Sugar is not so sweet when you’ve just learned that you’re pre-diabetic. That’s what mid-February blood work showed. In addition, my cholesterol is slightly elevated.

I can’t say that I was surprised. My diet had been absolute c*** for at least a year. With those cheap snacks I was getting from the salvage store, I was eating far too much junk. On top of that, I often ate them when I wasn’t really hungry. I was tired; or bored; or stressed. Can you believe that I often ate several snacks AND several candy bars per day?

I’ve been working to minimize the candy and other sweet foods. That even includes what I put into my hot dog concoctions. Sweet and sour sauce is on the sidelines; hoisin sauce’s first ingredient is sugar; I wouldn’t be surprised if gochujang sauce is high in sugar. Back to plain old tomato sauce. Buffalo sauce is probably OK, too.

The last few times I’ve been to the salvage store, the make-your-own-grab-bag bins weren’t there. Now, at least, that temptation is removed. I continue to visit the store for things such as dry beans, brown rice, and canned goods.

Want a vegetarian cookbook for diabetes? Meatless eating has interested me for many years, and now I have The American Diabetes Association Vegetarian Cookbook. The author, a chef, created this book when he was diagnosed with pre-diabetes.

I tried an approximation of Cauliflower Potato Cheddar Mash (page 87). I’ve got to use up some of the huge pile of canned stuff I have, and I had a can of potatoes. I used them, and instead of cauliflower I used peas. I didn’t have any onions on hand, and can you believe I forgot to put in the cheese? Not so sweet, you might say.