[reallytrying]

Hi everyone, my name is Bridget, 23 and I actually am from Orlando, Florida. I am doing a Master's degree here in the U.K. I am completely new here (to the board and 3 months here in the UK) but I was hoping someone could help me out. I am use to food brands of the States and am having a hard time finding good (and cheap) diet foods. I don't mean they have to be Weight Watchers brand but for example, I went to Tesco the other day and was looking for low sugar yogurt. I couldn't find any. I did find some on the Tesco website after I came back (Muellers?) but I don't remember seeing it in the store. Basically, I am on a lower carb and low sugar diet and was wondering what products are really good for both. Mainly I shop at Tesco but there is a Sainsburys near by. Is there any oat cakes or breakfast cereals that are good on sugar? Jellos? Nutrigrain bars? I just need a bit of advice since being in a completely new type of supermarket, with a million different people trying to hurry you down the aisles, gets overwhelming. Thanks again!

[Starbuck]

Hi Bridget, Lucky you living in Florida! I love going to Orlando on holiday

I can imagine it's really hard coming to a new country and trying to diet as all the brands are so different. I often read these boards and see everyone talking about Smart Ones and things and dont know what they are on about at all.

We don't really do low carb in a big way like you do in the US, so it'll be harder for you to find any foods branded as low carb or low sugar. You'll have to get used to reading the labels rigidly. Boots are high street chemists in my eyes kind of like your Walgreens and they stock branded Atkins bars and foods which are low carb I think. You can buy from them online if you need to as well. They also sell a range of Diabetic foods which will be low or no sugar.

The yoghurt you mentioned is called Muller Light, it'll be in with all the rest of the yoghurts. Tescos will definitely have it, everywhere sells it so if your not sure just ask where the Muller light yoghurt is. They have loads of flavours and are really nice, my fave is the cherry.

As for cereals Special K is nice, again I like the red berry version. We do have nutrigrain bars here in the UK, they will probably be by the cereals or possibly down the biscuit aisle. Again just ask as they will definitely have them.

Oatcakes will probably be with the biscuits, don't know if you've tried Ryvita but it's a crispy rye type cracker and really low in cals and fat, nice with a bit of cheese.

If you like rice cakes snack a jacks are nice, they are flavoured like crisps as in salt and vinegar or cheese and chive but are low in fat and cals as they are rice cakes. They also do a caramel flavour which is like popcorn and good if you've got a sweet tooth.

Jello is called Jelly in the UK (US jelly is called Jam) and will be found in the aisle with jams, peanut butters the cake mixes. You can get little pots of ready made low fat jelly called Rowntrees sugar free jelly pots.

Hope this helps a bit If you want to ask anything else feel free

[lora m]

Nutrigrain bars are widely available here, but they (and any other bar like that) are high in sugars. Besides the little pots of jelly you can get Hartleys sugar free jelly crystals in packets which are easy to make up. WW also do them but I've not tried their brand - I am not overfond of WW foods.

I spent 3 months living in the US and didn't notice many more 'diet' foods there. Besides Muller Light another big yoghurt brand is Danone Activia (in the US it's called Dannon, but it's the same brand). The main difference I remember is finding virtually fat free feta in the US, but one taste convinced me never to try it again. There is a half fat version here (Salakis Light) which isn't too bad, plus other half fat cheeses.

Shredded Wheat is sugar free and Weetabix isn't too bad for sugar/salt content either. I wouldn't have thought any cereal would fit in that well if you're trying to cut carbs out. I guess it might depend how low you go, though. The most common oatcake brand tends to be Nairns.

[reallytrying]

Hello Starbuck! Yes, it has been interesting getting used to all the brands. See, I know exactly what a 'Smart One' is. I really love it here and it's absolutely gorgeous and I've met some great people. I actually get nervous that I am taking too long in the aisles when I am looking around and end up just grabbing something. LOL. It's always packed whenever and whatever time I go. And Orlando is great during the winter but during the 40+ summers, not so much. Did you go to Disney because I lived so very close to there! =)

Diabetic huh? That is what I am doing though I am not diabetic. My doctor in the States told me it was the best diet for losing weight. So me and my HUGE sweet tooth (and Cadbury is my all time favourite and Galaxy is wonderful, too) have to give them up. Well, not completely but within moderation. So, I'll look for the diabetic foods. Do they have a certain label or brand I can watch out for?

Yes, I usually eat almonds in between meals as a snack but they're so expensive that I was seeing if there was something else. I found the Hartley's, which are pretty good. I wish I had seen Mueller's Light! I must have been blind because my flatmate has them on her shelf of the fridge. LOL. I'll look at Jack Cakes next time. I was looking for them but couldn't find them. I bet they're down the crisp aisle.

I'll keep a look out for everything mentioned. Lora, I am cutting carbs but not wholly. I eat them in the morning mainly (that's why I asked about cereal, nutrigrain bars, etc, etc.) when my body can burn them and put them to good use. I am mainly cutting proportion (calories) and sugars.My flatmate eats Weetabix, in the chocolate flavour. I should try them.

