When Is A Good Time To Have A Lower Carbohydrate Snack
One of the best ways to gather information is to ask people living with diabetes about their experience. We reached out to Kimberly Avelin, a schoolteacher living with type 1 diabetes since she was 11 years old.
She tells Verywell, I think low-carb snacks are great for those times when you are hungry but dont want to have to worry about taking too much or too little insulin. For example, when you are on the go or between meals.
Parents who have children with type 1 diabetes may also find lower carbohydrate snacks useful when their children are hungry but a meal is not ready, or when their children are not supervised by someone who can administer insulin or count carbohydrates.
Low-carbohydrate snacks can be appropriate when blood sugars are elevated and you dont want to deal with chasing a high blood sugar before or during exercise. They might be used when blood sugars are not necessarily considered to be low, but are not high enough to work out without developing hypoglycemia.
When in doubt, discuss certain scenarios with your medical team or certified diabetes care and education specialist. They can help you identify patterns and address your needs accordingly.
What You Can Drink When You Have Diabetes
Water is undoubtedly the best drink for you. Its free of any sugar and carbs and has no side effects . However, if you are looking for something tastier, you can try some of these drinks for an evening snack. You can consume them sometimes as they are and sometimes with a few moderations:
Lemonade
Summers are incomplete without this ultra-refreshing drink. Substitute the restaurant-bought lemonade with this easy recipe squeeze a lemon in a glass of water, add some zero-calorie sweetener, drop in some ice cubes, and mix well to create a heavenly glass of freshness.
Fruit Smoothie
A homemade smoothie is much healthier than the store-bought version as the latter can have much more sugar and carbs than the former. Just mix a handful of your favorite berries strawberry, blueberry, cranberry, etc. with a banana, put in some ice cubes, blend, and enjoy!
Ginger Ale
Mix a spoonful of finely grated ginger in seltzer water. Finally, add some zero-calorie sugar, and here is your homemade, healthiest ginger ale.
Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk makes for an excellent post-workout recovery drink. Just add 3 teaspoons of cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of sugar substitute in some almond or soy milk.
Creamy Coconut Chia Pudding
Image: Neurotic Mommy
Not familiar with chia pudding? Allow us to introduce you to this creamy, delectable treat. Chia seeds are high in protein and fat, and expand when submerged in liquid. Therefore, you can make an easy pudding without too much effort. This low-carb chia pudding combines coconut cream, chia, unsweetened coconut, and sugar-free sweetener to make a velvety vanilla treat.
Recommended Reading: In The Body Insulin Stimulates The
Best Ways To Snack Before Bed
The ADA no longer provide specific carbohydrate counts or recommended diets for people with diabetes.
A person should choose a healthful snack before bed.
Instead, the ADAs Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2019 suggest that a person follows an individualized meal plan tailored to their current eating patterns, preferences, and weight goals.
Some general tips that may be beneficial for everyone:
- Eat mindfully by focusing on enjoying the food.
- Avoiding snacking in front of the television or while reading, driving, or otherwise distracted.
- Plan meals, snacks, and treats ahead of time.
- Choose healthful snacks, rather than ones that contain empty calories and low-quality carbohydrates.
- Learn about and pay attention to portion sizes.
Keto Shrimp Guacamole And Bacon Appetizers
Image: Jennifer Banz
Heres a crafty cooking tip for you: Any main dish can be made into a snack with the use of toothpicks. Meatballs? Stab em with a toothpick. Buffalo chicken? Grab your toothpicks. Little smokies? Of course. These shrimp stacks combine bacon, guacamole, and seared shrimp on a single toothpick, making gourmet diabetic snacks youll love.
Also Check: Is Rye Good For Diabetics
Best Snacks Before Bed
People can tailor their snacking based on their weight goals and how their body reacts to sugar overnight. A dietician can help.
The best snacks for each person will depend on how the body responds to the dawn phenomenon and the Somogyi effect, as well as personal preferences and goals.
The ADA recommend that people develop a personalized meal plan with their healthcare team, and this can include snacks and their timings.
Little scientific evidence points to an ideal bedtime snack, but researchers believe that beneficial snacks will contain:
- high levels of protein
- healthful fats
- limited carbohydrates
Foods with this composition may help limit blood glucose spikes during the night and ensure lower blood glucose levels in the morning.
Try one the following healthful snacks before bed to help manage blood sugar levels and satisfy nighttime hunger:
A Couple Of Dark Chocolate
Strawberries are naturally fat-free, making them a healthy choice for diabetes, and theyre also rich in vitamin C. One cup provides your entire DV of the vitamin, according to the USDA. Their sweetness when they’re ripe makes this snack taste rich and decadent, too.
Dip these juicy fruits in creamy dark chocolate to create a thin coating. Dark chocolate has less added sugar compared with milk chocolate, notes the USDA. This added dimension of flavor will have you savoring each bite. Mind your portions: Three to four of these chocolate-covered berries have 13 g of carbs and 120 calories.
