Low carb foods...

Hi all,

I'm a low carb eater... very low carb. I notice that there is a diabetic/sugar free option that I can select in the Cruise Personalizer... but if I select this, how does it work? Does it actually effect what I'm offered onboard?

I'm very good at modifying my own food orders to suit my requirements and can find something suitable to order at any restaurant (except maybe a sushi place :eek:) but I'm just curious...

Thanks in advance for your insight! :)

If you fill out the food personalizer you will be given the menus a day in advance and have help planning your meal. If you are already adept at modifying what you order in restaurants, you should have no problem ordering from the menu, and don't really need the extra step. I find that Princess has generous portions of protein (meat), and you can always order sauce on the side, or an order of steamed vegetables, and they also always have a sugar free dessert. Happy sailing!

I've been successfully controlling my diabetes by cutting carbohydrates since changing my GP after moving home. My new GP is involved in promoting this within the NHS in the UK and by following his advice I have reduced my hbA1c from over 90 to under 50.

The diabetic option on Princess, as with airlines and most restaurants will result in low sugar foods - but they have not really caught up with the quite recent medical thinking to combat Diabetes by reducing carbohydrates.

I simply ask the waiter for my food to be served "without potatoes", "without rice" and avoid pasta dishes. Every waiter I have met - on Princess and on other lines - has been happy to do this, and often (without asking) I have been given extra meat or extra vegetables.

As long as I can resist the temptation of the bread basket on the table...

I am a low carber - very low carb, ie 20-40 total carbs a day usually and have no problems onboard ship without preselecting the diabetic option in the cruise personalizer or ordering my foods in advance.

If you're already adept at adapting your orders in regular land restaurants, etc - you'll be perfectly fine onboard.

Breakfast - bacon, eggs, ham, sausages, and so on all readily available, as are some small portions of veggies or fruits (although, as we know, fruit is nature's sugar! Lol)...

Lunch - easy enough, either buffet or MDR. Buffet always had a carving station, burgers, some other proteins, salad bar, a couple veggie choices, etc. MDR has easily adapted menu items.

Dinner, again easy enough. Skip the starches, ask for a plate of green veggies, ask for no sauce on the meat or for it on the side, salads available as appetizers, etc... You can ask for no bread basket on the table if it's a temptation, or just put it out of reach. Desserts always have a sugar free option - which doesn't mean low carb necessarily as they're often cakes or such, but there is a sugar free ice cream usually. And you can get a bowl of berries (not on menu but always available) and put a little cream or a cheese platter too.

It's quite doable without really much effort at all.

Enjoy!

If you know how to navigate restaurants you'll be fine without having to ask for a special menu. I have cruised low carb a bunch of times and never had any trouble eating that way at all meals. The biggest problems is SELF CONTROL! I tend to lose it on vacation after a few days.

I'm a diabetic (type II) which I control totally by diet.

Complex carbs are fine (beans & such), not the simple carbs (sugar, white things like potatoes, rice, etc.)

Beware of desserts that say "Sugar Free" ... not really good for diabetics.

Eating a balanced diet is quite important.

It's never a problem for me to order from the regular menu on ships and in restaurants at home. :)

LuLu

I am also a diabetic ( "pre-diabetic" who believes it really means diabetic) who controls BG strictly with diet. This is new for me this year, so even though I'm pretty good at ordering appropriately for my needs, I still did the special diet form (but put gluten free, not diabetic because of the aforementioned issue of most restaurants focusing on sugar not carbs -- and I DON'T do sugar free/ chemical sugar substitute). I want to give myself all the options to manage my health. And I like having the chance to preview the menu.

If you know how to navigate restaurants you'll be fine without having to ask for a special menu. I have cruised low carb a bunch of times and never had any trouble eating that way at all meals. The biggest problems is SELF CONTROL! I tend to lose it on vacation after a few days.[/quote

 

Grouchomarx,

You just said the secret word!! SELF-CONTROL If you were on the Groucho Marx TV show you would have won $$$$. :D

Tony

Hi all,

 

I'm a low carb eater... very low carb. I notice that there is a diabetic/sugar free option that I can select in the Cruise Personalizer... but if I select this, how does it work? Does it actually effect what I'm offered onboard?

