Snack Ideas For Type 2 Diabetes
Snacking can be tricky when you have type 2 diabetes.
Although you may feel hungry, you dont want to boost your blood sugars before your next meal. Or, if its a bedtime snack youre craving, a snack could push up your morning readings.
The old advice for people with diabetes was to consume three meals and two snacks. But lately this grazing approach has fallen out of favor with some nutritionists, who realized that some people took that advice as a license to eat what amounted to six meals.
However, sometimes you need to nosh. Over the past 25+ years living with type 2, Ive learned what snacks can satisfy me without wreaking havoc with my glucose readings. The principles for my snacks are the same: if I eat something with carbs, I counteract with protein. A little fat is ok, since it gives me a boost in energy. And before I eat, I try to remember to drink a glass of water, because sometimes I mistake thirst for hunger, and its good to stay hydrated.
Keeping in mind every case of diabetes is unique, here are 30 snacks that work for me:
1. 25 almonds
2. String cheese and a half cup of blueberries
3. A Glucerna minibar and a warm drink
4. A half cup of plain Greek yogurt mixed with two tablespoons of homemade granola
5. Two sugarless fudgesicle bars
6. Ten baby carrots and two tablespoons of hummus
7. Two bagel thins and an ounce of lox
8. One ounce of hard cheese with six small rosemary raisin crackers
9. A handful of peanuts
22. Half of a Kind bar
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.
Top Packaged Snacks For Diabetes
When you need a little something between meals, grab one of these dietitian-approved packaged snacks to help keep blood sugar stable and your stomach full.
Healthy snacking 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.
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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.
Low Carb Chocolate Milkshake
Yes, you read that right it is possible to have a milkshake that wont send your blood sugar soaring!
This indulgent milkshake contains zero sugar , creamy healthy fats from avocado, and just 11 grams of carbs total.
The cocoa powder within may lower your blood pressure and even boost your cognitive performance add more for a darker chocolatey flavor.
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Baby Carrots Cherry Tomatoes Or Cucumber Slices
Non-starchy vegetables are a great choice for a snack. They are very low in calories, fats, and carbohydrates, while offering plenty of vitamins and minerals.
These vegetables also provide antioxidants and a good dose of fiber to boost heart and gut health. For more protein, add a low-fat cheese slice to this low-calorie snack.
Its Important To Have Some Favorite Healthy Store Bought Snacks
Like I said above, itâs important to have a list of good go-to options for packaged snacks. Whether you have diabetes or not, we all live busy lives at one point or another and people with diabetes deserve to have good options to choose from just like everyone else. And making everything from scratch at home just isnât realistic.
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Let’s Get Started With What Type 2 Diabetes Is
First, its helpful to have a little background information about what exactly a type 2 diabetes diagnosis means. When you eat, your body turns food into glucose, which the hormone insulin then shuttles to other parts of your body that need to use it as fuel. In a person with type 2 diabetes, the cells in your muscles, fat and liver dont respond to insulin properly so an excess of glucose remains in your bloodstream, which can have dangerous consequences if left untreated.
Shopping List For Diabetics More Features
Heres another big plus to our Shopping List for Diabetics. In addition to icons that are diabetes-focused like sugar free, this list uses icons like low cholesterol and low sodium because many people with diabetes are working to control not just diabetes but related conditions like high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. This list can help you identify those foods most advantageous in helping you reach your personal health goals.
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Clio Vanilla Greek Yogurt Bar
Just because you have diabetes doesn’t mean you don’t crave the occasional sweet treat. Enter, Clio’s Greek yogurt bars, which are wrapped in chocolate and can be served straight out of the fridge or frozen from the freezer. A single bar has 140 calories, only 12 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams sugar, a gram of fiber, and 8 grams protein. Better yet, they contain two types of probioticsand research suggests that probiotics may help people with type 2 diabetes improve their HbA1c and fasting insulin levels. Other flavors ring in slightly higher in carbs, so check the label.
