Some things to consider Aahz:
I don't know what it's like in the US, but Doctors over here are reluctant to hand out test meters and strips for home testing...they're pretty expensive I believe. Imo, this is absolutely ESSENTIAL. You need to test yourself before meals and then two hours afterwards to see what the food is doing to you. I was lucky that my nurse persuaded my Doctor that I needed to self test at home and she asked me to keep a food diary too.
My findings were that, carbohydrates, particularly in white rice, potatoes, pasta and flour were the biggest culprits. I could eat ANY amount of protein and green vegetables with almost zero impact on my blood sugar level. Slow release carbs, found in porridge (oatmeal), lentils and brown rice or wholemeal bread were better..but you still have to be careful with those. SMALL portions of carbs is the key. For about 4 months, I made sure I had no more than 60-80g of carbs a day..that's more than you can have with something like Atkins I believe..but is a lot healthier. If I was having a lazy weekend at home, I'd have even fewer carbs. There are lots of carb counters available..use 'em.
The good news is that you can still eat lots of great stuff, a full roast dinner for example..just go easy on the potatoes. The biggest thing I had to deal with was not being able to eat curry and rice regularly, which I never thought I could do..but it's surprising what you get used to. I ended up making wholewheat breads to go with the curries and it worked out great. This is where self testing really helps. It's a terrific motivator to eat a tasty dinner, feel satisfied and be able to prove that your blood sugar is within a normal range. Then, very occasionally, I'd treat myself to pizza or pasta or rice with my curry, and yes, my levels were then shit..but occasionally is the key word.