Diabetes is a global health crisis with about 38.4 million people living with diabetes in the United States with the prevalence increasing every year. If you are living with diabetes, you know that it is important to make healthy food choices. This can be difficult when you are on the go, though. That's why we have compiled a list of the best snacks for diabetes! These snacks are not only healthy and delicious, but they are also convenient to take with you on the go. So whether you are looking for a high-fiber or a protein-packed snack, we have you covered! Many of our Nature’s Garden Products offer a good combination of protein and fiber to keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day.
What are Complications of Uncontrolled Diabetes?
Whether you are living with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, being able to keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range is so important to your health. If your blood sugar levels become too high or too low for extended periods, it can lead to other serious chronic health conditions. High blood sugar can impact the blood vessels in the eyes causing glaucoma, cataracts, and eventual blindness. Additionally, high blood sugar levels can lead to nerve damage, high blood pressure, and eventually cardiovascular disease. Other than medications, one of the best lifestyle modifications to help manage diabetes is nutrition.
Why is Nutrition so Important for Controlling Diabetes?
Nutrition is a key component for managing diabetes and improving the quality of life for individuals. Individuals living with diabetes must learn how to control their portions of certain foods, especially carbohydrates. Many patients with diabetes can benefit from working with a registered dietitian, one of our previous articles highlights the benefits and how to find the right dietitian.
When building a meal or snack as a patient with diabetes there are 5 major components you want to keep in mind.
- Include a lean protein source. This can be anything such as skinless chicken breast, fish, tofu, beans, or lentils.
- Fill up on non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, kale, beets, cucumbers, and peppers.
- Make most of your grain consumption whole-grains such as brown rice, quinoa, farro, and whole-wheat bread and tortillas. These often have more fiber and protein and beneficial nutrients compared to refined carbohydrates.
- Eat a moderate amount of unsaturated fats like avocados, nut butter, nuts, and olive oils. This can increase your intake of fat-soluble vitamins and help your body absorb glucose from carbohydrates more efficiently.
- Limit added sugar and additional condiment intake. For instance, instead of using a spoonful of sugar in oatmeal, you can try adding a handful of berries as a natural sweetener.
One additional tip from many registered dietitians working with patients who have diabetes is to make sure you have healthy snacks on hand between meals to prevent hypoglycemia from occurring. This is particularly important at night to have a healthy bedtime snack as stabilizing blood sugar with a high protein, high fiber snack before bed can better manage any morning blood sugar spikes.
High Protein, High Fiber Snacks for Diabetes
We want to provide some of our snack suggestions for diabetics that are high in protein and fiber!
- Greek yogurt with ¼ cup of berries and 2 tbsp of nuts
- Sliced cucumber with 2 tbsp of hummus and string cheese
- Protein smoothie with ½ cup of fruit, 1 tbsp nut butter, a handful of spinach, 1 cup of almond milk, and 1 scoop of protein powder
- Chia seed pudding with 3 tbsp of chia seeds, 1 cup of soy milk, and ½ cup of berries
- Whole grain toast with 2 tbsp of almond butter, ½ cup of sliced strawberries, and 1 tbsp of flax seeds
- ½ cup of edamame beans with 1 cup of tomatoes
- 10 raw almonds, 4 oz of turkey on 1 brown rice cake with 1 tbsp mashed avocado
- ½ cup mashed black beans on 1 slice of sourdough bread with a handful of arugula
- 3 hard-boiled eggs with 1 apple and 1 tbsp of peanut butter
- ½ cup quinoa with 3 oz of tofu, sliced cucumber and ½ cup beets
While many of these are sugar-free snacks for diabetes and good diabetes snack ideas, if you are limited on time, there are also diabetic-friendly snacks you can buy or order online!
Packaged Snack Idea for Diabetics: Trail Mix
Are you living with diabetes and looking for diabetic snacks to buy for an afternoon, or even a good bedtime snack? Trail mix is one of the best diabetic snacks! Trail mix is packed with healthy nuts and seeds, as well as a dried fruit. You can easily make your own healthy trail mix for diabetes at home, or you can purchase it pre-made from Nature's Garden. Just be sure to check the ingredients list to make sure that there are no added sugars or unhealthy fats. If you are limited on time, trail mix is a good night snack for diabetics.
These snacks are not only healthy and delicious, but they are also convenient to take with you on the go. Most of our trail mixes have some dried fruits in them as well. So be sure to give them a try! To learn more about the benefits of dried fruit consumption you can read our comprehensive guide to blood sugar and dried fruit. And if you are looking for recipes that are perfect for people living with diabetes, be sure to check out Nature's Garden Tip & Recipes section! We have recipes for everything from breakfast to dinner to dessert. Enjoy!