Q and I have a tradition that actually started at her diagnosis. Every evening during the long drive back home from the endocrinologist, we stop at Denny’s and have breakfast for dinner.

It’s so entrenched in our routine that I actually have mentioned it several times in Kids First, Diabetes Second.

We recently switched to a different endocrinology practice that is a little closer to home, but still an hour and a half away. When we hit the highway after our most recent visit, Q asked if we could stop at Denny’s. I don’t know that they have a location on our new route and I need to look it up before our next visit.

So there is a moderately sized town about halfway home and I pulled off at the exit with the most restaurants. I named some choices and we decided on Cracker Barrel.

Image from CrackerBarrel.com

As we ordered our dinner I asked the waitress, who we would learn was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, if she could bring us the nutritional info. I like to look at it before the meal comes so that I can eat and not let my food get cold while I’m looking up carbs or trying to research it on my phone. After we had our meals, she brought us a paper and said it only had the allergy info.

The waitress said she thought Cracker Barrel is very “diabetic friendly” which made me chuckle to myself. (It’s a lot of high carb fried food, biscuits, apple butter, etc.) She said Q’s fried shrimp was just under 2 carbs because of the breading and hush puppy, and that the fried apples were 2 carbs.

I asked if she meant two carbs or two carb exchanges. She said “carbs.” This was clearly not right. I could see it being two exchanges. An exchange is about 15 carbs.

So I used my phone to go to Cracker Barrel’s website. They are a national chain and should have the info on their site, right?

Uh, no.

In fact this is what they say deeply buried on an FAQ page:

Here at Cracker Barrel, we pride ourselves on using recipes and ingredients that are genuine and of the highest quality available. We strive to prepare and present these food items to you in a way that upholds those authentic traditions of days gone by.

Cracker Barrel certainly understands the health-conscious concerns that some of our guests have. While we are currently unable to provide exact calorie or fat content information for our entire menu, the following choices may help you in your selection. You can get very specific nutritional information on some select dishes at both weightwatchers.com and healthydiningfinder.com

(And they didn’t link to those two sites, either.)

“Health-conscious”? No, my child needs insulin based on the number of carbs she consumes to live! It’s not a matter of watching her (tiny) waist line.

Even if their portion sizes or recipes vary slightly by location, I would have liked an estimate to go off of.

So I tried CalorieKing and a couple of internet searches and didn’t have much luck. I’m doing all of this while trying to have a hot meal and I’m sure the other diners all thought I was rude for typing away on my phone instead of interacting with my daughter…another reason why I like to see it before the meal comes!

I had pre-bolused for 30 carbs, actually while demonstrating to the waitress how insulin pumps work. I followed up with another 30 carbs as an estimation, having no experience with Cracker Barrel’s menu.

Q started the meal with a perfect blood sugar of 125. An hour after her Cracker Barrel meal, her blood sugar eclipsed 300!

It took several boluses and multiple overnight blood sugar checks to get her below 200.

I want to know how a national restaurant chain thinks it’s at all acceptable NOT to provide nutritional information for its guests.

Guess what restaurant won’t become our new routine.

Further Reading

More posts about food

All Things Food (carb counts)

More rants

{Dining Out} Cracker Barrel is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

My kids love the anticipation of Christmas and what’s a better way to help them count down than with an advent calendar.

What’s that you say? You wouldn’t dare load your child up with the high carb candies that come in most advent calendars.

The advent calendars I picked up this year ($1.99 each at Walgreens, FTW!) have teeny, tiny chocolates that only have 2 carbs each.

All the fun, none of the bolus!

Seriously. Anything under 5 carbs is considered a free food and can be given without corresponding insulin. Of course if Q eats her daily nibble of Christmas chocolate as her dinner dessert I’ll tack on the two carbs.

But this is one holiday indulgence she can enjoy without giving a second thought to managing her diabetes.

Further Reading

Pez, Oh Yes, We Have Santa Pez

Candy Canes: Not So Many Carbs, Either

Advent Calendars: All the Countdown, Not So Many Carbs

Read more posts about Christmas

{Food} Counting Down to Christmas is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

Thanksgiving is this week and we will all be stuffing our gullets. Here are some carbs counts of common foods. Happy feasting!

Remember that 1 oz. equals 28 grams by weight.  See the Equivalent Measures.