 

Probably not.

The intent of notifying Princess in advance of special dietary requests is really intended to have Princess make sure that any required special foods are available.

For your needs the ship will have food available at all meals to satisfy you. The first evening meet with your headwaiter to discuss your needs and to determine if any special meal preparation needs to be done for you. (Note: Your table waiter and assistant cannot do this for you. It must be the headwaiter or Maitre 'd.)

Chances are if you do fill out the Princess form their response will be to advise you to meet with your headwaiter or the Maitre d' once on board.

Thanks to all for the responses. Yes, I'm pretty good at ordering appropriate food... after all, I do eat my meals in restaurants more than I eat them at home, and I've already cruised once since I've been eating this way (but on a different cruiseline).

I was just curious if I should bother ticking the box in the personaliser... but it seems not. I'll just eat like I normally do when at home. I plan to modify my eating slightly for the cruise (I'm adding unlimited fruit and perhaps an occasional dessert if I want it) but will continue to avoid all of the main "nasties"...

I'm not a diabetic but I eat low carb for other reasons, and because it suits me :). Honestly, of all the different eating plans that people follow, low carb has got to be the easiest one to stick to in restaurants etc! Bacon and eggs, roasts, salads, steaks, cheese platters, butter and cream... what's not to love??

Thanks again for the thoughtful responses - and happy cruising to all :).

I'm also a low carb eater. But the ship isn't a concern. You'll be able to find things easily.

The big issue is on excursions. You have to make sure that when you are on that special all-day beach trip that either they will have good food for you or you'll have to bring something that you can eat that is pre-packaged and won't spoil. I always have a back up plan.

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I was just curious if I should bother ticking the box in the personaliser... but it seems not. I'll just eat like I normally do when at home. I plan to modify my eating slightly for the cruise (I'm adding unlimited fruit and perhaps an occasional dessert if I want it) but will continue to avoid all of the main "nasties"...

 

I'm not a diabetic but I eat low carb for other reasons, and because it suits me :). Honestly, of all the different eating plans that people follow, low carb has got to be the easiest one to stick to in restaurants etc! Bacon and eggs, roasts, salads, steaks, cheese platters, butter and cream... what's not to love??

 

Thanks again for the thoughtful responses - and happy cruising to all :).

I'm doing the same -- not unlimited fruit but definitely having a few dessert experiences. I will do more laps on the promenade to help offset any excess, and plan the removal of dinner carbs to make room for the dessert carbs. You only turn 50 once, right? And this cruise is the nicest birthday gift I've ever received 😄 I do miss pasta and bread -- that is the hardest part for me, being on this diet. And pizza.

My husband and I did a 15 day cruise on Princess a couple years ago and followed a pretty strict low-carb diet with no trouble. We did find that avoiding the dining room helped. There are so many more choices and personal quantity control in the Lido buffet. We mostly stuck with the fish/seafood offerings or lean meats and there are so many varieties of steamed or cooked vegetables and salads. After 15 days we actually lost weight yet never felt deprived or hungry. Oh, and be careful of your fruit choices. Many are very high in sugars and high carb content.

Hi all,

 

I'm a low carb eater... very low carb. I notice that there is a diabetic/sugar free option that I can select in the Cruise Personalizer... but if I select this, how does it work? Does it actually effect what I'm offered onboard?

 

I'm very good at modifying my own food orders to suit my requirements and can find something suitable to order at any restaurant (except maybe a sushi place :eek:) but I'm just curious...

 

Thanks in advance for your insight! :)

I'm a lo-carber as well. I don't fill out any Personalizer. It's pretty much meat, veggie salads, eggs, etc. You already know what to eat so jumping through more hoops IMHO makes it more complicated. As for desserts, the sugar free are not lo-carb. You could probably get away with eating the icing on the cakes but that's about it. Just because it says "sugar free" does not mean it's lo carb. I eat the sugar free mousse, key lime pie but I don't eat the crust. I order hamburgers but without the bun.

