Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes
Episode #1823 Bolus 4 – Salmon Dinner (April 13, 2026)
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Jenny Smith
Theme: Practical Bolus Strategies for a Healthy, Balanced Salmon Dinner
Episode Overview
This episode of the Bolus 4 mini-series brings the focus to a “healthy” meal: grilled salmon, asparagus with olive oil, and roasted fingerling potatoes. Host Scott Benner and diabetes educator Jenny Smith break down not just how to count carbs for this meal, but how to think about bolusing for protein, fat, and mixed meals as experienced by real people living with type 1 diabetes. The discussion stays approachable and conversational, thoughtfully balancing deep-dive calculations with lived advice, practical strategies, and a few laughs. AI-based calculators and the potential for future technology also come into play.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Building a “Healthy” Meal (02:52–09:02)
- Community Request: After listener requests for healthier food coverage, the hosts decide on a salmon-centered dinner.
- Meal Components:
- 6 oz. wild-caught grilled salmon
- Grilled asparagus (with olive oil, ~6-8 spears)
- Roasted fingerling potatoes (4 oz., with olive oil)
Nutritional Breakdown (09:19)
- Scott (paraphrased): Here are the stats for a typical serving—
- Salmon: 265 kcals, 45g protein, 9.5g fat, 0g carbs
- Asparagus (with EVOO): 55–70 kcals, 4.5g fat, 3g protein, 5g carbs
- Potatoes (with EVOO): 125–140 kcals, 4.8g fat, 2.5g protein, 22g carbs
- Total meal: 27g carbs, 19g fat, 50.5g protein
Memorable moment:
“Is there bolusing to be done for salmon, do you think?”
Jenny [04:58]: “...Yes, to answer your question, we're going to need insulin in order to cover the rise up later. So salmon or any kind of protein like that isn't going to be an immediate effect.”
2. Protein, Fat, and Delayed Glucose Impact (04:58–07:16)
- Jenny explains how a larger-than-standard protein portion (over 3 oz., “palm of your hand” size) causes delayed glucose rise, requiring insulin coverage—just not immediately.
- Fat and protein don’t spike blood sugar quickly, but their impact over several hours can’t be ignored.
3. Practical Meal Bolusing—Carbs, Fat & Protein (13:37–16:49)
- Calculating for Carbs (13:42):
- With an insulin-to-carb ratio of 1:10, 27g of carbs = 2.7 units insulin.
- Scott: “...a pre bolus between 15 and 30 minutes before eating to ensure the insulin is active when the potatoes begin to digest.”
- Calculating for Fat & Protein using the Warsaw Method (14:38):
- 373 fat + protein kcals / 100 = 3.73 FPUs (fat/protein units)
- FPUs × 10g carb/unit = 37.3g carb equivalents
- At 1:10 ratio, 3.7 units insulin for fat/protein, ideally extended over 4–5 hours (realistic, not the theoretical 5–8).
Notable quote:
“This is where sometimes the Warsaw can be too extensive... most people find through experimentation they have to shave down the extended bolus time. Not the amount, but the time.”
Jenny [15:33]
4. Real-World Strategies & Tweaks (16:49–19:30)
-
Order of Eating:
Jenny: “Maybe you’re the type of person who has learned that you can get away without a pre-bolus if you start the meal with the vegetables and protein and finish off with the carbs. If you start out with that structure of intake, you maybe don’t even need a pre-bolus for this.” [16:49] -
CGM Data & Personalization:
Jenny: “You have to use your intuitive brain of how things work for you and what you’ve seen before from historical perspective...” [17:21] -
Scott admits to a less technical approach: “For me, right, I’m always just like high fat meal… I make a secondary bolus like 80 or 60 to 90 minutes later.” [18:58]
-
On Education and Changing Paradigms:
- In the past, protein was taught as a “free food”—Jenny notes changing guidance reflects better technology and understanding.
- Scott: "In the end...I can give you as much detail as you want. You're either going to understand it in that detail or you're not." [18:26]
5. Role and Power of Technology & AI (20:03–27:02)
-
AI Calculation Tools:
- Scott used an AI (Gemini) with the Warsaw Method from his site to break down the meal. AI is only as good as its training/material, but it shortens the learning curve for complex mixed meals.