And skip the sugar-free Cool Whip and go for regular. Sugar-Free Cool Whip actually has more carbs (3 carbs per 2 tbs) than Regular Cool Whip (2 carbs per 2 tbs) if you can believe it!

{Food} Thanksgiving Carb Counting is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

Join me this week for a few PSA’s about ways to raise awareness, raise money, and find support.

Join me in Food Day on October 24th.

Embrace this however you see fit (see the infographic below with all the goals of Food Day), but I’m proposing that since Food Day is on a Monday, that we pack our children’s lunches taking care that the following ingredients don’t make their way into the lunch box:

• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• Artifical dyes Red 40 and Yellow 5
• White flour as the first ingredient (breads should have whole wheat flour as the first ingredient listed)

Sometimes just taking the time to read labels can make you think about the food that you and your children are consuming,

Do you already try to avoid these ingredients? If not, are you up for packing a healthier school lunch on Food Day?

Further Reading

All posts about High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Choosing What Goes In the Lunchbox

Campbell’s Mmm Mmm, Not so Good

Taking the Artificial Out of Yogurt

{Food} Food Day ’11 is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

We’ve been purchasing Revolution Foods organics fruit Mashups for some time. I find the pureed fruit in a pouch to be very convenient when traveling and that they have 10-15 carbs is serendipity for carb-counting moms. They aren’t available at the grocery store closest to our house, but on the occasions that we go to Toys ‘R Us hunting for birthday presents, I throw some in our cart.

Revolution Foods sent us a sampling of some of their newer products for my kiddos to try out including the Fruit & Veggie Smoothie Mashups and the Yo’ Drops.

While Q is a very adventurous eater–she seriously has very sophisticated tastes and will try anything–my son is comparatively picky. But when he saw the Mashups I decided he could be my taste tester. He loved the beetbox berry and carroty chop pouches.

That’s right, my picky son consumed beets!

He was a little sad when, over the course of the next few days, our supply dwindled. Remind me to buy more for him when I see them at the toy store.

Now the Yo’ Drops I saved for Q. I’m always looking for things that seem like treats, but in reality are on the healthy side. Yo’ Drops are “crunchable yogurt.” In other words, they are freeze dried tiny yogurt pieces that you pop in your mouth like candy. And each pouch only has 4 to 5 carbs, depending on the variety. Q liked them and I think she would reach for them as a treat again.

A lot of kids at her school receive candy and cookies in their lunchboxes. I sometimes slip in a couple of Hershey’s Kisses or a similarly small piece of chocolate with just a few carbs. (It’s a treat without being over-the-top like some of the desserts I see kids eat.) But I think the Yo’ Drops would be a great surprise in the lunchbox.

Best of all, Revolution Foods uses no artificial flavors and no HFCS, which I’m sure by now you know I try to avoid.

(And as a side note, they use beet juice as a natural coloring as many organic or natural foods brands are tending towards these days. I’m the only person I know who is allergic to beets. Such a strange allergy to have. The good news is that my son sucked down the beetbox pouch and didn’t seem to have the throat swelling and burning like I get. Phew!)

You can find Revolution Foods products at several online and brick and mortar stores.

Disclosure: Revolution Foods sent us a sampling of products for review consideration. No monetary compensation was received. Opinions are always my own. Please read the disclosure statement.

{D-Mom Tested} Revolution Foods Mashups and Yo’ Drops is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

Q and I headed to the local Farmer’s Market one Saturday morning before her dance class. We headed straight to the back row where the waffle truck (yes, our town has a mobile waffle truck!) was located. The line was long. Too long. When we left the house her BG was 117 which was fine, but I feared a long wait for a waffle might send her low. I contemplated for all of two seconds using the D-card to butt in line, but instead we went to one of our other favorite local vendors for a fresh baked croissant.

Q chose the apple filled croissant. They were so flaky and buttery and delicious. They were even still warm.

But I had absolutely no idea how many carbs to count it as. We often buy the plain butter croissants from them and use them for sandwiches. I count those as 35 carbs (they are about 2 3/4 oz). But we’ve never gotten them filled with ooey, gooey apples.

I guessed.

I guessed it at 40 carbs knowing that (a) it might have even been 50, and (b) that she was going to dance class in a little while and I would check her BG before and if it was a little high from the croissant then I would just forgo her pre-dance class snack.

