product. Check whether the value is given per 100 g or per portion, because the package sometimes contains two portions [17]. In the European Union, fiber is not included in this line, so you do not subtract it [18]. Sauces, dressings and croutons in ready-made salads push the carbohydrate total up on the quiet, so watch out for them.

Rarely. Afternoon tiredness comes more often from high blood glucose, from rapid drops after too large a dose, or from a night with too little sleep [19] [20]. A very large meal, whatever its carbohydrate count, also brings a degree of drowsiness [21]. The brain receives glucose from the liver as well, between meals [22]. A small, balanced lunch usually gives you the most energy.

The sensor shows you what happened in the hours after the meal. If you see a sharp drop toward low values, it usually means the dose was too large for what you ate. If you see high values that stay that way for several hours, the cause is different. Discuss adjusting your insulin doses with your doctor. Without a sensor, checking blood glucose two hours after the meal for 2-3 days can give you a starting point for the discussion about adjusting the doses [23].