Recommended Reading: Type 1 Diabetes Articles
There Are So Many Great Packaged Snacks For Diabetes On The Market But You Need To Know What To Look For
Having easy to grab, on-the-go snacks makes life a lot easier when you are managing diabetes. Keep reading for my comprehensive list of the best packaged snacks for diabetes!
*Disclaimer: This blog post is not sponsored in anyway. These are all truly my favorite packaged snacks for diabetes. However, I do work with some of these brands occasionally. Thatâs actually one of my favorite things about my job⦠some of my favorite foods to eat are also my clients! And some of the links in this post are affiliate links. What does that mean? It means that if you click on a link and end up purchasing that product, I may get a small commission, but it doesnât cost you anything extra.
Also, this article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services. This article and the links contained in it provide general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this article is not a substitute for medical care, and should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or registered dietitian.
The 21 Best Snack Ideas If You Have Diabetes
Choosing healthy snacks can be difficult when you have diabetes.
The key is to choose snacks that are high in fiber, protein and healthy fats. These nutrients will help keep your blood sugar levels under control.
Its also important to snack on nutrient-dense foods that promote overall health.
This article discusses 21 excellent snacks to eat if you have diabetes.
Read Also: Macaroni And Cheese For Diabetics
Rhythm Organic Beet Chips
These beets have all the spectacular crunch of potato chips, and they include far more beneficial nutrients. These pure and simple, conveniently packaged beet chips are ready to snack on. Just reach into the bag to start crunching.
The beets have been dried, so they wont make your fingers all red, but they still have all the good stuff in the fresh veggies, including fiber and iron.
The snacks are USDA organic and non-GMO Project Verified, and they are healthy enough to snack on any time, or even all day long.
Honeydew Melon With Yogurt Sauce
Swap out vanilla yogurt for plain yogurt to further reduce the sugar content in this snack, a snack that feels like way more of a treat than a simple piece of fruit.
Take a cue from the Diabetic Foodie and slice up wholesome honeydew melon, drizzle it with yogurt, and sprinkle it with pistachios and lime zest to experience flavors worthy of a classic gelateria.
Also Check: Maximum Dose Of Metformin Daily
What To Look For In Healthy Snacks For Diabetes
Before we dive into healthy snacks for diabetes, I thought it would be good review to talk about what we are looking for in recommended diabetes snacks to buy, and what factors I considered when choosing the recommended packaged snacks for diabetes below.
We want packaged diabetes snacks that:
- Have at least 4g of protein or 4g of fiber or both
- Preferably contain some sort of plant based fat source, though not required
- Are made from whole grains
- Are made from quality ingredients
- Are easy to consume on-the-go
- Are low in sugar relative to the overall carbohydrate count
Now, obviously there are going to be some exceptions to this, and I will try to note those as best I can, but itâs important to remember not to approach food with a list of black and white guidelines. Food has nuance. There is an ebb and a flow to what works sometimes and doesnât work at other times. Just something to keep in mind.
And, if you want to read more in depth on this idea of balancing blood sugars and choosing the right foods, make sure to check out this article here.
/ 8 Avocado With Balsamic
When you’re in the mood for a luscious snack, slice an avocado in half, remove the pit, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Spoon each bite right out of the skin and enjoy. If you have diabetes, you can’t go wrong with avocado because of its high fiber and healthy fat contentboth of which help steady blood sugar. Avocados are also loaded with potassium, a mineral that aids nerve function to help prevent diabetic neuropathy.
Don’t Miss: Elevated A1c Symptoms
Skinny Dipped Dark Chocolate Cocoa Almonds
Nutrition Facts 1 ounce: 140 calories, 10g fat , 0mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate , 5g protein.
You might be surprised to see chocolate in any form on this list! One serving of dark chocolate cocoa almonds rings in at only 11g of carbohydrates. With 5g protein, this diabetes-friendly dessert can crush late-night cravings for something both sweet and crunchy. Plus, some studies suggest that the flavanoids in cocoa powder may help make cells more sensitive to insulin helping the body to utilize sugar in the blood.
Certified Diabetes Educator And Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Amelia Sherry Shares Her Best Picks For Diabetic
Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.
The old adage to avoid snacking between meals isnt necessarily great advice, particularly for people with diabetes. In fact, going long periods of timesay, more than three to four hourswithout eating can actually work against you if your goal is to keep blood sugar stable and stave off hunger.
Whats better? Indulging in a powerful mix of just the right nutrients and flavors to balance blood sugar and quell your cravings. Thats why this list contains snacks rich in one or more glucose-steadying and appetite-suppressing nutrients such as fiber, fat and protein as well as a host of dynamic flavors and textures.
The snacks on this list also clock in at about two hundred calories or less, which is another good rule-of-thumb to keep in mind when it comes to figuring out which snacks will work fornot againstyour goal of maintaining weight while also keeping blood sugar balanced.