So how many carbs would you count this apple croissant as?

{Guess the Carbs} Apple Croissant is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

As a Girl Scout several decades ago, I learned how to make “chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter cookies.” Say that five times fast!

I made that recipe very frequently because it only had a few ingredients and they were no bake, only requiring a few steps on the stove top.

I have long been on the look out for that recipe, doing an internet search every few months. Browsing on Pinterest (my latest online addiction) recently, I saw a very similar recipe. But it was made with cocoa and a metric ton of sugar. I’m not exaggerating. I have yet to find the recipe as I know it was years ago made with chocolate chips.

I decided to try to recreate the famous cookies modifying this recipe. Without enough sugar to make 54 kids hyperactive for approximate 7 hours straight.

Seriously. Two cups of white sugar has 400 carbs!

My version has about 10 carbs LESS per cookie, without using artificial sweeteners. I’m sure they are less sweet. I think I might use just a bit more chocolate chips next time to bind them together. But overall, the texture and taste were spot on.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (not sugar added, crunchy or creamy)
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1. Melt chocolate chips and butter in a heavy pan stirring frequently.
2. Stir in vanilla and peanut butter until completely blended.
3. Remove pan from heat and stir in oats.
4. Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, foil, or wax paper.
5. Refrigerate or freeze.
6. Enjoy when completely cooled.

All of the ingredients combined total 324.50 carbs. It made 33 cookies, so that’s just under 10 carbs per cookie.

Tip
I tend to weigh ingredients when I bake rather than measure them with cups. The carb count is much more accurate using weights than dry measurements. If I wasn’t counting carbs, I would just use measuring cups.

Ingredient Details
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips weighs 6 oz. and has 108 carbs. I used Nestle mini chips.
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter weighs 128 grams and has 24 carbs. I used Smucker’s Natural Crunchy PB which has no added sugar.
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats weighs 288 grams and has 192 carbs. I used Bob’s Red Mill Organic oats.

Further Reading

Lick the Bowl Good Summer and Autumn (because hers looked way better than mine and perhaps you want to make them using her recipe) and also another recipe of hers that I want to try Healthy Cookies, which have no flour, but lots of banana.

{Food} Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

Q likes hummus and I didn’t want to buy fried pita chips again. And I was getting bored with dipping carrots in it. I scanned the section of the grocery store that has the pita chips and I came up with what I hoped was an easy snack that she would love.

I am so pleased that we’ve found two more snacks to add to our repertoire! These would also be a good sandwich alternative in the lunchbox and you could add in a few more ingredients, perhaps a slice of deli meat or some veggies.

What’s even better is that Q enjoys helping to make them!

Flat Bread Roll-Ups

Half of a piece of flat bread (12 grams carbs)

2 Tbs of hummus (5 grams carbs)

or

One wedge of spreadable cheese (1 gram carbs)

Further Reading

Read more posts about snacks.

Read more posts about school lunches.

Snack Foods page.

Product Information

Flat Out Bread

The Laughing Cow

Athenos

{Snack} Flat Bread Roll-Ups is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

For a week I picked the kids up from daycamp each day right at noon. By the time we got out of the parking lot, they were hungry. Twice I packed a picnic lunch and we ate it at the library, which the kids really enjoyed. But on the Friday, I was too lazy to whip up lunch for my crew, so I ran through McDonald’s drive-thru on the way home.

My kids usually opt for the apple dippers instead of fries when we go to McDonald’s. They usually eat them without the caramel dipping sauce. (So I guess they aren’t really apple dippers!)

As the kids sat at the table and began eating, I took the bag of apple slices out of each kid’s box and one of them felt heavy. It was odd. I thought to myself: It almost feels like it’s twice as much as it should be.

I took them over to the kitchen scale and, lo and behold, one of the bags weighed almost twice as much!

Most people would say “Score!” when receiving extra food, but when you are counting carbs and giving insulin accordingly, it’s a little dismaying.

I appreciate that McDonald’s prints the nutrition info on the tray liners, on the Happy Meal boxes, and on the individual packages of many of it’s menu items. But if I didn’t realize that the bag of apples we received was too heavy, I would have given insulin based on the 8 grams of carbs on the label and not the probably 14-16 grams worth of apples that were in the bag!

