Smart Snacking with Diabetes

Do you find yourself from time to time reaching for those biscuits, chocolate bars, or bag of greasy chips when cravings hit? Don’t let hunger strikes derail your diabetes meal plan. Healthy snacks can help optimise your blood glucose control, support your overall diabetes diet, provide you with a boost of energy, and help you avoid overeating. The number of snacks you eat and when you eat them depends on your diabetes management and meal plan needs. Here are 5 tips for smart snacking that you may find helpful.  

1. Know How Carbs Affect You

Smart snacking begins with understanding how your body reacts to insulin and carbohydrates. It’s important to be aware of the type and amount of carbohydrates you’re eating to avoid potentially dangerous spikes or drops in blood glucose. Some carbs may cause a larger spike in blood glucose than other carbs for example food and drinks such as white-flour pasta, bread and fizzy drinks cause higher spike in blood glucose. Don’t forget to count the amount of carbohydrates in your snack in your overall meal plan and bolus accordingly.

2. Planning Ahead

It’s not easy but try to resist the urge to run to the nearest vending machine. Prevent hunger strikes by preparing a healthy snack to carry with you at work, in the car, or in your bag. Not only will preparing a healthy snack help manage your glucose levels, it’s also great for your wallet and waistline.

Stock up on healthy options, such as raw almonds, hard boiled eggs, and blueberries, keep raw-cut vegetables in your fridge (you’re more likely to grab them if they’re ready to eat– try with a low-fat dip on the side)

Avoid buying unhealthy snacks that are high in calories and fat, such as chips and cookies. If there’s always food around at work, prevent mindless snacking by taking a break elsewhere or eating your prepared healthy snack.

3. Choose the Right Snacks

Look for snacks that help you achieve your daily carbohydrate goals while meeting your personal taste preference. Unless you’re experiencing a low blood sugar, healthy snacks should be a combination of protein and carbs, such as an apple with peanut butter, whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese, and low-fat cottage cheese that won’t cause spikes in your blood sugar and will keep you full longer. An apple or orange, a hard-boiled egg, or 15 almonds are just a few examples of healthy snack options.

4. Mind your Portions

Portion control is key, and without it, those light bites may end up having as many calories as a meal, wreaking havoc on your blood sugar and contributing to weight gain. Pre-prepared individual sized-snacks can help you keep portions in check.

5. Snack Mindfully

Think before you eat. Are you actually hungry, or are you bored? Munching mindlessly out of boredom or in front of the TV is an assured way to gain unnecessary pounds and interrupt your meal plan and diabetes management goals. This doesn’t mean you can’t ever eat your favorite snacks in front of the TV. Just be sure to choose a healthy option that’s an individual serving size.

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