Read Also: What Is Insulin Secreted By
The Right Blood Sugar Level At Bedtime
Routine blood sugar checks must be an essential part of your routine. You should not miss checking your sugar before bedtime as it helps to access which foods work and which dont for your diabetes. Ideally, your blood sugar must be between 90 to 150 mg/dL before you go to sleep. For a normal person, blood sugar levels should lie between 70 to 130 mg/dL.
Top Packaged Snacks For Diabetes
When you need a little something between meals, grab one of these dietitian-approved packaged snacks for diabetes to help keep blood sugar stable and your stomach full.
Having a healthy snack for diabetes is actually quite similar to general healthy snacking guidelines . Whether or not you have diabetes, snacks that are made primarily from whole foods, especially plant foods, are key to overall health. This means snacking on more fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains along with some dairy.
In addition, building snacks that contain a balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fat, and limit added sugars, will not only stabilize blood sugar, which is key for diabetes management, but also give you consistent energy to live your fullest life. Because people with diabetes are twice as likely as someone without diabetes to develop heart disease, it’s also important to follow heart-healthy eating guidelines, including limiting saturated fat and sodium .
While whole food snack options like fruit with nuts or veggies with hummus are ideal for boosting your nutrient intake, sometimes you just need something that comes in a package whether it’s for convenience or just because you feel like eating something different. The good news is, the snack market has come a long way in recent years and there are plenty of great options that not only taste great but help you keep your blood sugarand healthin check.
You May Like: Is Pita Bread Okay For Diabetics
Watermelon Chaat Masala And Mint Salad
Watermelon, mint, ginger, and chaat masala, an Indian spice, make an utterly interesting flavor combination. When the mixture is placed on healthy miniature wheat toasts, it creates a memorable snack thats perfect for diabetics and anyone else who wants a little more flavor in their lives.
These rounds from Gitas Kitchen are light enough to eat after dinner and before bedtimeor whenever youre feeling just a little bit peckish.
Peanut Butter Apple Rings
Got peanut butter and an apple at home? Youre ready for this snack. Core a red or green apple and cut it into thick rings. Then spread one to two tablespoons of peanut butter over the rings. Top them with a few tablespoons of chopped nuts and raisins, and a sprinkling of whole-grain oats.
One medium apple has over four grams of fiber, Weiss says. Add some nut butter, chopped walnuts, oats and raisins to the mix and youve got a snack thats filling and satisfying with over seven grams of fiber. Fiber, she points out, can help manage blood sugar as well.
You May Like: Insulin Stimulates Glycolysis
What Are Lower Carbohydrate Snacks
There is no universal definition of a low-carb or lower carbohydrate snack. Low-carbohydrate definitions vary among professionals and people living with diabetes. However, most of the time, a low-carbohydrate diet consists of consuming less than about 130 grams of carbohydrates per day.
Typically a food is considered a very low-carbohydrate snack if it has five grams or less of carbohydrates per serving and a lower carbohydrate snack if it has 15 grams or less per serving.
But people with diabetes who are not necessarily following a low-carbohydrate diet can still find lower carbohydrate snacks useful. In addition, low-carb snacks can be defined differently for individuals because of insulin needs.
For example, if you are prescribed one unit of insulin for every 10 grams of carbohydrates, a lower carbohydrate snack would contain less than 10 grams of carbohydrates.
If you have a child with type 1 diabetes, be sure to discuss whether they should take insulin for their snacks with their doctor.
Apple With Peanut Butter
Nutrition Facts 1 medium apple: 94 calories, 0.3g fat , 0 cholesterol, 1.8mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate , 0.5g protein.
2 tablespoons peanut butter: 188 calories, 16g fat , 0 cholesterol, 147mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate , 8g protein.
A small apple with the skin and a couple tablespoons of peanut butter makes a fiber- and protein-rich snack. This classic combination provides a quick energy boost and a sweet and nutty treat any time of day. Slice up one small apple and spread one tablespoon of homemade peanut butter across the pieces.
By the way, these are the best salad dressings for diabetics.
Recommended Reading: How Long Does It Take Metformin To Start Working
Best Foods For Diabetics
Diabetes is when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal. Its carbohydrate foods, like bread, cereals, rice, pasta, fruits, milk, and desserts that can cause this rise. Your eating plan should focus on the amount and type of carbs you put on your plate throughout the day. But its also important to have foods you enjoy. You want to eat enough so you feel satisfied. Thats why its important to know the best foods for diabetics. Here are the 25 best foods for diabetics that can keep your blood sugar in check, and make you healthy as well.
What Is Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the pancreas, destroying the cells that produce insulin. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin by means of infusion, injection, or inhalation to keep their blood sugars in a healthy range.
Many variables can influence blood sugarfood, stress, illness, exercise, and hormones, to name a few. To obtain tight blood sugar control, people with type 1 diabetes need to test their blood sugars often or wear a continuous glucose monitor and carefully manage their insulin and food.
Although people with diabetes do not need to follow a low-carbohydrate diet, there are times when lower carbohydrate snacks are appropriate.
Don’t Miss: Insulin Nph Side Effects