It Can Be A Debilitating And Devastating Disease But Knowledge Is Incredible Medi
When you’re fresh out of dinner ideas, let these recipes with frozen cauliflower inspire you. This is a condition in which your body doesn’t produce or use adequate amounts insulin to function properly. Try one of these 12 healthy options no time to cook? According to the american diabetes association, about 34 million people in the united states both adults and children are living with diabetes, and an additional 1.5 million people are diagnosed every year. Whether you are inviting friends for dinner or eating out for a special occasion, here are some tips for a delicious and healthful. These dozen recipes will show you how to cook frozen shrimp, whether on kebabs or in curries, that’s decadent and delicious. Frozen meals are big sellers, claiming more shelf space than. Check out these dinner recipe ideas for di. Frozen shrimp sometimes get the bad rap of being rubbery, but it all depends on how you prepare it. Try one of these 12 healthy options stroll down any supermarket frozen food aisle and the evidence is clear: As a diabetic, it’s important to make sure you eat healthy meals that don’t cause your blood sugar to spike. Get healthy, easy, and tasty diabetic dinner recipes that will keep you full without spiking your sugar levels. Diet is an important consideration with diabetes, but it doesn’t have to stop you hosting or eating in style.
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Sliced Apple With Peanut Butter
Slice up an apple with the skin still on and add a couple of teaspoons of peanut butter to spread onto the apple slices for a quick and tasty snack.
Apples are high in nutrients and fiber, whilst low in calories. Peanut butter is a great source of protein and healthy unsaturated fat. Importantly, it is also tasty and filling.
Oh Snap Pickling Co Dilly Bites
One serving has 0 calories and 0 grams carbohydrate. Yes, you read that correctly. There are 320 milligrams sodium in a serving, though, and each bag delivers 3 servings. But you can’t beat a ZERO-carb snack. If you can’t find this particular brand or product, don’t sweat it: pickles in general are low-carb with dill versions having fewer carbs than “Bread & Butter” varieties. Get the variety pack, which includes six packs of Dilly Bites and six packs of Hottie Bites .
Related: Learn more about if pickles are healthy and how they can fit into your diet.
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Sweet And Savory Pears And Prosciutto
Jennifer Shrodes, RD, CDCES, at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, recommends that people with diabetes prioritize blood sugar-friendly choices and make them incredibly tasty. One classic protein-and-carb combo is ½ of a piece of fruit, like an apple or pear, with thinly sliced prosciutto, which is dry-cured ham.
Heres what youll get from this fancy-feeling snack: Two thin slices of prosciutto contain 70 calories, 5 g fat , 1 g carbs, and 8 g protein, according to the USDA. One-half of a juicy pear has 50 calories, no fat or protein, and about 14 g of carbs, per the USDA.
Everything Bagel Pumpkin Seeds
Our pumpkin seeds with everything bagel seasoning are a perfect seasonal snack in a pinch. They are dairy-free, gluten-free and vegetarians, making them friendly to almost any dietary preferences. They are also loaded with protein and fiber to help keep you fuller for longer. They clock in at nine grams of carbohydrates per serving, making them a delicious diabetes-friendly snack.
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Savory: Raw Veggies And Spreads
If youre looking for a savory snack that wont spike your blood sugar, consider opting for raw, diabetes-friendly veggies and a wholesome spread, like hummus, Lowenthal says. She notes that portion size for the raw veggies is flexible, but you should pay attention to how much of the hummus you’re eating with those veggies try sticking to about one-third of a cup.
If you dont like hummus, you can also try something like celery and 1 tbsp of peanut butter, Lowenthal says, or eat a hardboiled egg with your veggies for protein. Again, watch your portion sizes 1 tbsp of peanut butter contains about 80 to 100 calories, while a hardboiled egg might range from 60 to 80 calories, depending on size.
The protein in these spreads or sides will help satisfy your hunger cravings, Lowenthal says, as protein sends a signal to your brain that says that youre full. That might help prevent additional snacking later on in the night. By contrast, carbs move through the stomach more quickly than proteins and fats. That means that if you have a carb-only snack, it will spike your blood sugar more, and wont satisfy your hunger craving in the same way, Lowenthal notes.
Snacks Under 10g Carbs
If you have type 1 diabetes, and have been on a carb-counting course such as DAFNE, you will know that you dont have to take insulin to cover snacks with less than 10g of carbs.
For people with type 2 diabetes who are trying to limit their carbs, these snacks are low in carbs to give you useful ideas.
