Frozen oven chips

10 posts, 4 contributors

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Steven DAFNE Graduate
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust – North East Sector Hospitals
18 posts

Hi all,

We have McCain HomeFries, which according to the packet have 21g carbs per 100g frozen and 28g per 100g when oven baked. I tend to have around 200g worth (when frozen), so I reckon that's 4 CPs. It doesn't seem to be working out though as my BG 2-3 hours later is normally in double figures even when in the correct range before eating.

In the CP list it says 100g chips is 3 CPs, but it doesn't say whether that's oven chips, frozen, cooked or what.

What does everyone else use for oven chips please?

Thanks in advance
Steven

JayBee DAFNE Graduate
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
587 posts

I apply the cooked packaging facts before the DAFNE carb counting stuff usually - with no problems yet.

By the way, your insulin is very likely to be still working about 2-3 hours after you've eaten so highs are not that surprising. What QA insulin are you using and what does the DAFNE guidebook say about it's working time? Are you testing after it has finished working?

I'm on Humalog and that last 5 hours odd... so testing 2-3 hours after eating is not likely to be a genuine result when trying to find out what effect the food has on your sugar levels.

Stew B DAFNE Graduate
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
125 posts

I remember from my DAFNE course that things like fish and chips and some Asian foods which can be quite "greasy" block the absorption of carbs and thus take a long while to enter the system. Meanwhile your QA carries on as normal and can be well past its peak before the carbs are fully into the system - hence a higher reading than expected. I always inject after eating for fish and chips (including oven chips) - for some foods I find waiting 45 mins to an hour later before injecting is necessary (I use the packaging amounts). Might be worth trying?

Stew

Steven DAFNE Graduate
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust – North East Sector Hospitals
18 posts

Thanks to both of you.

I'm on NovoRapid, so that's 2-5 hours according to the handbook, although I thought the DSN on the course reckoned that after 3 hours there wasn't very much insulin left working. It seems to show that on the graph too.

Good point Stew - I had forgotten about the slower absorption. I always inject after tea anyway just so I know for sure how many CPs I've eaten, but at breakfast I always inject beforehand.

I'll carry on using the figures on the packet for now and see how it goes. Got another blood test coming up this week so fingers crossed!

Cheers
Steven

JayBee DAFNE Graduate
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
587 posts

Wow - my DSN said nothing as general as that about this sort of thing...! How strange considering there's the stated potential for it working for up to 5 hours - shouldn't always assume it will be 3 hours, especially when how insulin responds purely depends on the individual. I'd love for Humalog to work for me for 3 hours, but that looks very unlikely based on my results. :/

Those graphs mainly show peak working times - this doesn't necessarily mean that the insulin has finished though. My DSN recommended that you give it a chance to finish - unless you've managed to find hard evidence that it runs out for you personally after 3 hours? I mean, have you done a check after the 4 or 5 hour marker to prove that it's still not going down?

Either way, good luck with working this out. Must be annoying. o_o

Steven DAFNE Graduate
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust – North East Sector Hospitals
18 posts

Well I've slept since the course so I *think* that's what she said but I could have misunderstood or misremembered :-)

I tend to have small snacks between meals (mainly Mon - Fri) so I don't normally fast for 5 hours at a time! Last Friday my BG was 6.7 at around 18:30 before having chips as part of my tea, then I probably did my QA injection about 19:15, after eating, then at 22:30 before having some supper (and beer!) it was 12.5, so it seemed like I hadn't covered all the CPs I'd eaten at tea time :-/

Still learning though!

JayBee DAFNE Graduate
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
587 posts

I know what you mean... I usually end up waiting the 5 hours to be honest... but I guess if one must eat, perhaps a carb free snack for the sake of experimentation? Very Happy If I end up eating anything, I usually make sure it's after 4 hours or I have 0.5 CPs max.

You do leave it quite a long time afterwards... is there any particular reason why you delay your insulin so much? Pre-DAFNE I was told off for doing that sort of thing so I try to jab when I do my blood test pre-meal.

No worries - don't ask, don't know! Smile

I did notice this thread a few topics down... any good for this question?
This is reminding me of the hassle I've had with pasta and rice... it's usually best to weigh them before cooking so you don't get the weight distorted by water. Potato doesn't have exactly the same problem, but how it's cooked does... I mean, look at the jacket potatoes bit in the CP book... blinking confusing when some of us microwave and then stick it in an oven (or is it the other way around? I forget lol).

Steven DAFNE Graduate
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust – North East Sector Hospitals
18 posts

I inject straight after eating at tea time so I'm not delaying it or anything - I just prefer to see what's on my plate before doing my injection (and make sure I eat it all). I did inject before tea in the past though.

JayBee DAFNE Graduate
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
587 posts

I understand that you're injecting straight after the meal but you have to remember that your sugar levels will start to rise as soon as you start eating. You are taking quite some time to get your insulin on board after you start (it is easily done!)... Have you considered splitting the meal dose if you're not sure if you'll eat it all? Weigh them before cooking, weigh them after cooking to get new weigh, take percentage of dose that you think you can manage and then take rest when you decide to eat more, paying attention to the outstanding weight remaining. Its what I'd do if I was worried about how much I was going to eat with scales available...

Judith23 DAFNE Graduate
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
7 posts

Hi - I eat the same oven chips and have relied upon the Dafne Carb list for my chips and this seems to work for me 100g = 3CP for cooked chips - and I usally weigh to double check what I'm having.