Hi, Jenn, & Welcome!
Can you call or email your doctor and report your numbers? It does take some time for numbers to decrease and level out, even on the best possible diet for you.
But it is also possible that you need meds to make that happen. I had to call mine for similar reasons (right down to the spinach spike) shortly after diagnosis, and I was already on insulin. Just needed to up the dose. More than once.
In the meantime, your diet looks pretty good ... and you're right, eating small amounts through the day works very well for a lot of us. You're already testing frequently. And you've already noticed that undereating is just as spikeful as overeating! Gotta say, you've already got a great handle on this! (And yeah, it still stinks.)
Wakeup and mornings are often the toughest on us, as far as glucose levels go. I eat lots of string cheese (it packs well and doesn't go bad if you look at it funny), and take a few sticks if I'm on the go. Big piles of salad mix are also great for quick snacking. (Read the dressing label to make sure you don't get a swallow of syrup!)
I keep my carbs low as possible. Veggies such as leafy ones, broccoli and cauliflower are the least likely to spike. Nuts spike some folks and not others. Meat, fish and poultry -- fresh, frozen or canned -- are also good. (Some sausages are carby, but most are OK.) Heavy cream, real butter and real cheese are great! So are eggs. And real mayo.
A big old bowl of tuna or egg salad or both is handy for veggie dipping or spooning.
Our
Recipes Sub-Forum is highly recommended.
Your A1c reflects your average blood sugar over the past 90 days or so. It's a great overview, but it doesn't tell the whole story. Your A1c, by the way, is not bad at all.
Glad you found us! Sorry you had to. You'll find lots of info and support here.
Please visit often, and keep us posted!