Too Carb or Not to Carb

Okay, I'm a day late with this one, but I'm a new blogger!!  It's tough blogging everyday...how do you find the time to do it?  Anyways....technically day five, but we are going to call it day four...Lol!  Today is supposed to be about whether or not we eat carbohydrates (or whether or not we allow our daughter, The Sugar Princess, to eat carbs or not).  Some people believe a low carb diet is important in diabetes management, while others believe carbs are fine as long as they are counted and bolused for.  Which side of the fence do we fall on?...

http://www.cafepress.com/carbguys

Yes, we eat carbs!!  Our Sugar Princess is only five years old so eating carbohydrates is important for her growing body.   It's not everyone's way, but we believe that it is a personal preference.  Of course we don't let her eat alot of junk.  Sometimes we even have to remind her that she can't have something because it's not a healthy choice, not because she has type 1 diabetes.  Don't get me wrong, we try to be as healthy as possible, but every now and again we allow her to endolge in the "special treats" of every meal.  See below...
 
Her normal breakfast items - waffles, pancakes, toast, berry muffins, 1/2 bagel, eggs, or oatmeal with milk, no sugar added choc. milk, or cystal light (**special breakfast treats...cereal (coca puffs are her favorite), pop tart, or toaster strudel**).  If we have a very long night or we are in a hurry - we keep a box of no sugar added instant carnation breakfast on hand for emergencies.  She is still on multiple daily insulin injections so she has to eat at certain times....we try to keep her on a strict eating schedule.  This lets us keep track of certain trends that might be happening.
 
Her normal lunch items - she loves sandwiches (egg salad and tuna salad being her favorite), fruit (loves them all), macoroni and cheese, grilled cheese, plain noodles, crackers and cheese, 100 calorie snack packs, sugar free jello or pudding, baked chips, hot dogs, baked french fries, with usually crystal light or milk.  (**special lunch treats...we will add a piece of candy (we love mini size) to her meal or we will count in a dessert...cookies, cupcake, etc.**)
 
Her normal dinner items - meat, fish, chicken, mashed potatoes w/ gravey, she loves broccoli, pineapple with cottage cheese, corn, beans, pizza, noodles, sandwiches - also loves tuna subs at Subway, with crystal light, water, milk, or diet soda.  (**special dinner treats...fried foods, eating out - , and again we will incorporate a counted carb dessert with dinner...ice cream, etc.**)
 
Her normal snack items - we live for 100 calorie snack packs, crackers with cheese, 1/2 PBJ sandwich, with 1/2 cup milk or crystal light.
 
 
WE COUNT EVERY SINGLE CARB and WE WEIGH ALL OF HER FOOD on an electric scale!!  The calorie king book? We take that book everywhere we go and if it's something that can't be looked up, we ESTIMATE and hope we get it right.  We keep track of different foods and how much insulin we give her.  Some food items, we know to give her a little more insulin than what her insulin to carb says to do or give her a little less, etc.  When she has a perfect number after an estimation, my husband and I give ourselves a high 5....it's like we just won a competiton...LOL!  We bascially allow her to eat anything in moderation.  We are not the cupcake police!!  If a classmate brings in a snack, she is allowed to have  it, but since she is still on multiple daily injections, she has to wait and eat it at lunch (if my husband and I are working).  We are going to be pumping soon, so we hope that this gives us a little more flexibility and hopefully it makes her feel a little more "like everyone else".