Need help with meal replacement

[kickingandscreaming]

I have always been a great cook and foodie.  Until recently.  Now, I can barely find anything that appeals to me.  I'm not nauseated, just not at all interested.  But I do need to eat. I take a daily protein supplement that I get from the clinic (16g prot) and I'm still managing to get through breakfast-- more or less.  It's all the other meals.  I just hate the limits of my food possibilities.  I can't eat fish anymore.  Don't really want chicken or beef. The foods that I am still mildly attracted to (pasta, rice, potatoes and creamy cheesy food) are foods I'm not allowed to eat because i'm diabetic and on a low-carb diet or they're not renal friendly.  Doesn't leave much. 

i'm considering buying a meal replacement along the lines of Nepro, but I have no idea if I can stomach it. Can anyone recommend anything?  Thanks.

[Charlie B53]

40 carb wheat bread, toasted, whipped cream cheese, peanut butter.   Semi-healthy

I know what you mean, not much appeals to me,   For Lunch today I made that toast and fried a couple of eggs.  Maybe shouldn't have put that slice of cheese in the middle, but it tasted good

Dinner, left-over Turkey sandwich with miracle whip, lettuce and cranberries.

[Charlie B53]

Wonder if I should have taken binders?

[cassandra]

My main staple before Home HD was ham sandwiches with mayo and mustard. Coleslaw and cheese sandwiches. Every slice of bread has 3 gr protein. Normal slice of cheese/ham 5 gr.

Wonder if I should have taken binders?

Yes Charlie everything with protein has phosphates in.

[kickingandscreaming]

Unfortunately, a diet of sandwiches isn't good for a diabetic.  I love bread but it raises my blood sugar. As of this point, I still don't take meds for Type 2 and try to control it by watching carb intake.  I'm trying to find a way to get protein without a lot of carbs.  And food that passes my "not interested" barrier.  That's why I'm thinking of a meal replacement, e.g. Nepro

[KatieV]

My brother took Nepro for a while.  He didn't really care for it, but did drink them.  However, they do contain SOY and my brother is allergic to SOY.  The rest of us about died in the clouds of poisonous gas he released.     Us kids begged our mom to have the doctor switch him to something else!

[Charlie B53]

Most definately NOT telling 10 y.o. about the gas that soy may produce, he would LIKE it!

I am going to have to force myself to start taking the binders with everything I eat.  Qwap.   I swear they slow up my digestive system, almost to constipation.  Is it only me or do binders have this effect on many?

The 40 carb breads are HALF the carbs of the normal breads. Or so I am told by the Diabetic Nurse Lady.  I can have a whole sandwich but only the carbs of one typical slice of bread.   NOT a problem.  My problem is I like a LOT of lettuce, which now on Hemo, is more water, that I should not have.

G'Son and I spllit a can of one of those 'replacement' drinks.  We ended up pouring it down the sink drain.  It was chocolate flavored, but even that wasn't enough to make it O.K.

Dau baked a Turkey AND a Ham for Christmas dinner.  I wasn't supposed to have but one bite of ham.  I was pleasantly surprised I couldn't taste ANY salt.  So I probably ate too much of it anyway.  I had to look at the label so I would remember.  It was a Smithfield, with a bag of liquid seasoning that looked to be the consistency of mostly honey.  Pre-sliced on the bone so every basting easily soaked inside.   I will make that mistake again.   Haven't made a sandwich of those leftovers, yet.  Maybe later today.

[kickingandscreaming]

Remember, Charlie, that you take daily insulin shots so you are compensating  all that carb with insulin.  I don't use insulin--and hope not to-- so lots of sandwiches aren't on my menu.

[Charlie B53]

I only take my nightly Lantus, and I have had to reduce that again with the weight loss just since switching to Hemo.

I haven't had to take any Fast in months.  Watching how much, and what I eat has been working.


I was taught to compare my before bed sugar with my morning sugar.  Adjust my Lantus until those numbers are as close as possible.  It has been working very well.

A little insulin isn't such a bad thing.  As long as we stay careful and eat responsibly.

[Juniah]

Sorry for coming to this discussion so late, but have you been able to solve your nutrition problems? I use Nepro on dialysis days and to replace breakfast on most days due to lack of appetite in the mornings. I just picked up a 24 pack from Amazon a few days ago and would gladly send you a can to try out if you are still looking for a meal replacement. I love these things, they taste great IMO!

[MooseMom]

My husband has just recently been diagnosed with T2D and has begun using that High Life low carb bread for sandwiches.  Could that be an option for you, k&s?

[kickingandscreaming]

Thank you, Juniah and MM.  I've eliminated Nepro because I don't eat soy.  The bread looks interesting.  Is dry like cardboard?  So many reduced calorie/carb bread are like eating sawdust so I just have been eating very small amounts (occasionally) of "real"  bread.

I think when I wrote that post I was in my first (and last week) of Sensipar.  And that totally knocked out my appetite.  It's back, sort of.  I've settled on having 2 oz. Liquicel daily.  I don't love it, but can live with it.  It's a syrupy substance in fruit flavors and I add seltzer to it to make it like a soda.  That gives me 32 g of protein without any phosph.  I did an experiment.  The clinic gives out Liquicel--enough for 1 pkg/day. I double that and found that my albumin really went up.

[MooseMom]

The bread looks interesting.  Is dry like cardboard?  So many reduced calorie/carb bread are like eating sawdust so I just have been eating very small amounts (occasionally) of "real"  bread.

It is actually called "Healthy Life".  Sorry, my mistake.

Actually, it tastes just fine.  My husband has bought the sourdough, the white and whole wheat.  I'm looking at the package now, and per 2 slices, there are 16 grams of carbs, 5 of which come from fiber.  The bread is not cardboard, but it is "airy" which probably explains the fewer carbs.  Fewer carbs, more air. 

Does this help at all?

[kickingandscreaming]

Thanks, MM.  It seems to be a midwestern product and would only be available to me online.  Wonder how they keep it fresh in the mail.

[MooseMom]

Thanks, MM.  It seems to be a midwestern product and would only be available to me online.  Wonder how they keep it fresh in the mail.

My goodness!  At the prices they charge, they should bring it to you on a silver platter.

I hope you can find something closer to you.  I didn't realize this was available only in this region.   

[Charlie B53]

I don't doubt there may be some regional differences in bakeries, but in our area here in the middle of Missouri there are two brands of low carb breads.  Both are well marked 35 or 40 carb right on the ends, making them easy to find on the bread shelves.

Wife tends to buy white while I much prefer wheat.  We have tried the sour dough and the other one, I don't remember right now what it's called.  The wheat feels and tastes like bread.  I haven't really noticed how they reduce the carbs, but I am willing to use it when I do eat bread.