Keeping your blood glucose levels stable during the day is essential. It helps you avoid sudden dips in glucose levels, which could negatively affect your performance at work or in other activities that you need to perform. One way that diabetics often manage the fluctuations of their blood sugar levels is by packing a few snacks that they can eat during the day. Not all snacks are appropriate for you, as a diabetic must carefully consider factors like carb count and sugar content. This article will explore how you can snack healthily as a diabetic.
What Snacks To Pack When You Have Diabetes
There’s usually no harm in having a few snacks during the day if you have diabetes. Keeping a couple of snacks with you is generally recommended to ensure you can counteract hypoglycemia. This, coupled with small meals, gives you a great way to retain a stable blood glucose level without sudden fluctuations that could prove troublesome.
While this is true, it’s essential to understand what snacks you should pack for times when you feel peckish or find that your glucose levels are falling. Fortunately, there are several delicious snack ideas that you can consider. These may not be as filling as breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but they’ll get you through the few hours until your next meal.
It’s a good idea to choose snacks that contain healthy carbohydrates and lean protein. The combination of these two nutrients will help you feel full after having the snack while also slowly releasing glucose into your bloodstream over the next few hours.
Here are a couple of ideas to help you get started:
- Pack a few slices of turkey with some cheese. You can add some lettuce or even wrap them in a piece of lettuce if you want to add a crunchy texture.
- Toast some whole wheat bread, then spread a thin layer of cream cheese (the light variety) and top with a piece of smoked salmon.
- Instead of cream cheese and salmon, spread some peanut butter on the whole wheat toast instead.
- Add a handful of mixed berries to some low-fat cottage cheese.
- Combine a few pieces of fruit with a small tub of Greek yogurt.
- Popcorn made with olive oil and only lightly salted (not microwave popcorn).
- Pack a tub with crunchy celery, carrot sticks, and a few slices of sweet peppers.
- Have an apple with a spoonful of peanut butter or a small piece of cheese.
- A few spoons of unsweetened applesauce.
- Frozen fruit bars that do not contain any added sugars.
Watching The Calories And Carbs
While packing your snacks for the day, it’s important to consider the calories and carbohydrates of the items you decide to include. Even when you choose relatively low-calorie snacks, they still add to your overall daily caloric intake. The same goes for carbohydrates found not only in your snacks, but also in the main meals you consume.
It may feel inconvenient to “count the carbs and calories,” but in the end, it will pay off when it comes to better managing your diabetes.
When it comes to snacks, try to keep both the carb and calorie count low. Aim for each portion of the snacks you pack to have under 30 carbs and a maximum of 150 calories.
The recommended average carb intake for a diabetic is about 200 per day. With this said, it’s essential to understand your daily calorie goal and remember this when deciding how many carbs you should allow in your diet. You can also talk to your dietitian or healthcare provider to determine if 200 grams of carbs daily is appropriate. The general rule here is to get about 50% of the calories you consume daily from carbohydrates.
If your snacks have 30 grams of carbs each, they will already contribute to 90 grams of your daily intake. This leaves about 110 grams for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When planning your major meals ahead of time, try to vary the carb and calorie content in your snacks so that you have more leftovers.
Timing Your Snacks And Meals
You have to consider when you have your meals and snacks. A good balance in your timing can help to ensure your glucose levels do not suddenly fluctuate throughout the day. There’s really no right or wrong way to set up a schedule for your meals when it comes to diabetes, but there are some general guidelines that you can take into consideration. This will help you better space out your meals and snacks – which helps to avoid hyperglycemia but still ensures you can reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.
- Start with the timing of your breakfast. It’s a good idea to have breakfast within the first hour after waking. You can push it to one and a half hours if needed. This helps ensure you get your initial dose of carbs for the day and avoid hypoglycemia early in the morning.
- Once you have your first meal of the day, space out your next meals about four to five hours apart, this accounts for your main meals, not the snacks you keep during the day.
- If you do need to have a snack, such as when you feel hungry or symptoms of hypoglycemia become present, it’s a good idea to take it—as long as it won’t interfere with your main meals.
Bottom Line
Having a few snacks on hand is always beneficial for people with diabetes. It’s a great way to get some carbs into your body when blood glucose levels start to fall, and it can keep you from turning to the vending machine and grabbing something sure to cause hyperglycemia. Keep the tips we shared in mind to ensure you can snack healthily and keep your sugar levels in check throughout the entire day.