HSF Shopping Tips
Shopping Can Be Challenging
If you have blood sugar issues, shopping can be challenging. We highlight a few products and tips here to help you avoid foods that can put you on the blood sugar roller coaster. We partner with perfact, an innovative start up working to make the food system transparent, to help us select products that meet our criteria. Reference in this website to any specific commercial products, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement by the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
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When you have blood sugar issues, finding healthy snacks and having them handy when you need them can be critically important to your health. One of our “go-to” favorites is Wonderful Pistachios. Per serving, these nuts include 13 grams of healthy fat, 8 grams of carbohydrates (including 3 grams of fiber) and 6 grams of protein.
When you have blood sugar issues, finding healthy low or no sugar beverages and having them handy when you need them can be critically important to your health. One of our “go-to” favorites is Hint Water. Hint is known for producing the leading unsweetened flavored water. The idea behind hint water is simple: pure water, nature’s original refreshment, accented with a hint of natural fruit flavor. No sugar, no sweeteners and no preservatives. Hint is a refreshing alternative to sodas, juice and other sweetened drinks.
Look, we get it – crunchy carbs are delicious, but most processed carbohydrates have the potential to throw our blood sugar into turmoil. If you do get a craving for crunch carbs, consider making your own flourless crackers, like this recipe from our partner, The Suppers Programs. If you want something off of the shelf, consider something like Mary’s Gone Crackers – high in fiber, seeds and no flour.
For many who suffer from chronic hypoglycemia, we recommend avoiding caffeine beverages. You still deserve special and delicious drinks though so consider trying the Original Yogi Tea® recipe, created by Yogi Tea founder, Yogi Bhajan, to provide a delicious health benefit to his yoga students. Traditional Ayurvedic spices Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Clove and Black Pepper are blended for a richly spiced chai tea designed to warm the body and help stimulate digestion. We appreciate that Yogi Tea makes their teas with organic non-GMO ingredients.
Almost everyone loves chocolate. If you are struggling with hypoglycemia, it is important to avoid products with added sugar. When you do feel like a special treat, and have a craving for chocolate, then there aren’t many brands that offer sugar-free options. Lily’s Sweets makes a Non-GMO and gluten-free product with Fair Trade practices, and sweetens their chocolate with no refined or processed sugars. Most of the chocolates out there that are sugar free use malitol which causes some to have intestinal distress. Lily’s does use Erythritol, Dextrin, and Inulin. Some stevia sweetened chocolates we have tried are awful. Lily’s get it right.
Kicking the carbs ain’t easy, so having a healthy supply of nuts on hand is essential when you get the craving for something crunchy and salty. You will love these extra-large Virginia-type peanuts roasted with their skins and lightly salted – perfect!!! Roasted in pure peanut oil, maintaining the distinctive peanut flavor. Cholesterol free, 0 trans fats, gluten free, sugar free, all natural, lactose free, wheat free, OU Kosher Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified. Grown in the USA and produced by a family owned business since 1973.
Kicking the carbs ain’t easy, so having a healthy supply of nuts on hand is essential when you get the craving for something crunchy and salty. You will love these extra-large Virginia-type peanuts roasted with no skins and lightly salted – perfect!!! Roasted in pure peanut oil, maintaining the distinctive peanut flavor. Cholesterol free, 0 trans fats, gluten free, sugar free, all natural, lactose free, wheat free, OU Kosher Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified. Grown in the USA and produced by a family owned business since 1973.
No sugar added. Handcrafted and slow-simmered with vine-ripened non-GMO Tomatoes, premium Italian Olive Oil, fresh hand-cut basil, and minced garlic and onions; vegan, all-natural recipe.
Livin’ la vida low-carb? Most gluten free and protein based pasta brands taste like cardboard or worse. This soy-based pasta actually tastes good.
True Made Foods, no added-sugar Vegetable Ketchup Squeeze is made in Virginia by a Veteran-owned company. Non-GMO, Vegan. Certified by the Paleo Foundation. Most ketchups are are ruined by high fructose corn syrup and other additives that make it taste like plastic. This stuff tastes like real ketchup and you can actually taste the vegetables.
True Made Foods Vegetable Sriracha (“Veracha”) is Whole 30 compliant, Paleo Certified, Non-GMO, sugar-free and nutrient dense with tomatoes, carrots, spinach, butternut squash, and jalapenos is 100% Sugar Free. True Made removed the sugar and added spinach, carrots and butternut squash. Not too spicy as some others, True Made add pureed jalapenos and a dash of cayenne to give their Veracha a kick, but the flavors of the vegetables really pop, versus the heat dominating.
White Mountain Foods is a vegetarian health food manufacturer, owned, operated, and products made by the Murray family and team members in Austin, TX. In our opinion, their authentic Bulgarian Yogurt is the best on the market. It is fermented at least 24 hours using only two ingredients – milk and live, active culture – resulting in its delicious tart flavor and natural yogurt texture. Because they use a traditional process, their yogurt provides up to 90 billion probiotic units per cup and it is easily digested by many who are lactose-intolerant. “Beware of “yogurt” currently marketed as a confectionary snack item with an implied health benefit simply because it’s labeled yogurt. The use of thickeners, stabilizers, preservatives, artificial colors, and added sweeteners has turned yogurt into a health-negative shadow of what it once was.” White Mountain Bulgarian Yogurt contains no thickeners, stabilizers, preservatives, or additives of any kind…only two ingredients: milk and culture. It is hard to explain, so we will just say it – when consuming this yogurt, it feels like the cells in my body and gut are saying thank you. Don’t take our word for it, they rank “Five Spoons” on the Cornucopia Institute Yogurt Scorecard! A recent study shows that yogurt (no sugar added!) improves insulin resistance and liver fat with people who have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome.
Start with Healthy Recipes
Over 90% of people who shop today make occasional impulse purchases that they didn’t intend to buy initially. One way to avoid impulse buying is to plan shopping based on healthy recipes. But what cookbooks out there are are really good for people with hypoglycemia? Here we offer a few suggestions.