Another question I have is can I find 1% or skim milk in the 6 pint variety? I seemingly can only find 2% and whole.

Thanks again for the lovely responses and helping this 'lost' Yank. It is much appreciated. =)

[lora m]

It does seem to be harder to find the lower fat milks in the larger sizes unfortunately. I've seen both 1% milk and skimmed it in a 4 pint version in my local Sainsburys - don't have a tesco near me but I should imagine they're similar. Probably no larger than that though.

I'm a big almond-snacker too. You might want to check if there's a Carribean or Indian food section in the supermarket. The almonds sold in that section are cheaper than the tiny little packets they sell elsewhere in the supermarket for some reason.

[reallytrying]

Lora, I know. Tesco is having a sale though right now: Two 4-pint 1% milks for 1.50 or 2.00 or so. Not so bad, I'll probably go get that tomorrow.
So go to the Indian food section? I never thought of that. Yes those tiny little packets last me about 2 days. LOL. Not nearly enough and at 3 quid a pop, no thanks. I'll go look for sure. Is there any of your favourite diet foods that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them. And thanks again for being so helpful! =)

[Starbuck]

Bridget, Yes I love going to Orlando for Disney and Universal too.

Where do you live in Orlando? I'm a red head so have only been in the winter months, last year it was Jan, just after you had the snow and it was warm enough for me


Umm trying to think of low fat foods that I eat. At the moment I'm eating a lot of Walkers Baked crisps, because I like a snack in the night but crisps are too fatty. These are baked and so quite low in fat.

slim a soups are a life saver of mine, whenever I'm hungry but have had too many calories already I'll have one to fill me up.

[reallytrying]

Starbuck,
It's okay. I am super super pale with auburn/brownish hair and grey eyes! I had to wear 110 SPF in the summer all the time. I don't know how to put a pic up as an avatar but I will as soon as I figure it out on here. I've literally had people go, 'You're from Florida, aren't you supposed to be TAN?!' LOL.

The winter months are nothing short of paradisiacal. I was just back for a month and half for holiday. I got to skip the harsh Scottish winter months, so I was happy. I'll keep a look out for those soups. I'm not much of a snacker. My downfall is I love chocolate and especially the chocolate here. Oh and I love bread and 2% milk. Blah.

I saw you are from Cardiff, I was going to go to the Uni of Cardiff but at last minute they told me they couldn't accept my funding. It was devastating as I had google walked Cardiff and actually had friends there already. I hope to visit one day as my Mom is getting married to a Welsh guy. =)

Again, thanks for all the help!

[Starbuck]

Bridget, See you got the picture working Wow your so beautiful! Honestly, really stunning.

Don't know how you can handle that Florida heat, I'm one of those red heads that gets a really bad temper in the sun as well as burning instantly. I remember going with the family when I was younger in sept and it was in the 90s, I was in such a mood by then end of the day as I just get really bad headaches in the sun. That's why I love going Nov,Dec, Jan. The kids are actually bugging to go again, so we may be back out there next Jan if money allows.

Sad you couldn't get to come to Cardiff, It's a great city. The weird thing is that my uncle is from Cardiff, but ended up going to Stirling University That was a good few years ago though.

Funny that you love the UK chocolate, it's so different from the US stuff. I love Reeces to death, and always stuff my face whenever I go over on holiday. I know you can get them over here, but I save them as my US treat, I'd be even bigger if I ate them like I do on holiday.
I also got a real taste for Hershey almond Kisses on my last trip, but can't find them anywhere over here.

[Casandra]

"diabetic" foods are NOT low carb. They are not really that suitable for Diabetics to be honest (coming up on my 7th year as type 1). The foods are often pumped with synthetic sugars and alcohol sugars. Low carbing in the UK is difficult as SIN. I was raised in the USA and there is SO much more choice and the food quite frankly just tastes way more appetizing out there. I bring suitcases full of food into the UK every time I'm over in the states. Things like cereals (chex, plain cheerios etc), granola bars, salad dressing mixes, vita tops etc etc.

I think the best way you can go is to get something like a George Foreman grill and make things like grilled chicken or baked fish and fit in as much fresh/frozen fruit/veggies as you can. If you do get canned veggies or fruit, then rinse the contents to get rid of excess salt or sugar

I've cut out juices in favour of the extra fibre you get with eating the whole fruit. We have things like slimfast here, but they taste weird to me. Look for Müllerlight Light yogurts, Shape fat free, snack a jacks, and also labels that say "no sugar added" will usually be better for you than their normal counterparts. Try to drink water (with lemon if you like) instead of juice or soda. Even cups of tea/coffee can add lots of excess sugar to your daily carb intake.

I usually like to start my winter mornings with a bowl of oatmeal. This normally means super small portions, right? Wrong! When you get back to the USA, you can make this breaky even better by picking up the Almond Breeze.

1/2 cup old fashioned (not instant) oats
1c Unsweetened Vanilla Almond breeze (or skimmed/fatfree milk or water)
1c water (or extra cup of milk)

Cook on stove top for 10 minutes or so, add two splenda packets (or other sweetener of choice) and some cinnamon and a dash of salt If you didn't use the almond breeze, you can put in a bit of vanilla, but I've found the cinnamon does the job just fine (sometimes I add a bit of canned pumpkin for a pumpkin spice oatmeal!)