I usually don’t weigh fast food because that kind of negates the convenience, doesn’t it? But I try to be aware if a serving looks particularly more or less than it usually is.

Why McDonald’s Apple Slices May Be Higher in Carbs Than You Think is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

Each day this week I have the privilege of sharing guests posts from terrific D-Moms, D-Dads, and D-Kids, who are talking back-to-school. Today’s post is contributed by the witty Mandy Childress. She shares a bit about sending her child to a private school and packing lunches. Because it’s a private school, it’s up to their family to cover his care at lunchtime. Mandy blogs at And another thing…some of my rantings and experiences with my sons Dyslexia and Type 1 Diabetes.

Private Schooling & Packed Lunches: The Happier, Happy Meal

(some assembly required)

***Disclaimer*** I am not a licensed healthcare provider, nor am I a dietician. All info included in this writing is based on my son’s and my own experiences. It is in no way to be perceived as medical advice. Always contact your doctor for medical care and before making any changes to your diabetes protocol.

In the summer of 2008, two weeks before my son was to begin his first grade year, we were handed (more like force fed) the diabetes diagnosis. From that day forward our lives, meals, and daily routine would never be the same.

(insert photo)

This was taken the second day of our stay at Riley Children’s Hospital. Even sick, he was able to play and smile. We used this picture with the words edited in to send to family and friends who were helping us through our rough time. It was signed “I’m ok! Love- Trevor Clay”

Once discharged from the hospital (with three days of diabetes education behind us, a binder full of info clutched in my arms, and a cell phone full of contact numbers) we ventured out into our new lives. Me, terrified, and Trev ready to get the heck outta Dodge.

Private Schooling:

Fast forward three years. Trev attends a private school for children with learning process differences. On top of having diabetes, Trev is severely Dyslexic. He started his first grade year two weeks after his other classmates. Due to the diabetes diagnosis I had to make a care plan and train the teachers and staff before he could attend. I am happy to say (starting his 4^th grade year this fall) that he has maintained an A – B average the entire time he has attended this school. He does not let his diabetes get in the way. Every year before the start of the new school session I conduct a diabetes education class for all staff. They learn how to check Trev’s blood if he cannot, and how to give a glucagon injection. I basically use an abbreviated version of the training I got when he was in the hospital. I also give them a shortened definition of type 1 diabetes and explain why Trev’s pancreas doesn’t work like most peoples.

The key to school (really any school setting your child is in) is communication, communication, communication. Did I mention communication? A school journal is kept with his supplies that teachers and staff can record his blood sugars and observations of possible sugar related behaviors and symptoms in. I am lucky to have staff and teachers that are willing to do what is needed for Trev, open to suggestions, and helpful. They have played an important role in his care many times during “bad days” when sugars were extremely high or low. We have sat and discussed safety and guidelines for Trev in regards to fitness class, and curriculum has been adjusted for him accordingly.

Due to insurance liabilities the staff can only do so much in regards to medical care. They are not able to administer his insulin at lunch, however in an emergency they can administer the glucagon shot. With staff not able to give him his insulin, and Trev not ready to take on that responsibility, my Dad or I are going to the school daily to supervise his lunch half hour. The school also does not have a cafeteria in the public school definition of cafeteria. So it’s packed lunches and snacks every day.

Packed Lunches: The Happier, Happy Meal? Yes…and No.

So I have a few confessions right up front. Sometimes there are days when I just want to be lazy…and instead of packing a lunch, I go buy a fast food meal. I’m tired (all the time) and on occasion this is how I gain that extra 15 minutes of sleep in the morning. Seriously folks those mornings the snooze button is my best friend. So really it’s not being lazy especially because I’m still figuring all the carb totals, still going to the school to give the insulin, and still packing the day’s snacks. To clarify, I definitely don’t believe it is ok to feed a child fast food as the majority of their diet. However, an occasional fast food meal paired with healthy choices I feel is an okay alternative and isn’t going to be the end all either. I’m realistic. Everything in moderation.

