Dessert options for Diabetics

[pmickus]

We have a diabetic child traveling with our group. We are one the Dining Plan. We would like him to be able to enjoy a special dessert at one of our Table Service meals. Do the bakeries have a sugar free option for cakes? Is there a way to request a special dessert meeting his needs?

 

[SueM in MN]

I wil, give you some advice as a nurse and I'm sure one of the frequent DIS posters with diabetes or whose children have diabetes will chime in.

If the child is not your child, it would be important to find out what the parents are doing in terms of foods. He may not need anything special, but could eat the regular desserts.
All restaurants do have some 'no sugar added' desserts if they want to do that. The no sugar added desserts tend to be fruit or no sugar added brownies.
If you will be at a full service restaurant, they could probably provide some other substitute with advance notice.

Most diabetics are no longer taught to avoid sugar.
In the 'way past', many people with diabetes ate sugar free items and avoided anything with sugar. But, many of the sugar free things have as many 'carbs' (carbohydrates), which the body breaks down into glucose. Many also have more fat or more calories than the low carb versions of the sme food.
And, many things like fruits have natural sugar.
Here's a good reference:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00072
Many people have issues with some of the artificial sweetners - they can cause upset stomach or even diarrhea.

Most diabetics now are taught carb counting and adjusting their insulin based on the carbs they are eating and the combination of foods they are eating (eating sweets with a complex meal slows the rise in blood sugar) rather thn trying to eat sugar free.
This doesn't mean they gorge on sweets, but do it in moderation, as part of a generally well balanced diet.
Studies have shown that people do better if they are allowed everything in moderation and don't cut out classes of foods.

 

[Piper]

Sue is right on!

 

[aubriee]

Me and my mom are both diabetics. Sue's answer is spot on. Sometimes we eat a regular dessert, sometimes we choose the sugar free option that all WDW restaurants offer, sometimes we order a cheese plate, and sometimes we order fruit. It just depends on what we are in the mood for and how much we have eaten that day. My mom loves cheesecake and will adjust her carb intake for the day in order to make sure she can have some when she wants it. She is insulin dependent taking Humalog injections three times a day and Lantus injections twice a day. Mine is better controlled and I just take a Victoza shot once a day. We both know how to adjust our diet to allow for some sweets though, when we want them. I'm sure the parents of the child you are traveling with know the same thing. WDW has some very good options for diabetics and makes it easy for them. We have eaten at most WDW restaurants and have never had a problem finding a dessert option. I think all restaurants offer something for diabetics.

 

[buffettgirl]

Let's just assume that the child has type 1 diabetes and doesn't have a childhood version of type 2. If he's got type 2, then all bets are off, he's probably on a limited diet already and the mechanics are slightly different. But if type 1, and that's most likely, Sue's got it spot on.

Some background first. Kids with type 1 diabetes utilize insulin exactly the same as you and I do. Their bodies just don't make it. Every time you or I eat, our bodies are spitting out tiny bits of insuiln. Even when we don't eat our bodies use insulin to turn carbs into energy. 24 hours a day. For a person with type 1 diabetes, that must be done externally which is why we give insulin injections or have pumps. But once that insulin gets inside, everything works exactly like it should work. So if my child eats a big apple or a cupcake, he needs insulin. Probably the same amount of insulin. And your body needs it too. You just don't know it.

In 8 years of diabetes my son has never had a sugar free desert. Last summer we ate at the wishes desert party. Disney is ridiculously bad in what they'll provide for a "diabetes" desert. They'll sometimes bring out sugar free junk. Sugar free deserts have carbs, and sugar alcohol, so we have to give insulin for that just the same as any other desert. And the fun part -sugar alcohols usually cause tummy upsets later. Eating fruit, that needs insulin too. Eating cheese - we need to deal with the fat and protein that is converted to glucose hours later..more insulin. All foods are ok for people with type 1. We handle each a little differently, and some adults limit problematic foods from their diets because they're not worth the trouble to get the insulin right (Chinese food..bane of my existence. Cupcake..no trouble)

So, desert is fine. Any desert. The best thing is to let the child's mom and dad handle it. They know what's best. Trust me on this. They do.

 

[pmickus]

Thanks for the info. I'm no the Mom, just the aunt. He was just diagnosed and the family is just trying to make this trip as normal as possible. I am the one making all the dining ADRs and thought it might be nice to have something special for him.

 

[buffettgirl]

Thanks for the info. I'm no the Mom, just the aunt. He was just diagnosed and the family is just trying to make this trip as normal as possible. I am the one making all the dining ADRs and thought it might be nice to have something special for him.

Your heart is in the right place. The best thing to do to make it as normal as possible is don't even mention it. I know that when my son was first diagnosed it was horrible for him being at family parties and well meaning aunts and uncles would pipe up and say "Hey, is he supposed to eat that??" It was embarrassing for him and frankly, it pissed me off because there was the underlying assumption that somehow everyone else knew better than I did.

But even if you wanted something special, Disney won't know what to bring and they'll bring something you don't want. Also,do NOT mention diabetes on the ADRs because they will literally tell you he can't eat any desert. There isn't' one single thing that Disney will do for a kid with type 1 diabetes that his parents can't do better. The only thing they could do, they could provide carb information and Disney won't do that. So it's best to not ever, ever, mention it.