The difference between thin and regular bread is more than just carbs.

Picture ©Kristen Beireis

When I was diagnosed with Diabetes, I thought I had to give up all carbs.  In fact, for the first two weeks, I went without carbs.  Thankfully, I was sick with a sniffly/coughy/yucky flu or I woulda gone through carb withdrawl (been there and it's not fun).  Want to quit carbs?  Get a 3 week long flu and quit then.  It's MUCH easier.

When I wrote down what I'd eaten for the Diabetes Educator during Diabetes Training Day, she took one look and said "You aren't eating enough carbs."  What?!  That's possible?!!!  Who knew!!  Come to find out we need carbs in order to create energy.  So, I got to put carbs back into my diet.  Not as many as I was eating before I got sick and went off cold turkey, but still more than I was eating.

So, in order to keep carbs low and get my 3 allotted grain servings per day, I bought very thin bread (pictured on the right).  Of course, whole wheat does actually effect me like most diabetics...my numbers are way better after whole wheat than if I eat white bread.  The thin bread was the only whole wheat bread I knew I liked.  Then we found a really tasty regular sized bread that Hubby and I would both eat (pictured on the left).  So, we started using that all the time.

Recently, I bought a fresh loaf of the thin.  There's a big difference between the two.  Ok, yes, I can have 2 slices of the thin for the same carb count as 1 regular piece of bread.   You can see in this picture the size in diameter and thickness is a lot smaller.  So, carb count is a difference, but that's not the fun and exciting difference!

What's fun and exciting about the thin bread is that I can stuff a lot more between two square slices of toasted thin bread than I can between two halves of a slice of regular bread.  I can get a whole bunch of protein, lettuce and tomato in that puppy.  So, I get a much more filling sandwich.  And I feel like I actually ate a sandwich, not a half-sandwich (brain tricked!).

That's not the only exciting part!  If I only have 15 grams of bread carb at lunch, then I can have grains later in the day!!  I can even have ANOTHER sandwich at dinner if I want.  I don't do that often, but what a treat when I do.  Two sandwiches in one day was a regular occurrence before my diagnosis.  So, anytime I can enjoy two sandwiches now is an extra special treat.  With thin bread, I can!

One of my favorite things to do is have a sandwich at lunch on thin bread, then have rice or oats at dinner and have crackers and cheese for a snack later in the evening.  It feels like I've been eating "bad for you" food all day, but it's still all within my carb count, all whole grain and it's also food I love to eat.  No deprivation for me!!  Just spreading it out over a day vs. eating it all in one meal like I used to.  I kinda like savoring my food that way now.

What about you?  How do you trick your brain into eating less carbs without feeling deprived?