Another confession: When I first started packing his lunches, we were very much in the infancy of his diagnosis. He was in honeymoon, and I somehow got it in my head that if he ate the same thing for lunch every day, with the same carb load there would be fewer chances for surprises. (I know, I know…all you D-Mama’s and Pop’s out there are shaking your heads…oh silly girl.) I was afraid to step out of the “comfort zone” with the foods I knew and that ultimately (now that I’m a bit more experienced in diabetes arts) was not only wasted effort (because no matter what you do surprises like high and low sugars will happen) it wasn’t allowing Trev the freedom he so badly needed to understand he had, and could have even with diabetes. So out of the comfort zone I stepped, and jumped feet first into learning by doing. It seems diabetes is very much this way.

Confession #3: I have developed a taste for fruit snacks. Especially the SpongeBob variety. I will include a package of them in Trev’s lunch sometimes as a treat, and then I include a package in my bag. I don’t know what it is about them that have me addicted, but I am. The first step to realizing an addiction is admitting to it. Hello, my name is Mandy and I love SpongeBob fruit snacks. I buy an extra box, knowing I’ll be eating them too. There! I said it! That’s a load off my mind! (sheepish grin here)

***note*** after typing the above paragraph, I found myself craving a packet of SpongeBob fruit snacks…and wouldn’t you know it!!! There in my work bag was a packet ready to be devoured. I am my own enabler! (another sheepish grin here)

Creativity with meals: The arts and crafts of the food world!

Vs

Balanced diet: What goes into a packed lunch for good nutrition and carb balance?

Really, you can have both! I was lucky in the sense that Trev was never a picky eater. He ate foods most toddlers would turn their cherub faces away from and punctuate the action of doing so by crossing their arms and stating a resounding “NO!” So thankfully I have a very nice variety of foods I can include.

Whenever I’m packing his lunch, I keep in mind the basic food groups. I try to include one item from each group in every meal.

I also sneak little notes into his lunch bag, which is good for two things…it lets him know I am proud and love him, and he gets more reading practice (without realizing he’s getting the practice). Win…win.

I usually try to stay between 65 – 100 grams of carbs for his meals. However, sometimes he does want more, and sometimes the actual meal is more carb load. I’ve just learned that (for us anyway) it isn’t realistic to be able to always maintain a strict carb load goal. We use a sliding scale for insulin doses, and that is a tremendous help. It allows Trev to decide he doesn’t want anymore, or that he doesn’t want a food item. It’s all about maintaining the freedom to eat what he wants and how much he wants.

I also try to remember that I am not perfect; some days are not perfect, not all meals will be perfect, and his sugars are not always going to be consistent or perfect. I do the best I can possibly do for Trev, and that’s all I was ever asked or expected to do before and after his diabetes diagnosis. It is easier to swim with the current, than to swim against it.

Dear Reader,

You are cordially invited to attend a reading of

“Lunch with Trev”

Please review the menu for today’s lunch selection below

We will break the meal up into food groups and then add creativity for a whimsical twist

~ Menu ~

Turkey & cheese served on whole wheat bread

• (grain, meat, and dairy)
• 30g carbs
• *cookie cutter sandwich into fun shapes, leaving the crust to be eaten since its part of the carb count
• *Ketchup packets available if desired – apply in smiley face or zigzag patterns at time of meal

1.5oz fresh blueberries

• (fruit)
• 15g carbs

8 to 10 carrot sticks

• (Vegetable)
• 5g carbs

Choice of juice, un-sweet tea, or water

• Juice – 15g carbs
• Tea & Water – 0g carbs

Pudding cup (chocolate or vanilla)

• (fats/junk food)
• 20g carbs

A note from mom or dad

• *A creative way to remind your little one (or big kid) you love them and are proud
• 0g carbs…but full of warm fuzzies

Links, Tricks, Tips, and Tools of the Trade: A plethora of knowledge at your fingertips

For carb counts on just about anything you can think of ~ The CalorieKing

I lovingly refer to this book as my “bible”

Also visit the website at www.calorieking.com

Here are a few more links:

www.childrenwithdiabetes.com

www.jdrf.org

www.strongsinglemoms.com

www.FoodInfoDB.com

Some fun stuff for the kids:

www.highlightkids.com

www.juvenation.org

“Not everything that is faced can be changed.

But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

~ James Baldwin

Further Reading

{Meet a D-Mom} Mandy (Coming Soon!)

Visit Mandy’ blog And Another Thing…

Posts mentioning Mandy

Read more guest posts

Posts about diabetes at school

{Diabetes at School} Private Schooling & Packed Lunches: The Happier, Happy Meal is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.