With the economy the way it is, I've been stocking up on less healthy food choices like mac 'n' cheese and canned pasta products, because they are so much cheaper than everything else. I've even been hitting the fast-food dollar menus far too often. I know I need to eat healthier, but it's hard when food prices are so high. Does anyone have tips about how I can make healthier food choices and stay on track with my eating plan during these tough times?

Dried beans are a low-cost protein source. I like to make bean soup in the winter with different types of beans (lentils and split peas are my favorites).

I also use frozen vegetables instead of fresh, because they're so much cheaper, especially in the winter.

Totally agree with the beans. We eat a lot of bean dishes, a ton of vegetables, and some fruit and cereals.

Something that helped me was to monitor before and after I eat things like mac n cheese and other pastas or rice, and discover exactly how I react. I found white bread is really bad for me, but I can eat 1/4 cup of brown rice and it doesn't make my sugar swing. Half a cup of mac n cheese works for me if it's surrounded by broccoli, but half a cup of spaghetti and meatballs put my glucose over 300 (and there was no sugar in the sauce).

We also made the decision to cut down in other areas to concentrate on healthy foods, as that is both a medical expense and a grocery bill for me. It is possible to eat healthy but it did require a lot of changes from the days we could just shop for what worked best. Good luck to you as you work on finding that balance.

I really like your positive attitude about fitting healthy eating into your life. Plus, testing your blood sugars so you know exactly how different foods, and different food combination, affect you personally is really one of the keys to good overall diabetes management. You make it sound simple, but I know that a lot of hard work goes into it.