How to Save Money When Buying Pears and Diabetes Type 2

Link to Guowang

We all know we should be eating more fruit and veg, we've heard the message often enough, but it's still something we all struggle to do on a daily basis. It's especially tricky if you regularly find the only fruit in your fruit bowl is a bruised banana or the only vegetable to hand is a mushy cucumber stuck to the back of the salad drawer in the fridge!

Using frozen and tinned fruit and veg can be a good way to get around this problem, to help bump up your daily intake of these nutritious foods and boost your five a day, too.

Tinned and frozen fruit and veg can be just as healthy as fresh and roughly the same quantity (80g) counts as a portion towards your five a day.

7 reasons to use more tinned and frozen fruit and veg

1. Less waste: simply take out what you need from the freezer and put the rest of the packet back in for another time. Any leftover tinned foods can be placed in a suitable container and kept in the fridge and eaten according to the manufacturer's guidance.
2. Less waste 2: unlike fresh fruit and veg, their tinned and frozen counterparts keep for much longer. Nutrients don't degrade as quickly either.
3. No preparation required: the items are washed, sliced or peeled ready to be instantly used, making it an easy way to bump up your fruit and veg intake with very little effort.
4. Save money: they are often cheaper compared to fresh, especially if you are buying out of season.
5. Access all year round: you're not limited by the seasons and can have any fruit and veg at any time of year.
6. Carb-counting help: if you count your carbs, you may find it easier to work out how much carbohydrate you are eating as this will be indicated on the food label.
7. Buy in bulk and store: you can buy them when they are on offer and store for long periods of time.

2 tips to consider when shopping

1. Avoid fruit that's tinned in syrup ' even the light syrup has a lot of sugar.
2. Avoid veg tinned in salt water (or brine) ' too much salt raises you blood pressure, which puts you at risk of cardiovascular disease.

The peaches pack a punch

We compared two 250g tins of peaches ' one in fruit juice and one in syrup. We've listed the nutritional breakdown of both here.

Winner

The peaches in juice scored lower for calories and sugars. You can reduce your sugar intake even further if you drain the juice off. Both cost around 65p per tin ' so you can have a cheap, easy and healthy pudding quite easily. You can add low-fat yogurt, creme fraiche or light ice cream for a delicious treat.

5 ways to use frozen and tinned fruit and veg

Most of us are familiar with the usual frozen mixed veg and peas on offer in the freezer section and the tins of mushy peas down the supermarket aisle ' but take a closer look and you might be surprised about what you can now buy'

1. You can buy large plastic tubs of frozen summer fruits such as raspberries, pineapples, mangoes and cherries relatively cheaply. These can be whizzed into a smoothie, added to porridge, pancakes, yogurt or simply eaten as a delicious, healthy pudding.
2. Diced onions, sliced mushrooms, sliced leeks, sliced peppers, stir-fry mix, swede and carrot mix and Mediterranean veg are all readily available. Use in dishes just as you would their fresh equivalents, simply follow the cooking instructions on the packet. Using frozen veg is an easy way of bumping up your veg intake in dishes such as chilli con carne, stews and curries. If you sometimes lack the motivation, and time, to cook from scratch and tend to reach for a ready meal or call for a takeaway ' this is a great, easy calorie-saving alternative.
3. As well as the usual tinned peaches and pineapple most of us are familiar with, you can now buy tinned breakfast mix, lychees, guava, mango and summer fruits, which are often cheaper compared to buying the fruit fresh and make a great start to your day.
4. Tinned veg now available includes leaf spinach, artichokes and green beans.
5. When cooking any fruit and veg, try to steam or microwave rather than boiling in a lot of water to reduce loss of water-soluble vitamins.

Recipes for you to try:

If you want some ideas on how to use frozen or tinned fruit and veg, check out some of the recipes on Enjoy Food's recipe finder.

Try this delicious apricot crunch made with tinned apricots. 

Use a bag of frozen carrot and swede, to make this carrot and swede mash. A nutritious, quick and easy side dish.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Pears and Diabetes Type 2.

There's no such thing as a 'diabetic' diet. A healthy, balanced diet will help you ' and your family ' to eat well, feel good and enjoy food. Next time you're shopping for food, use these tips to choose healthier items ' as well as the occasional treat ' and get good value for your money.

Healthy lunches

Tempting 'meal deals' can be a quick and easy option during a busy lunchtime. But, they're not the only choice.

• Use food labels to choose healthier sandwiches, and cut down on your intake of salt and fat by choosing fruit and bottled water over crisps and fizzy drinks.
• Plan your lunches for the week ahead and stock up on fruit, salads, wholegrain bread, hummus, fish, eggs lean meats and yogurts at the weekend.
• Make extra pasta or soup for dinner and take it for lunch the next day, along with a salad.
• Carry fruit, a small amount of unsalted nuts or a low-sugar snack bar in your bag to nibble on when hunger strikes.
• Start a once-a-week healthy lunch club with colleagues, where you each bring in a healthy home-made lunch to share.
• Try to avoid shopping for lunch (or any food!) when you're really hungry ' you might buy more than you need.