- Scott: “If you can already accomplish this...it’s pretty amazing. Without AI, I don’t have that webpage, right? I could not have synthesized all that information and put it together like that. I don’t have that mind.” [21:18]
-
Future Potential:
- Dream of recipe apps integrating bolus calculation: “Drop in the recipe, your vitals...and there’s your answer.” (Scott, [24:19])
- Jenny: “There's so much that could be done the right way, using technology to make the advantage for people with Type 1 to take a little bit of that stress away.” [23:16]
- Discussion about potential for smarter pump and app tech, but also the reality of legal disclaimers and the real-world way people already self-manage and self-adjust.
6. Empowerment, Personalization & Final Tips (27:02–28:09)
- Jenny underscores the need for actual useful features: “We have these wonderful hardware devices with software that's becoming more ...intelligent...But the DIY, open source community has gone beyond FDA pumps.”
- Scott’s wish: Simpler, more integrated apps or pump features to take user info, meal data, and give more actionable suggestions.
Notable exchange:
“Who with diabetes...wouldn’t love that?”
Jenny [27:02]
“You’re sent off with take 10 units... and the person goes home and they fiddle with things and they adjust things and they take more and... Like, that’s entire. There’s no disclaimer for that.”
Jenny [27:22]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Protein Bolusing:
“Salmon or any kind of protein...isn't going to be an immediate effect...But you WILL need something to cover the larger portion of protein over time.”
—Jenny Smith [04:58] -
On Quantity of Potatoes:
“I like that that portion shows that things like a potato do not have to be a steakhouse baked potato that's the size of like a basketball player's hand.”
—Jenny [08:31] -
On User-Driven Adjustments:
“You have to use your intuitive brain...what you've seen before from historical perspective...”
—Jenny [17:21] -
On AI's Utility:
“I saw a person online the other day scolding someone for using AI to help them ...those arguments are 12 months old now around AI. ...It’s going to move so quickly...”
—Scott [20:03] -
On Technology Dreams:
“Drop in the recipe, your vitals ...and there’s your answer. ...some dorks at some pump company are going to be feeding that into a pump somewhere. And if they're not, you guys aren't paying attention.”
—Scott [24:19]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 02:52 – Start of healthy meal discussion, meal build
- 04:58 – Bolusing for protein in salmon
- 07:16 – Relating portions to “palm size” and real-life eating habits
- 13:37–14:38 – Carb and FPU-based bolus calculation breakdown
- 16:49–17:21 – Strategies: order of eating, personalization, CGM integration
- 20:03–21:18 – AI’s current and potential role in diabetes management
- 23:16–25:12 – The dream app and bolusing automation
- 27:02–28:09 – Real-world DIYing, disclaimers, and what people truly need
Summary: Bolus Strategy for “Salmon Dinner”
- Count carbs for potatoes and asparagus (27g total)
- Base bolus: 2.7 units (1:10 insulin:carb ratio), pre-bolus 15–30 minutes before meal
- Fat & Protein coverage:
- Calculate FPUs (fat/protein units) and convert to “carb equivalent”:
- 19g fat + 50.5g protein = 373 kcal = 3.73 FPUs = 37.3g carb
- Extra insulin: 3.7 units, extended over 4–5 hours
- Calculate FPUs (fat/protein units) and convert to “carb equivalent”:
- Use pump dual/extended bolus, or MDI split doses as needed
- Tweak for next time using CGM insight and account for order of eating (veggies/protein first may alter need for pre-bolus)
Human tip: No calculator can replace paying attention to your CGM and knowing your own patterns. Technology is getting smarter, but your intuition and data history are always crucial.
Tone & Final Takeaways
Scott and Jenny make the guidance feel inviting, realistic, and practical—with jokes and honest admissions about their own approaches. While technology and AI can supercharge calculations, judgment, experimentation, and tuning your own bolus remains essential. Both hope to see future diabetes tools simplify and streamline these processes for the real world.
Useful Links Mentioned
- Juicebox Podcast Warsaw Method / FPU Calculator: juiceboxpodcast.com/warcal
- Contour Next Gen Meter: contournext.com/juicebox
- Omnipod 5: omnipod.com/juicebox
For new and veteran listeners alike, this episode offers a grounded, actionable approach to bolusing for mixed, “healthy” meals—plus a glimpse at the very near future of diabetes technology.