I'm adding one more thing. Never take the elevator. Take the stairs. Find a place to walk, walk, and walk some more. Try to get in at least 10,000 steps a day. I walk the Promenade right after breakfast and it's a bonus if there's stairs that takes you up one deck. I do 8 laps in the morning and 8 laps in the afternoon. It will burn up carbs and keep you off of meds.

My husband and I did a 15 day cruise on Princess a couple years ago and followed a pretty strict low-carb diet with no trouble. We did find that avoiding the dining room helped. There are so many more choices and personal quantity control in the Lido buffet. We mostly stuck with the fish/seafood offerings or lean meats and there are so many varieties of steamed or cooked vegetables and salads. After 15 days we actually lost weight yet never felt deprived or hungry. Oh, and be careful of your fruit choices. Many are very high in sugars and high carb content.

Yep, that's true about the fruit. Pineapple and watermelon are the biggest gushers to shoot blood sugar up. If there's grapefruit available, I will eat 1/2 of one and I end up burning off the carbs with exercise. Sugar is sugar - no way to make it any different from sugar out of a bowl.

I'm also a low carb eater. But the ship isn't a concern. You'll be able to find things easily.

 

The big issue is on excursions. You have to make sure that when you are on that special all-day beach trip that either they will have good food for you or you'll have to bring something that you can eat that is pre-packaged and won't spoil. I always have a back up plan.

 

 

If you have booked a Princess excursion, let the shore excursion desk know of your food restrictions and they will notify the tour provider.

If you have booked an independent excursion, you can notify the provider yourself in advance of the cruise.

If you are going off on your own, do not try to take food ashore that is not allowed. In most cases that means any fruit and often it also means any meat products.

If you have booked a Princess excursion, let the shore excursion desk know of your food restrictions and they will notify the tour provider.

 

If you have booked an independent excursion, you can notify the provider yourself in advance of the cruise.

 

If you are going off on your own, do not try to take food ashore that is not allowed. In most cases that means any fruit and often it also means any meat products.

THANKS for that tip, about the shore excursion desk. I was freaking a bit to see that the included snack on my upcoming excursion included chips, and apple and a granola bar with my bottle of water!! Give me string cheese and a pepperoni stick please...LOL

Yep, that's true about the fruit. Pineapple and watermelon are the biggest gushers to shoot blood sugar up. If there's grapefruit available, I will eat 1/2 of one and I end up burning off the carbs with exercise. Sugar is sugar - no way to make it any different from sugar out of a bowl.

This is simply false. Watermelon is highly recommended for diabetics. The serving size for the same carb count is twice as large. This surprises many people but has been confirmed by at least six CDE/RD'S I have as part of my medical team. Diabetic diets are also CONTROLLED carbs not low carbs. Most diabetics are also asked to monitor protein intake due to its effect on kidneys.

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We have found that sugar-free is not usually carb-free, since the sugar-free desserts on cruise lines are usually made with flour. It's the fillings where they use the sugar substitute.

My husband's aunt used to brag about cooking for her diabetic father with sugar-free cakes and pies!

I find eating low carb is easy on cruises, because of the large amounts of fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses available. I just order a normal entree and leave the starches on the plate. Easy-peasy, since I find those foods just "filler" anyway.

One thing people may not know about; they'll gladly replace the breadbasket with crudités on request.

Of course, the waiter who pulls that stunt at my table will have a butter knife through the back of his hand in a heartbeat, but they will do it.

One thing people may not know about; they'll gladly replace the breadbasket with crudités on request.

 

Of course, the waiter who pulls that stunt at my table will have a butter knife through the back of his hand in a heartbeat, but they will do it.

He who steals my purse, steals trash. He who steals my breadsticks, sleeps with the fishes.

One thing people may not know about; they'll gladly replace the breadbasket with crudités on request.

 

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Not only that but at the breakfast buffet, there is always a platter of delicious grilled vegetables. My brother commented, you eat the strangest foods for breakfast ... and my answer to him was 'if it is weird for breakfast, why do they put it out for breakfast?' ha!