Diabetes FAQ
What is the Diabetes Plan?
At My Food Bag we are committed to contributing to the health of all New Zealanders by making healthy eating easier! 😀️
Whether you’re managing diabetes, working to prevent type 2 diabetes, or simply looking to eat better, you can now learn how to cook Diabetes-Friendly meals at home. All our recipes are chef developed, supported by Diabetes New Zealand and approved by our in-house nutrition teams.
Choose from 3, 4, or 5 nights of meals for serves 2 or 4 delivered to your doorstep with everything you need to create healthy, tasty and balanced dinners. For the first 12 weeks, you also receive expert-led nutrition and lifestyle content delivered to your inbox to help you build long-lasting habits for you and your family.
Our food & nutrition approach is grounded in the latest evidence and supported by Diabetes New Zealand. We know there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to eating for diabetes but we do know that a diet based around whole foods with plenty of plants is the key to blood sugar control, weight management, and overall wellbeing.
Recipes include balanced, delicious options that help you to explore a wide range of cuisines such as Warming Thai Chicken Curry, Mediterranean Spinach & Feta Balls and Low Carb Beef Fajita Bowl – with new recipes to choose from each week.
Who are these meals suitable for?
Our Diabetes-Friendly meals are designed for anyone who is living with type 2 diabetes or anyone who is at risk of type 2 diabetes (also known as insulin resistance or pre-diabetes).
The meals are also suitable for anyone who wants to eat better and feel better – including the rest of the family! 😀️There is good evidence to show that the whole family benefit when everyone eats in a “diabetes friendly” way.
People living with Type 1 diabetes or gestational diabetes will benefit from eating a healthy and balanced diet too but will have individual dietary considerations. It’s always important to check in with your healthcare professional for tailored advice to ensure any changes to your diet are appropriate for your age, activity levels, preferences, medications and any other health conditions.
It’s also important to continue to take any prescribed medications as these are just as important for managing your health and reducing your risk.
How many carbs do these meals contain?
Our Diabetes-friendly meals are designed to contain 50g or less of carbohydrate per serve coming from mostly low Glycemic Index (GI) foods.
Some meals may have up to 90g of carbs per serve, coming from low GI sources such as legumes and wholegrains. For every recipe, we show you full nutrition information including the calories/kilojoules, protein, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars and sodium per serve so you can choose meals that fit with your health goals no matter what style of diet you are following.
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that measures how quickly foods raise your blood sugar. High GI foods, like white bread or sugary cereals, are rapidly digested, causing a sharp spike in blood sugar. Low GI foods, such as wholegrains, fruits, and legumes, are digested more slowly, leading to a gradual, steady rise in blood sugar. This is because these foods contain fibre, which slows digestion. Choosing low GI foods helps to maintain more stable blood sugar levels, which is crucial for managing diabetes.
What dietary guidelines do the meals follow?
Our Diabetes-friendly recipes generally follow the healthy plate model and Ministry of Health guidelines and are supported by Diabetes New Zealand.
Every recipe is based around nutrient-dense whole foods and our guidelines cover carb quality and veggie bulk with targets for calories/kilojoules, protein, carbs, sugars, saturated fat and sodium.
The latest evidence shows that a range of dietary patterns are suitable for diabetes management which is why we have a variety of meal types including Vegetarian, Vegan, Low Carb, Mediterranean and healthier twists on family favourites.
Will diabetes-friendly meals help me to lose weight?
Diabetes-friendly meals can help to improve the quality of your diet.
The meals contain ingredients that help to increase your fibre intake such as vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Some people may find that this way of eating may help them to lose weight or maintain previous weight loss. However, there are many factors that contribute to your body size including your age, medications, genetics, and lifestyle.
The latest guidelines suggest that if you are overweight, even a small reduction in body weight (<5%) is linked with significant improvements in blood sugar control, blood pressure and cholesterol.
What if I have other health conditions or risk factors?
Before making any major changes to your diet, check with your GP, nurse, dietitian or diabetes educator first. They can advise on the suitability and safety of Diabetes-Friendly meals for you based on your overall health and any other health conditions that you are managing.
For example, if you have hypertension (high blood pressure) or diabetic renal disease you will need to follow specific guidelines to reduce your salt intake. If you have high cholesterol, you will need to follow specific advice to reduce your saturated fat intake and increase your intake of heart-healthy poly and mono-unsaturated fats.
What nutritional information do you provide?
For every recipe, we show you full nutrition information including the calories/kilojoules, protein, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars and sodium per serve so you can choose meals that fit with your health goals no matter what style of diet you are following.
Please note our per serve nutrition information is based on standard produce sizes and at times there may be variation or changes (e.g. you may receive different sized potatoes or carrots week to week, or variations in produce due to availability).
If you are on insulin, you will still need to count carbs to determine your medication dose.
Should I avoid all carbohydrates?
Instead, the key focus should be to swap processed white/refined carbs (e.g. white rice, white bread, burger buns) with small portions of wholegrain, high-fibre carbohydrates (e.g. brown bread, brown rice, quinoa, bulghur wheat) and other low glycemic carbohydrate foods like legumes and vegetables.
Foods which contain added sugars like sugary drinks and lollies should be minimised or avoided altogether because of the impact they have on blood sugar levels.
What if I have other health conditions or risk factors?
Before making any major changes to your diet, check with your GP, nurse, dietitian or diabetes educator first. They can advise on the suitability and safety of Diabetes-Friendly meals for you based on your overall health and any other health conditions that you are managing.
For example, if you have hypertension (high blood pressure) or diabetic renal disease you will need to follow specific guidelines to reduce your salt intake. If you have high cholesterol, you will need to follow specific advice to reduce your saturated fat intake and increase your intake of heart-healthy poly and mono-unsaturated fats.
Didn’t answer your question? You can contact our Customer love team on 0800 469 366, hello@myfoodbag.co.nz or by clicking here.
If you do have a more specific nutrition related query, feel free to pop our team of experts a message to: freshstartexperts@myfoodbag.co.nz