- 115g pot of sugar-free jelly: 1.2g carbs and 8 calories
- 30g almonds: 2g carbs and 184 calories
- 30g houmous and 80g fresh sliced peppers : 5g carbs and 104 calories
- 1 chopped boiled egg: 0g carbs and 79 calories
- Homemade vegetable crisps: 8.4g carbs and 48 calories
- Half an avocado : 1g carbs and 133 calories
- 1 kiwi fruit: 5g carbs and 25 calories
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Some Tips On Snacking
As these snacks for diabetics are not only limited to diabetics but can be chosen by everyone, here are some tips that everyone should follow while snacking:
1. Snack mindfully
Know what you are eating. Pay attention to the food on your plate and count on the nutrients that your body accepts every time.
2. Try to plan your feasting hours beforehand
If you plan your mealtime and snacking time, you will be able to maintain a healthy weight and make a habit of eating at the right time.
3. Go for the right snacks
Choose snacks that have high-quality carbohydrates. Pay attention to the quantity and quality of the carbs present in your food. Check if the number of other nutrients such as proteins, saturated fat or vitamins is in a healthy amount or not.
4. Avoid any distractions while eating
Keep yourself away from any distractions like T.V., phones, books and others while snacking. Always choose to sit quietly and snack. Try to keep your eyes and mind all on your plate and not anywhere else. This way, you will create a good habit that will turn out to be beneficial with time.
5. Check on the portion sizes
Always remember how much you are consuming during every mealtime or snack time and try to eat on that measure regularly. This way, you will be able to maintain a healthy weight as well as low blood sugar.
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Why Does Diet Matter For Type 2 Diabetes
You can make some adjustments to the way you eat to help prevent blood sugar spikes. Diabetes can be much better controlled when an individual makes food choices that are going to help them manage their blood sugar levels and keep their levels within ranges that will keep them safe, says Colleen Johnson, M.S., R.D.N., adult diabetes educator at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Diabetes can be treated with many kinds of medications and different types of insulin, but the diet is really going to be key no matter what type of treatment they undergo.
The main focus of an eating plan for type 2 diabetes typically revolves around reducing your intake of carbohydrates because they are most easily converted into glucose and research shows they make up a large portion of the typical American diet. When it comes to carbohydrates, what I like to remind people is that they are team players, says Samantha Cassetty, R.D.N., nutrition and wellness expert and the author of Sugar Shock. I think the biggest problem that I see is carbs on carbs on carbs. So, oatmeal with fruit with milk those are all examples of foods that contain carbohydrates. Even our wholesome, fiber-rich carbs like fruits and vegetables really ideally operate best when they’re paired with a teammate. She says not only does it allow you to get a variety of nutrients from different types of foods, it helps balance your blood sugar and enables you stay to fuller longer.
1. Leafy greens
2. Salmon
3. Quinoa
5. Nuts
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Cheesy Keto Broccoli Cauliflower Tots
Image: Cheap Recipe Blog
Saying goodbye to your favorite starchy sides doesnt mean you have to give up tots forever. These cheesy no-tater tots are made with broccoli and cauliflower, giving you a sneaky dose of veggies and fiber. And since theyre mixed with almond flour, parmesan, and garlic powder, they fit perfectly into a diabetic-friendly meal plan.
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When you consider the magnitude of that number, it’s easy to understand why everyone needs to be aware of the signs of the disea. According to the american diabetes association, about 34 million people in the united states both adults and children are living with diabetes, and an additional 1.5 million people are diagnosed every year. Diet is an important consideration with diabetes, but it doesn’t have to stop you hosting or eating in style. Whether you are inviting friends for dinner or eating out for a special occasion, here are some tips for a delicious and healthful. Hot glazed pork chops with arugula and walnut salad this succulent pork adds a helping of lean protein to a fib. This is a condition in which your body doesn’t produce or use adequate amounts insulin to function properly. It results from a lack of, or insufficiency of, the hormone insulin which is produced by the pancreas. Frozen shrimp sometimes get the bad rap of being rubbery, but it all depends on how you prepare it. These dozen recipes will show you how to cook frozen shrimp, whether on kebabs or in curries, that’s decadent and delicious. Diabetes mellitus is a medical condition that is associated with high blood sugar. It can be a debilitating and devastating disease, but knowledge is incredible medi. Check out these dinner recipe ideas for di. As a diabetic, it’s important to make sure you eat healthy meals that don’t cause your blood sugar to spike.
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