Should work out to between 160 and 350 calories depending on the milk/almond breeze/water etc you use. Very good sized breakfast and keeps me going for the rest of the morning! I know it can be a bit carby, but worth it on those freezing cold and damp mornings And a lot of breakfast cereals have more carbs than this oatmeal recipe!

We do have Special K and shredded wheat is great too

For your chocolate cravings, I've started buying skinny cow chocolate drink mix (hot chocolate) and they also do the ice-cream bars for summer.

[marie81]

Sainsbury's do a free from range I eat alot of the free from wheat stuff as they are low carb but can be pricey

The best way and cheapest way is to make your own food from scratch I like brown rice tuna(out of a tin) then pile in loads of veg and cover in a low cal tomato base sauce then put loads of spices in it, I make a load of it and eat it over a couple of days. its low fat, low(ish) carbs and loads of veg

[reallytrying]

Starbuck, thank you so much! That made my day! You're quite beautiful yourself! =) I get quite grumpy in the heat as well but over the course of 10 years, I got more used to it but...it was still so hot. I love Stirling but sometimes there isn't as much to do and I think Cardiff would have been more entertaining. It's too bad I didn't know you before now, I could have sent you some Almond Kisses since I was just there.

Casandra, thank you for the recipe! I'm going grocery shopping on Monday so I'll make sure to get those items. I love oatmeal in the mornings and especially with cinnamon. I'm not so worried about (good) carbs as I am sugars, proportion and exercise so it's okay if it is a bit carby. I've been looking for the 'no sugar added' logo and JUST found out about Muller's Light. I have been grilling on the stove since I don't have a George Foreman but maybe I will look into getting one. Where abouts in the States did you grow up? Did you move recently?

Marie, that sounds absolutely delicious. I'm definitely doing that for lunch this coming week!

Thanks all for the tips again. It's so appreciated! x

[Casandra]

I was born and raised in Illinois. Spent most of my time in a small town out in the sticks, but my pre-teen/early teen years were spent in Chicago.

I miss it dearly!! I've been in the UK for 5 years and it has wreaked havoc on my weight. I've put on nearly as many stone as years that I've been here unfortunately, probably largely due to budgetary (cough-husband's eating habits-cough) problems as well as a lack of friends to exercise with. I have started trying to make better choices though, been unable to lose as quickly as I'd like due to health issues.

The USA has a lot more accessible weight loss venues (diets, product variety, types of exercise etc), but it also has more temptation. I, honest to goodness, never get tempted to buy things like Poptarts or sugary cereals etc out here, but I do find difficulty with things like crisps and that. They're everywhere and so convenient at times

[reallytrying]

Food is just SO convenient in the States. Here I don't have a car so I can't just hop in my car and go to Taco Bell Also eating out is SO SO SO expensive here (when translating from American dollars to GB pounds). Therefore I am eating healthier and walking a lot more. There are a ton more options in the US, you're right but with that is more temptation. My main thing here is trying to find healthier foods that aren't going to break my bank. I love how Tesco has cheesecake for ONE pound -sarcasm-. Also, the chocolate here is my ABSOLUTE favorite and has been since I was a little girl.

If you were in Scotland or I in Wales, I would say you could go walking with me as I don't have someone right now either. I'm joining the Uni gym this week (have to wait on money!) and going to go every morning with some friends. It's hard to walk outside here for long periods or jog because it is SO cold--that's why I am joining a gym. =)

My mom is getting married to a guy from North Wales this summer. Are you anywhere close to Rhyll?

[Casandra]

We're out by Wrexham. Originally, we were in Llandudno Junction

I have been working hard to get in some long walks so I can try to have a guilt free valentine's day as DH has decided to take me out this year! We rarely go out. If I ever crave some form of take out when I am far away from my cheat day, I will go to (or hopefully have pre-bought from) ASDA and get a 10" pizza to share between myself and DH. A Thin or stonebaked crust with up to 4 toppings works out to less than £3. A take out here can easily cost over $15 per person, which I find ridiculous! Also, I find that fast food doesn't taste the same here. KFC/Burger King/Mc Donalds are all very different than in the USA, though I will admit to enjoying UK burger king fries more-so than the USA ones!!! :P

We have a chinese buffet style take away near us that will do over-sized portions, probably enough to feed a family of 6, for just under £10. Two huge portions of sweet and sour chicken (the fried dough balls or the saucy style) and also two portions of egg fried rice and spring rolls. All split up, We get a huge dinner (on my cheat day..or weekend, if ever!!), and we get lunch and then another huge dinner with left-overs. It also helps they have a high rating of food safety and hygiene. So we are very lucky, but it also serves as a temptation, which is one reason why we keep no money in the house as well! lol so easy to just pick that phone up and get a take away delivered!

If it isn't cost effective, we just don't do it here lol. My cheat days included! I can't just run out and buy ice cream or chocolate when I have a craving, purely because it is too expensive! Everything is expensive out here, though.