Fruit & veg

We all know that fruit and vegetables are generally low in fat and calories, and we should all try to eat at least five portions a day.

• Canned, dried and frozen produce all count. These can be cheaper than fresh foods and will help you to organise your meals and make sure you always have healthy options on hand.
• Eating fruit and vegetables that are in season is a great way to make sure you're getting a wide range of nutrients and flavours throughout the year.
• Fresh produce can also be cheaper, fresher and more likely to be local when in season. Look out for what's on special offer and stock up on it. So, when there's plenty of butternut squash in the autumn, you could make soup that you can freeze.
• Remember that potatoes are a starchy carbohydrate and don't count as one of your five a day.

Dairy

Milk, cheese and yogurt all contain calcium, which is essential to keep your teeth and bones in tip-top condition. They are a good source of protein, too, but some can be high in fat, and cheese can be high in salt.

• Buy strong-flavoured cheese, such as mature cheddar, Parmesan or feta, so that you can use less, but still enjoy great taste. Remember, one portion is the size of a small matchbox.
• Keep an eye on low-fat fruit yogurts ' they can be loaded with added sugar. Try plain yogurt with fresh fruit, some chopped nuts or on top of muesli.

Cottage cheese makes a great ingredient in lots of recipes ' add it to mashed potato in place of butter, or pop some into a blender to make a low-fat alternative to sour cream dips. Switch from full-fat milk to semi-skimmed or skimmed.

Meat, fish, eggs & pulses

These foods are high in protein, which makes you feel fuller for longer.

• Try to include some protein in meals, so that you feel satisfied and less likely to snack.
• Choose extra lean meat and try vegetarian alternatives, such as lentils, chickpeas, Quorn, soya or tofu.
• A whole chicken costs about the same as chicken breasts, but you get more meals for your money. Roast with vegetables, slice into sandwiches and make soup with the leftovers.
• Fish is a good option and the essential fatty acid, omega-3, found in oily fish such as mackerel, salmon and sardines, is a 'good' fat which helps keep your heart healthy.
• Dried or canned beans, pulses and lentils are cheaper options and great for filling out meat dishes, such as bolognese, and can help you cut down how much meat and fat you eat.

Storecupboard champions

Stock up on these ingredients and you'll always have the basics for a quick and tasty healthy meal. These storecupboard champions are versatile, won't go off quickly and pack a punch when it comes to flavour.

• Onions ' will keep fresh for a long time in a cool, dry place and form the basis of many quick, simple meals, such as omelettes, stews, curries, soups, sauces.
• Tinned tomatoes ' combine them with onion for a basic sauce to eat with pasta or rice.
• Beans, lentils, chickpeas ' canned or dried, they are high-fibre and do not have a big impact on blood glucose.
• Wholewheat pasta, brown or basmati rice and noodles ' quick, handy and tasty.
• Olive, sunflower or rapeseed oil ' use a teaspoon to measure,  or buy a cooking oil spray.
• Dried herbs and spices, and black pepper ' flavour your food without adding salt.
• Tinned tuna in spring water ' use in salads, sandwiches, wraps and pasta sauces.

Starchy foods

Carbohydrates are needed for energy, but as the body breaks them down into glucose, it's important to monitor how much you eat, especially if you have diabetes.

• Choosing wholegrain options makes sense. They are high in fibre, keep you feeling fuller for longer than refined carbohydrates and take longer for the body to break down so blood glucose levels do not 'spike' then drop rapidly. Better options include:
• wholegrain, granary, pumpernickel or rye bread
• wholewheat or brown pasta and noodles
• basmati or wild rice
• porridge oats or muesli ' many breakfast cereals are packed with added sugar, so read the labels.
• quinoa, bulgur wheat, couscous or yam.

Foods high in fat and sugar

We know that these aren't great for your waistline and blood glucose, but as an occasional treat, or at a one-off celebration, you can still eat them in moderation. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy this food group as part of a healthy, balanced diet.'''''''

• Choose sugar-free, low-fat, diet or light versions.
• Buy smaller packs so you don't eat too much too often.
• Cut down slowly ' make small, positive changes to your diet every week.
• Use less fat when cooking by measuring the amount of oil you use. That'll make the oil last longer, too.
• Buy canned fruit in juice, not syrup.
• Use sweeteners in place of sugar.
• Fruit is a delicious dessert for everyone ' try fresh berries, poached pears or baked apples. Eat with yogurt or low-fat crème fraiche, rather than cream or custard.
• Try baking at home ' you can often use less sugar and fat than the recipe suggests.

Drinks

Don't drink your calories! All sugary, fizzy drinks and alcohol are high in calories (about 140 calories in a can of cola) so it's very easy to consume too much.

Fruit juices and smoothies contain vitamins, but still contain a lot of calories and natural sugars, so only drink one small glass a day. Try:

• water or sugar-free fruit squash
• diet/zero versions of soft drinks
• alternating alcoholic drinks with water or sugar-free non-alcoholic options.

Whether you have diabetes or not, the recommended limits for alcohol are 2'3 units per day for women and 3'4 units per day for men. You might want to drink less than this if you're trying to lose weight.

The company is the world’s best Fengshui Pear Supply supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.